This week's Scrum is a bit different. Adam Reilly's been covering taking a break from politics coverage and focusing on the trial of admitted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.  So, we decided to delve into some big questions about Tsarnaev trial coverage with two people who were at the trial every day (or nearly every day) - WBZ-TV reporter Jim Armstrong and Boston.com senior columnist HIlary Sargent.

Our focus was the experience of reporting on a trial like this. Does the media try too hard to get inside Tsarnaev's head? How does a reporter's personal life shape his or her coverage? What's the best way to engage Tsarnaev conspiracy theorists? And, finally: was this trial really necessary for bombing survivors, and Boston as a whole?

Take a listen above-- and weigh in with your own thoughts.

The Scrum is a weekly politics and media podcast from WGBH News. You can subscribe to The Scrum podcast in iTunes. If you need help figuring out how to listen to a podcast, check out this video.