Jesse Thorn Answers Alex’s Minor Existential Crisis

Published May 8, 2026 at 12:00 PM EDT

A man in a gray suit sitting in a chair in an office with his fingers on his cheek, talking. Most of the items surrounding him look to be from the 1960s, except his laptop, a portable phone. — Jesse Thorn, host of Bullseye, helped Nice Work host Alex Chambers with an existential crisis regarding arts journalism.

WFIU starting airing Bullseye with Jesse Thorn in October of 2025. Coincidentally, October of 2025 is also when Nice Work launched. Even more coincidentally,* Alex Chambers had the opportunity to interview Jesse Thorn, and he took the opportunity to ask Jesse for help about a minor existential crisis he was experiencing with regard to arts journalism in troubling times.

*It really was a coincidence: Bullseye was offering stations interviews with Jesse Thorn on the occasion of his show’s 25th anniversary. Jesse was very generous with his time.