If you’ve spent much time on social media here in Washington, you’ve likely seen a headline like this one:

Office Workers Secretly Waiting for Landing Seaplane to Decapitate Paddleboarder

That gem comes from “The Needling,” which describes itself as Seattle’s only real fake news. It’s the comedy creation of Lex Vaughn, the site’s founder and editor since 2018 – longevity enough to lampoon two presidential elections. 

Thursday night, she’ll be at SIFF Cinema Downtown, as part of its Talking Pictures series. Vaughn has chosen to screen and discuss Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.

Today, Soundside is pleased to have her on to talk about how she came to be Seattle’s fake news maven, as well as what it means to do satire in 2025. 

GUEST: Lex Vaughn - Founder & Editor of The Needling

LINK: The Needling

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Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.