diff --git a/pylib/anki/importing/anki2.py b/pylib/anki/importing/anki2.py
index 6eb6a9c59..b6d8f2de1 100644
--- a/pylib/anki/importing/anki2.py
+++ b/pylib/anki/importing/anki2.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ from anki.consts import *
 from anki.decks import DeckManager
 from anki.importing.base import Importer
 from anki.rsbackend import TR
-from anki.utils import intTime, joinFields, splitFields
+from anki.utils import intTime, joinFields, splitFields, stripHTMLMedia
 
 GUID = 1
 MID = 2
@@ -71,7 +71,9 @@ class Anki2Importer(Importer):
     ######################################################################
 
     def _logNoteRow(self, action: str, noteRow: List[str]) -> None:
-        self.log.append("[%s] %s" % (action, noteRow[6].replace("\x1f", ", ")))
+        self.log.append(
+            "[%s] %s" % (action, stripHTMLMedia(noteRow[6].replace("\x1f", ", ")))
+        )
 
     def _importNotes(self) -> None:
         # build guid -> (id,mod,mid) hash & map of existing note ids
diff --git a/qt/aqt/importing.py b/qt/aqt/importing.py
index 4116673e5..8737366e2 100644
--- a/qt/aqt/importing.py
+++ b/qt/aqt/importing.py
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ def importFile(mw, file):
                 if "\n" not in log:
                     tooltip(log)
                 else:
-                    showText(log)
+                    showText(log, plain_text_edit=True)
 
             mw.reset()
 
diff --git a/qt/aqt/utils.py b/qt/aqt/utils.py
index aa8f52a3a..7c38a3641 100644
--- a/qt/aqt/utils.py
+++ b/qt/aqt/utils.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import os
 import re
 import subprocess
 import sys
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, List, Optional, Union
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, List, Optional, Tuple, Union
 
 import anki
 import aqt
@@ -113,24 +113,31 @@ def showInfo(
 
 
 def showText(
-    txt,
-    parent=None,
-    type="text",
-    run=True,
-    geomKey=None,
-    minWidth=500,
-    minHeight=400,
-    title="Anki",
-    copyBtn=False,
-):
+    txt: str,
+    parent: Optional[QWidget] = None,
+    type: str = "text",
+    run: bool = True,
+    geomKey: Optional[str] = None,
+    minWidth: int = 500,
+    minHeight: int = 400,
+    title: str = "Anki",
+    copyBtn: bool = False,
+    plain_text_edit: bool = False,
+) -> Optional[Tuple[QDialog, QDialogButtonBox]]:
     if not parent:
         parent = aqt.mw.app.activeWindow() or aqt.mw
     diag = QDialog(parent)
     diag.setWindowTitle(title)
     layout = QVBoxLayout(diag)
     diag.setLayout(layout)
-    text = QTextBrowser()
-    text.setOpenExternalLinks(True)
+    if plain_text_edit:
+        # used by the importer
+        text = QPlainTextEdit()
+        text.setReadOnly(True)
+        text.setWordWrapMode(QTextOption.NoWrap)
+    else:
+        text = QTextBrowser()
+        text.setOpenExternalLinks(True)
     if type == "text":
         text.setPlainText(txt)
     else:
@@ -165,6 +172,7 @@ def showText(
         restoreGeom(diag, geomKey)
     if run:
         diag.exec_()
+        return None
     else:
         return diag, box