Polilogue: Recent Episodes
Steidle-Soto
Polilogue dives into the conversations that dominate the Sunday morning political shows. We look at the policymaker, the politician, and the journalist—because each is critical and each demands criticism. With extensive audio clips from the Sunday shows, Polilogue is released in time for your Monday commute.
In this special episode, Naomi and Brendan say goodbye to Polilogue. After more than 5 years and 291 episodes, we are bidding farewell to the podcast in this bittersweet episode. Thank you to all of our supporters and listeners over the years. We will miss the show but appreciate so much the privilege to speak with you during these interesting times.
You can still email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.solvingguns.org
In the last episode of our Supreme Court series, we discuss the prospect for reform of the Supreme Court. We review the analysis of reform released by the Presidential Commission, suggest some of our own ideas for reforming the court—and then discuss reform of media coverage.
Resources
You can check out our ongoing research list spreadsheet here
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.solvingguns.org
There’s no job criteria to be a Supreme Court justice. But then how does someone even get to serve on the highest court — for the rest of their life? In this episode of Polilogue, we look at the Supreme Court pipeline and how national media organizations portray and analyze the very few paths to the court.
We also discuss the Federalist Society, an influential outside group that has been extremely successful in developing and mentoring federal judges—shaping the conservative Court we experience today.
Resources
You can check out our ongoing research list spreadsheet here
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.solvingguns.org
In this episode of Polilogue we wonder if a job you can almost never be fired from can have any level of accountability. Congress and the White House have elections to give people the opportunity to “re-hire” their elected officials. But if our top court does not have an election, does that mean they are exempted from any accountability?
What’s the role of the media ecosystem to describe and analyze the quality of work that the Supreme Court does every day? What more can they do during the nomination and confirmation process to ensure that only qualified candidates are serving these lifelong appointments?
Resources
You can check out our ongoing research list spreadsheet here
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.solvingguns.org
Confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justices have been wildly dramatic (Kavanaugh) and surprisingly calm (Jackson). What’s to account for the difference? Is it all just about the nominee—or is there something else behind it? In this episode of Polilogue’s special season on the Supreme Court we dive into how the media covers the confirmation process.
It’s not as simple as it seems—and not as easy to explain. How does the media do in explaining the process and helping the public understand what’s at stake? We also take a look at how the changing nature of the confirmation process has shaped media coverage.
Resources
You can check out our ongoing research list spreadsheet here
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.solvingguns.org
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
For episode 4 of our Supreme Court season, we’re focusing on the moment when most Americans learn about a potential Supreme Court justice: when the president nominates them to fill a vacancy.
Too often the immediate coverage is about the president and his political intentions in nominating this person. There is little substantive coverage about who this nominated person is, how they got to the legal position that they are in, and how their legal training could impact their work as a Supreme Court judge.
In this episode, we’ll show how this was true most recently when Justice Stephen Breyer retired. We knew President Biden’s short list of black women that were under consideration, but even still when media organizations had the time to explore these women’s histories, there was little to consume to learn about these women.
Resources
You can check out our ongoing research list spreadsheet here
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
For episode 3 of our Supreme Court season, we acknowledge two unsaid realities:
First, where and why do we have an extensive reverence of the Supreme Court? Is it even justified? We examine the conditions and expectations that perpetuate the reverence. The sanctimony cycle is unending: from the American people, to the press, and back to the Court. Most importantly, we explore the notion that reverence of the Court inhibits the press from holding the institution accountable.
Second, we break down the myth that the Supreme Court is an apolitical institution. This is true in current times and also since the founding. The Court has always had political drama; we’ve just been really good at ignoring them.
Resources
You can check out our ongoing research list spreadsheet here
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
We’re back with the second episode of Polilogue 2.0: The New Conservative Court.
SCOTUS experts are defining the latest term as the most conservative term in almost 100 years. But how did we get there? If people read and watched SCOTUS news stories and alerts in the last decade — would they even have been aware we were on this path to begin with?
Looking ahead: What does it mean now that we have a young conservative Court? And how can the media acknowledge and/or explain the Court’s conservative lean and what it means for all of us.
Resources
You can check out our ongoing research list spreadsheet here
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
It’s time to talk about the United States Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court is one of our three branches of government, but for completely confusing reasons, it is covered by national media organizations in entirely different ways than the legislative and executive branches.
For the first episode of Season 1 of Polilogue 2.0, we’re doing an overview of how the media currently covers the Supreme Court — and more importantly — all the ways it’s not covered. We talk about the go-to moments of SCOTUS coverage, the crazy space that is legal media, and the reclusive and black box nature of the Court itself.
Resources
You can check out our ongoing research list spreadsheet here
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
We’re back!!
For the first time in four months, both Brendan and Naomi are back on the mics!
In today’s teaser episode, we give a sneak peak into the topic for the new season of Polilogue: The United States Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is one of the three branches of government — and yet — it’s practically impossible to find information about the Court, their processes, or their legacies. This nebulous understanding extends to States or other regional courts.
In true Polilogue fashion, we’re looking at how news organizations cover the SCOTUS and what is desperately being missed. Catch the first episode of the new season Monday, September 5.
Resources
- Public’s Views of Supreme Court Turned More Negative Before News of Breyer’s Retirement (Pew Research)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In this final episode of the Solving Guns project, we conclude our discussion of the portrayal of guns in film.
This is Part 15 of a multi-part series that we are sharing first with our polilogue listeners—a project that is years in the making. The goal is to examine every form of gun violence, to go deep on the reasons why people own guns in the first place, and to find solutions without passing gun restricting laws. Whether you love guns or hate them, my hope is that the solutions here can unite those on the left and the right behind one goal: to save lives. Something we can all agree on.
You can find this project, with written versions and some videos online at www.SolvingGuns.org. You can also find access to the 2000-plus pages of facts and statistics that Brendan leaned on for this project.
Next week, Naomi and Brendan will both be back on their microphones to talk about Polilogue 2.0.
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In this episode we reach the final chapter of our discussion on reducing gun violence—taking a look at the portrayal of guns in film. This is Part 14 of Brendan’s Solving Guns project.
This is a multi-part series that we are sharing first with our polilogue listeners—a project that is years in the making. The goal is to examine every form of gun violence, to go deep on the reasons why people own guns in the first place, and to find solutions without passing gun restricting laws. Whether you love guns or hate them, my hope is that the solutions here can unite those on the left and the right behind one goal: to save lives. Something we can all agree on.
You can find this project, with written versions and some videos online at www.SolvingGuns.org. You can also find access to the 2000-plus pages of facts and statistics that Brendan leaned on for this project.
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In this episode we look at a single case—the deadliest mass shooting in US history—and try to understand how we can secure future public spaces to prevent a repeat and ensure safety. This is Part 13 of Brendan’s Solving Guns project.
This is a multi-part series that we are sharing first with our polilogue listeners—a project that is years in the making. The goal is to examine every form of gun violence, to go deep on the reasons why people own guns in the first place, and to find solutions without passing gun restricting laws. Not because these types of laws are a bad idea or a good idea—but because there is so much else that can be done more immediately to reduce gun violence. Whether you love guns or hate them, my hope is that the solutions here can unite those on the left and the right behind one goal: to save lives. Something we can all agree on.
You can find this project, with written versions and some videos online at www.SolvingGuns.org. You can also find access to the 2000-plus pages of facts and statistics that Brendan leaned on for this project.
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In this episode we look at ways that we can make the places where we learn and work safer in case of a mass shooting. This is Part 12 of Brendan’s Solving Guns project.
This is a multi-part series that we are sharing first with our polilogue listeners—a project that is years in the making. The goal is to examine every form of gun violence, to go deep on the reasons why people own guns in the first place, and to find solutions without passing gun restricting laws. Not because these types of laws are a bad idea or a good idea—but because there is so much else that can be done more immediately to reduce gun violence. Whether you love guns or hate them, my hope is that the solutions here can unite those on the left and the right behind one goal: to save lives. Something we can all agree on.
You can find this project, with written versions and some videos online at www.SolvingGuns.org. You can also find access to the 2000-plus pages of facts and statistics that Brendan leaned on for this project.
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In this episode we look at how technology should be used to save lives in mass shootings. We also discuss ways that preparations can be taken to reduce the impact of impulsive mass shootings. This is Part 11 of Brendan’s Solving Guns project.
This is a multi-part series that we are sharing first with our polilogue listeners—a project that is years in the making. The goal is to examine every form of gun violence, to go deep on the reasons why people own guns in the first place, and to find solutions without passing gun restricting laws. Not because these types of laws are a bad idea or a good idea—but because there is so much else that can be done more immediately to reduce gun violence. Whether you love guns or hate them, my hope is that the solutions here can unite those on the left and the right behind one goal: to save lives. Something we can all agree on.
You can find this project, with written versions and some videos online at www.SolvingGuns.org. You can also find access to the 2000-plus pages of facts and statistics that Brendan leaned on for this project.
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In this episode we look at how media coverage can inspire mass shootings—and how we could change that coverage to reduce mass shootings. This is Part 10 of Brendan’s Solving Guns project.
This is a multi-part series that we are sharing first with our polilogue listeners—a project that is years in the making. The goal is to examine every form of gun violence, to go deep on the reasons why people own guns in the first place, and to find solutions without passing gun restricting laws. Not because these types of laws are a bad idea or a good idea—but because there is so much else that can be done more immediately to reduce gun violence. Whether you love guns or hate them, my hope is that the solutions here can unite those on the left and the right behind one goal: to save lives. Something we can all agree on.
You can find this project, with written versions and some videos online at www.SolvingGuns.org. You can also find access to the 2000-plus pages of facts and statistics that Brendan leaned on for this project.
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In this episode we bring you Part 9 of Brendan’s Solving Guns project. After the horrific events in Texas, we shift the focus to ways that we can improve the police response to mass public shootings.
This is a multi-part series that we are sharing first with our polilogue listeners—a project that is years in the making. The goal is to examine every form of gun violence, to go deep on the reasons why people own guns in the first place, and to find solutions without passing gun restricting laws. Not because these types of laws are a bad idea or a good idea—but because there is so much else that can be done more immediately to reduce gun violence. Whether you love guns or hate them, my hope is that the solutions here can unite those on the left and the right behind one goal: to save lives. Something we can all agree on.
You can find this project, with written versions and some videos online at www.SolvingGuns.org. You can also find access to the 2000-plus pages of facts and statistics that Brendan leaned on for this project.
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In this special episode we are excited to bring you Part 8 of Brendan’s Solving Guns project. This is the third part of our discussion on reducing mass shootings. The discussion focuses on ways to reduce the causes of active shooter incidents at workplaces.
This is a multi-part series that we are sharing first with our polilogue listeners—a project that is years in the making. The goal is to examine every form of gun violence, to go deep on the reasons why people own guns in the first place, and to find solutions without passing gun restricting laws. Not because these types of laws are a bad idea or a good idea—but because laws are not solving this issue right now. Whether you love guns or hate them, my hope is that the solutions here can unite those on the left and the right behind one goal: to save lives. Something we can all agree on.
You can find this project, with written versions and some videos online at www.SolvingGuns.org. You can also find access to the 2000-plus pages of facts and statistics that Brendan leaned on for this project.
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In this special episode we are excited to bring you Part 7 of Brendan’s Solving Guns project. This is the second part of our discussion on reducing mass shootings. The discussion includes some analysis of active shooter incidents and the first step in our discussion of reducing shootings—with a focus on school shooters.
This is a multi-part series that we are sharing first with our polilogue listeners—a project that is years in the making. The goal is to examine every form of gun violence, to go deep on the reasons why people own guns in the first place, and to find solutions without passing gun restricting laws. Not because these types of laws are a bad idea or a good idea—but because laws are not solving this issue right now. Whether you love guns or hate them, my hope is that the solutions here can unite those on the left and the right behind one goal: to save lives. Something we can all agree on.
You can find this project, with written versions and some videos online at www.SolvingGuns.org. You can also find access to the 2000-plus pages of facts and statistics that Brendan leaned on for this project.
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In this special episode we are excited to bring you Part 6 of Brendan’s Solving Guns project. This is the first part of our discussion on reducing mass shootings. We discuss the three types of mass shootings and ideas for reducing gun violence without the need for gun control legislation.
This is a multi-part series that we are sharing first with our polilogue listeners—a project that is years in the making. The goal is to examine every form of gun violence, to go deep on the reasons why people own guns in the first place, and to find solutions without passing gun restricting laws. Not because these types of laws are a bad idea or a good idea—but because laws are not solving this issue right now. Whether you love guns or hate them, my hope is that the solutions here can unite those on the left and the right behind one goal: to save lives. Something we can all agree on.
You can find this project, with written versions and some videos online at www.SolvingGuns.org. You can also find access to the 2000-plus pages of facts and statistics that Brendan leaned on for this project.
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In this special episode we are excited to bring you Part 5 of Brendan’s Solving Guns project. This is the second part of our discussion on guns used in crime. Last week we talked about how guns are used to resolve disputes—this week, we’re focusing on how guns are used to gain respect and social standing. The question is: can we reduce this kind of gun violence without the need for gun control legislation?
This is a multi-part series that we are sharing first with our polilogue listeners—a project that is years in the making. The goal is to examine every form of gun violence, to go deep on the reasons why people own guns in the first place, and to find solutions without passing gun restricting laws. Not because these types of laws are a bad idea or a good idea—but because laws are not solving this issue right now. Whether you love guns or hate them, my hope is that the solutions here can unite those on the left and the right behind one goal: to save lives. Something we can all agree on.
You can find this project, with written versions and some videos online at www.SolvingGuns.org. You can also find access to the 2000-plus pages of facts and statistics that Brendan leaned on for this project.
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In this special episode we are excited to bring you Part 4 of Brendan’s Solving Guns project. This is Part 4. This part introduces the issue of guns used in crime and one of the top reasons guns are used violently—resolving disputes. How can we reduce this kind of gun violence without the need for gun control legislation?
This is a multi-part series that we are sharing first with our polilogue listeners—a project that is years in the making. The goal is to examine every form of gun violence, to go deep on the reasons why people own guns in the first place, and to find solutions without passing gun restricting laws. Not because these types of laws are a bad idea or a good idea—but because laws are not solving this issue right now. Whether you love guns or hate them, my hope is that the solutions here can unite those on the left and the right behind one goal: to save lives. Something we can all agree on.
You can find this project online at www.SolvingGuns.org, where you can read a written version of this and in the future where you can watch a video version that Brendan is producing. You can also find access to the 2000-plus pages of facts and statistics that the project is based on.
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In this special episode we are excited to bring you Part 3 of Brendan’s Solving Guns project. This is Part 3. This part explores another dimension of another top reason why people own guns—sport. Last week we talked about the idea for gun subscription service. Let’s take another look at this and see if we can tackle this from a different angle.
This is a multi-part series that we are sharing first with our polilogue listeners—a project that is years in the making. The goal is to examine every form of gun violence, to go deep on the reasons why people own guns in the first place, and to find solutions without passing gun restricting laws. Not because these types of laws are a bad idea or a good idea—but because laws are not solving this issue right now. Whether you love guns or hate them, my hope is that the solutions here can unite those on the left and the right behind one goal: to save lives. Something we can all agree on.
You can find this project online at www.SolvingGuns.org, where you can read a written version of this as well as a video version that Brendan made. You can also find access to the 2000-plus pages of facts and statistics that the project is based on.
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In this special episode we are excited to bring you Part 2 of Brendan’s Solving Guns project. This part explores the other top reason why people own guns—sports and hunting.
This is a multi-part series that we are sharing first with our polilogue listeners—a project that is years in the making. The goal is to examine every form of gun violence, to go deep on the reasons why people own guns in the first place, and to find solutions without passing laws. Not because laws are a bad idea or a good idea—but because laws are not solving this issue right now. Whether you love guns or hate them, my hope is that the solutions here can unite those on the left and the right behind one goal: to save lives. Something we can all agree on.
You can find this project online at www.SolvingGuns.org, where you can read a written version of this as well as a video version that Brendan made. You can also find access to the 2000-plus pages of facts and statistics that the project is based on.
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In this special episode—which is six years in the making—Brendan finally shares with the world the first chapter of his Solving Guns project. Solving Guns is a project that started with one question: How do you solve gun violence in the face of legislative inaction? Thus began a years-long journey to examine every form of gun violence, to go deep on the reasons why people own guns in the first place, and to find solutions without passing laws. Not because laws are a bad idea or a good idea—but because laws are not solving this issue right now.
Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing one new chapter of this project with you. This week, the focus is on the issue of protection. More than 65 percent of gun owners say the major reason for owning their gun is protection. If we can convince people who own guns for protection to either not have a need for protection, or use something better for protection, we could potentially eliminate the majority of the guns out there. With fewer guns—and fewer people having access to these lethal weapons—we’d see fewer gun deaths. Fewer mass shootings. Fewer murders. And fewer suicides. So let’s take a look at these things. And see what’s possible.
To learn more about this project, to read a version of this chapter, or watch the hour-long video Brendan made on this, visit www.SolvingGuns.org
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In this special episode, we introduce the audience to a new member of the Polilogue team. We’re excited to be back with a new episode with new content next week!
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
There’s much much (justifiable and needed) coverage about the risks and courage of Ukrainians standing up to President Putin. That said, the Sunday morning political shows have a mission beyond informing the public about the latest events—their mission seeks to elevate dialogue about US policy. Today on Polilogue we ask: how did the shows do at that function on the topic of Ukraine. We also go deeper on the US decision to scrap the deal to provide Ukraine fighter aircraft.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Resources
- Excellent overview of the KyivNotKiev campaign (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KyivNotKiev)
- Ukrainian and Russian: how similar are the two languages (https://www.britannica.com/story/ukrainian-and-russian-how-similar-are-the-twolanguages)
- Daylight Saving Time story in the Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/03/09/congress-hearing-daylight-saving/)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we look at how the shows explain and talk about a no-fly zone over Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is essentially begging western allies to impose a no-fly zone and provide concrete defense of Russia’s aggression. The US and NATO partners have all denied this request.
The Biden Administration, in particular, has zero interest in engaging in direct military conflict with Russia, citing concerns that it would trigger an all-out war with Russia. Democratic and Republican lawmakers have also agreed. But does that mean the story is over? Does that mean the Sunday morning news shows do not need to explain no-fly zones more fully? Could they provide historical comparisons? Who are the voices that are agreeing with President Zelenskyy’s request? We examine these questions and wonder if and when news organizations should provide more context for this kind of story.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Resources
- Trump muses on war with Russia and praises Kim Jong Un (WaPo)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we note how American news organizations can miss the mark of foreign affairs stories. Usually these stories are not as giant as the Ukraine-Russia escalation, so we read a headline or two about a tanker stuck in the Suez Canal and leave it at that. But now, with over a hundred thousand Russian soldiers having invaded Ukraine, tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees fleeing to border nations, and average citizens making Molotov cocktails in an attempt to defend their country, it’s become abundantly clear that the coverage we’re seeing now about Ukraine is just a sliver of the real story. In fact, the coverage we’ve been seeing for years has lacked details about the scope of the problem and all the players that could impact its resolution.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Resources
- In Foreign Policy U-turn, Germany Ups Military Spending, Arms Ukraine (NYT)
- The U.S. has been rushing to arm Ukraine, but for years it stalled on providing weapons (WaPo)
- The war in Ukraine isn’t working out the way Russia intended (WaPo)
- The Roots of Ukraine’s War: How the Crisis Developed (NYT)
- Zelensky Steps Into a Role Few Expected: Ukraine’s Wartime President (NYT)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we note the excellent show design of Face the Nation, which had a near-perfect episode. They nailed the bookings, story angles and story perspectives to explain a compelling and complicated situation in Ukraine. We also look at notable questions that went above and beyond to explain the stakes of this growing escalation.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Links
The excellent song “You’ll Be Back” from the Hamilton musical
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we examine the use of political panels. Are they worth it? Should they come back in their original form after the long COVID hiatus on some shows? This could be an opportunity for the shows to breathe some life into their structure. They could reexamine if and how political panels could be worth it in their hour block. But sneak peak: the shows haven’t done that. Many political panels are back and as lazy as ever. They are full of hot takes with little purpose other than to inflame viewers.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC (preempted by Olympics Coverage)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we treat the escalating crisis along the border of Ukraine with the seriousness it deserves. Even if the hosts are a little questionable in some of their questions. We also consider how focus groups and the issue of bipartisanship are typically covered by the Sunday Shows.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we take a spin throughout several interviews on Face the Nation and then dissect the story of the Supreme Court. First, we reflect on the fact that Margaret Brennan often books more compelling guests and asks more noteworthy questions than her Sunday counterparts. We then ask why the Sunday news shows (and the media ecosystem more broadly) seems so unwilling to critically examine an entire branch of the US Federal Government—-the Supreme Court itself.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Resources
- Essays on Justice Stephen G. Breyer (Harvard Law Review)
- Stephen G. Breyer Brief Bio (Oyez)
- The Supreme Court’s Enduring Bias (The Atlantic)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Finally! Polilogue is talking POLITICS. After weeks of resisting the narrative that everything in politics has to be viewed through the lens of the presidency, we accept the premise and dive deep on Biden’s first year. Analyzing the insights from the hosts, guests, and representatives of both sides of the aisle, we try to understand what it means for Biden’s year ahead. We also consider what drives some people crazy about Chuck Todd and we catch up with the latest news out of the January 6 Committee.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
The Biden administration has tabled their Build Back Better efforts and is onto another legislative priority: voting rights. Today on Polilogue, we discuss whether the Sunday shows succeed in explaining where the bill is in the legislative process and/or if they successfully explained the White House’s strategy in making this happen. We also discuss whether, as a news consumer, one angle is more valuable than another.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Resources Discussed
- The Blue States That Make It Hardest to Vote (The Atlantic)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
On our first post-COVID (but not post-pandemic) episode, we discuss…you guessed it…COVID! But today’s Sunday shows provided a series of fascinating examples of new issues in journalism. First, we dissect two interviews with new NYC Mayor Eric Adams and ask how the hosts have fared covering the complex topic of education. Next, we go deep on an extremely critical interview with CDC Director Walensky on Fox News Sunday. Is there such a thing as being too critical (spoiler alert: no), or too agenda-driven (yes)?
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Resources Discussed
- Laurel Bristow, Instagram / Twitter
- Jessica Malaty Rivera, Instagram
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Happy New Year! And welcome to 2022! It’s a new year—but we are faced with a lot of old news, particularly on the COVID front. In this short episode, we discuss COVID from a more personal perspective.
Resources and Links
Excellent Film Discussion Questions
The Lost Daughter on Netflix
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
For their last episode of 2021, the Sunday political shows used an array of journalistic styles to explore often under-told stories. Today on Polilogue, we go through each show and discuss the noteworthy — and problematic— attempts.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Manchin is a “no.” We know this because he told us so—on the first episode of Fox News Sunday without the venerated Chris Wallace. On today’s Polilogue, we dissect the Manchin interview and the reactions to it from progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Ayanna Pressley.
Later in the episode, we take a deep dive into America’s appalling opioid crisis. More than 100,000 Americans died this year from overdose deaths—and 6 in 10 of those were fueled by fentanyl. In a compelling and vital interview on Face the Nation, Margaret Brennan spoke with the head of the Drug Enforcement Agency. We break down what worked and what was missing from this critically important dialogue—one that we see far less often than we should.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Mentioned Resources
- CBS News Report on Social Media and Fentanyl
- The White Houses’ Recent Executive Orders on Fentanyl
- Open Letter to Biden Calling for WMD Designation of Fentanyl
- Understanding the Three Waves of Opioid Deaths
- Excellent NY Review of Books Article on the New Paradigm of the Opioid Crisis
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we go back to some of our show roots: comparisons of shows and editorial decisions! Both This Week and Meet the Press examined the escalating tensions of US-Russia relations. This Week took the approach of utilizing foreign correspondents and subject matter experts. They provided tons of context of Russia’s encroachment on Ukraine. Meet the Press, on the other hand, did not have much in terms of ground setting or context, but Chuck Todd had an exclusive interview with Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.
On State of the Union, Jake Tapper interviewed outgoing NYC mayor Bill de Basio and Arkansas governor Asa Hutchison on their varied approach on getting their constituents vaccinated.
All of these different strategies have pros and cons that are really dependent on what your goals are as a media consumer. Plus, we have a conversation about the bombshell news that Chris Wallace will be leaving Fox News after 18 years with the network.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Mentioned Resources
- Who’s left? Engaging the remaining hesitant consumers on COVID-19 vaccine adoption (McKinsey & Company)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we examine the coverage and interviews that focused on the Supreme Court abortion case. This Week stands out as a show that brought in the relevant experts and facts to have a robust conversation. Other shows like State of the Union lacked any foundation-setting segments, and Face the Nation didn’t even mention the abortion case!
We also look the continued coverage of the Omicron variant, and if/how shows may be contributing to fear-mongering tone given the dearth of tangible facts and findings about the emerging variant.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Mentioned Links
- Polilogue featured on NPR’s All Things Considered
- CBS This Morning segment on home testing
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today we look at the new story of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Is the sense of panic in the headlines warranted? How can we have responsible coverage on the Sunday shows of this and other issues? We also look at the conversations about criminal cases on the Sunday show panels.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
On today’s episode, we focus in on one Sunday show—Meet the Press—and try to understand how the coverage of the economic situation serves the dual roles of informing the public and holding the Biden Administration accountable for taking action. We also talk about the rising issue of political violence.
Shows discussed
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on the Sunday shows we look at the Fox News Sunday interview with Brian Deese and the continued dialogue on inflation. We also do a side by side comparison with This Week and Meet the Press on how they discussed the Kyle Rittenhouse trial and acquittal.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Resources and Links:
- Trump’s most enduring legacy could be the historic rise in the national debt in the Washington Post
- Here's what Joe Biden can -- and can't -- do to fight inflation on CNN.com
- Fiscal Policy: Economic Effects by the Congressional Research Service
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we look at the shows’ decision to analyze the Virginia gubernatorial race. A few questions popped up multiple times:
- Why did they only look at Virginia?
- Where is the analysis on New Jersey?
- Where is the DATA?
- What do you mean when you say Democrats are too woke?
- What does woke even mean (today)?
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we look at the choices that journalists and show hosts make to define a story narrative. There are dozens of small and large decisions hosts and show producers make every week to define a story narrative. It could be the questions themselves. It could be the guests themselves invited onto the show. It could be the interactions between the host and guests. It could be the angle of the story itself: do they focus on cost or impact? Do they focus on process or outcome?
Sometimes, the narrative for the week is clear — and all the shows have roughly the same focus. But sometimes, a show will take a turn. They will explore a new angle. A new stone unturned. Today on Polilogue, we celebrate the different narrative.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we put a magnifying glass to bad agendas. On Meet the Press, shallow conversations about the new billionaire tax to potentially pay for the Build Back Better plan. On This Week, an insistence that the Virginia gubernatorial race is a reflection of 2022 political predictions and even emptier 2024 election forecasts.
We do note that Fox News Sunday and Face the Nation had substantial agendas with heavy, ambitious segments.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we have two very different segments.
In the first segment, we look at how This Week and Fox News Sunday explained the various economic factors that are raising costs, slowing down deliveries, and impacting the labor force across the US. The interview with Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic adviser at Allianz, on Fox News Sunday stands out as one of the top explanatory interviews on the Sunday shows in months.
Then we look at how Chuck Todd and Jake Tapper each approach their shows. Chuck Todd committed to examining issues and solutions. Jake Tapper leaning hard on his emotional frustrations.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we applaud Face the Nation for framing a larger trend rather than covering a single moment. In this instance, Margaret Brennan didn’t just talk about a single Trump rally, but framed the rally and Senator Chuck Grassley’s participation as an example of a larger trend within the Republican Party.
Also on Polilogue, Treasure Secretary Janet Yellen finally made an appearance on the Sunday news shows! … and she said absolutely nothing of substance.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we zero in on the Democratic messaging of the reconciliation bill, or the human infrastructure bill that is currently being negotiated. In particular, we examine the costs, the motivations, and what messaging are persuasive and what kind of talking points just need to stop.
We also applaud the Covid questions on Face the Nation by Margaret Brennan and give side eye to insider Washington talk on the Meet the Press panel.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we examine the focus of two interviews with DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Jake Tapper had (another) conversation about morality. Whereas Chris Wallace questioned the number of Haitian migrants that are entering the United States and asked why the Biden Administration is not using a border wall. We also look at the political messaging of Democrats during what finally seems to be Infrastructure Week (maybe).
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we look at the strong performance by Dr. Francis Collins of the National Institutes of Health in dispelling booster myths and headline buzz. We also look at the vague and unfocused questions by Margaret Brennan about Afghanistan and recent news that an American drone attack accidentally killed Afghan civilians.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we go back to our old show roots and identify themes across shows for guests that were on multiple programs on the same day. US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and Democratic Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia were both on State of the Union and Meet the Press. And the two guests gave similarly vague, defensive answers after being grilled by excellent questions from Dana Bash and Chuck Todd.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Links and Resources:
- Study finds more active-duty police officers died of COVID-19 in 2020 than all other causes combined
- Coronavirus-sniffing dogs unleashed at Miami airport to detect virus in employees
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, two very different segments with very feisty takes. Naomi looks at the lack of substantive dialogue about the Texas abortion ban. Brendan examines climate change conversations and wonders who should be answering which questions.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Resources
- NYTimes article on NYC flash flood preparedness
- More discussion on NYC government failures during Ida
- Climate scientist Daniel Swain’s thread on a new study of the climate change effects on flooding.
- Article about the danger of water vs. wind in an hurricane
- A Q&A about extreme weather and global warming
- A full report on FEMA and funding issues
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, Naomi and Brendan take on new roles as we discuss Afghanistan. Naomi is Good Cop as she acknowledges and praises good, noteworthy questions. Whereas Brendan finger wags and admonishes the bad questions on the Sunday morning shows.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Resources
- “What Americans Think About The End Of The Afghanistan War And Biden’s Handling Of It So Far” by Nathaniel Rakich in FiveThirtyEight
- The ABC News take on their poll with Ipsos: “Overwhelming bipartisan support for keeping troops in Afghanistan until all Americans, Afghans who aided US out: POLL”
- The Ipsos take on their poll with ABC News: “Most Americans think the end of the U.S. presence in Afghanistan makes no difference on our safety from terrorism”
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In today’s episode of Polilogue, we examine and question the leading voices criticizing the Afghanistan withdrawal. With the exception of an excellent interview on This Week, almost all the shows relied on war hawks and other thought leaders that have preferred and advocated for an American military presence in Afghanistan.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Resources
- The media's systemic failure on Afghanistan by Judd Legum on Popular Information
- Where are the anti-war voices? by Judd Legum, Tesnim Zekeria, and Rebecca Crosby on Popular Information
- Michale Chrichton’s Travels (Amazon)
- America’s Afghan War: A Defeat Foretold? by Adam Nossiter (NYT)
- Intelligence Warned of Afghan Military Collapse, Despite Biden’s Assurances by By Mark Mazzetti, Julian E. Barnes and Adam Goldman (NYT)
- The Biden admin’s cold logic on boosters and Afghanistan (Politico Playbook PM)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In this special episode, we take a look at a movie that tops many lists of the best movies about journalism: 1999’s “The Insider.” Directed by Michael Mann and starring Russell Crowe and Al Pacino, the film closely follows the real-life events of a tobacco industry insider who becomes a source on 60 Minutes. Complete with audio clips and our usual critical eye, we discuss the film’s portrayal of the news business and ethical questions about sources and journalistic integrity.
Next week, Polilogue will return to examine the Sunday shows we normally discuss. Likely to include a BIG discussion about the events in Afghanistan.
Shows (usually) discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we look at important stories and segments that have been too easy to overlook in the last few weeks. We look at critically important issues like substance abuse, overdoses, and climate change that took a backseat to the COVID and infrastructure stories.
Next week, Polilogue will go to the movies for a special discussion on the journalism movie “The Insider.” Check it out this week if you’d like to watch before that episode—or follow along as we discuss the movies with clips and critical commentary.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we discuss the takeaways and actionable information that was shared by public health officials about delta, the new Covid variant. We also discuss how Republicans are valuing (or not) the select committee to investigate the January 6 insurrection.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In too many ways, journalists are missing the opportunity to be rigorous in their questions. Today on Polilogue, we discuss Covid strategies and vaccine mandates. We also discuss the select committee to investigate the January 6 insurrection.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Recommendations
- Explainer on efforts to establish a special commission to investigate the insurrection on January 6 (Vox)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we discuss military readiness , infrastructure talks, and space travel. We also examine the increase of COVID cases and how the media is dropping the ball by making this moment into a Facebook-White House argument moment.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Recommendations
- Really!?! with Seth and Amy - Billionaires in Space (NBC)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we cover a range of topics. Space travel. Vaccinate mandates. FDA regulations. The new (likely) New York City mayor. Afghanistan.
After multiple weeks of feeling frustrated with the Afghanistan story framing, we finally see multiple questions that examines what was accomplished and what the US has learned in the 20 years of being in the country.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
This Independence Day, several shows were hosted by substitutes: Ed O’Keefe hosted Face the Nation, Martha Raddatz hosted This Week, and Michael Emanuel hosted Fox News Sunday. The new voices brought fresh perspective that sometimes worked — like Ed O’Keefe focusing on climate change in western states. And sometimes that fresh approach was a dud — like Emanuel’s boring checklist interview with Congressman Michael McCaul on Fox News Sunday.
More than anything, questions and conversations that focused on local stories and human connection in relation to federal policy is something we hope we see more and more on the Sunday shows.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
The Biden Administration and a bipartisan group of senators have finally agreed on an infrastructure package. Therefore, the possibility of an actual physical infrastructure bill seems much more likely. This is real progress compared to the tortoise-pace we’ve seen on this issue the last few months. However, that’s where the good news ended if you watched the Sunday morning political shows. The White House fumbled the most basic of questions and journalists undermined valid criticisms and advocacy work.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Resources
- Where Did the Coronavirus Come From? What We Already Know Is Troubling. (NYT)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Complexity reigned this week during the Sunday shows. From the intricate details of the Congressional negotiations on infrastructure to the finer points of Russian diplomacy, the Sunday shows were steeped in detail. Some programs did an excellent job—booking experts or key players to explain and explicate. While other shows took a less successful approach. We also look at some noteworthy questioning techniques by Chuck Todd—and contrast how two different Sunday shows took extremely different takes on the new federal holiday of Juneteenth.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
We look at the foreign policy conversations at the fore during Biden's first international trip.
Brendan and Naomi are back from vacation and with new critiques of the Sunday morning political shows!
Today on Polilogue, we discuss the effect of new voices, the NYC mayor race, cybersecurity threats, and the never-ending infrastructure negotiations.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
What makes the Sunday shows unique? What do political critics get wrong about the shows? How often should the President be on a Sunday show? We tackle these and other questions—including some surprise ones—on this special episode of Polilogue. We even integrate a “Lightning Round” inspired by Chris Wallace. It’s a unique episode for us—and a fun one to record!
We’ll be back with a new episode on the latest news next week. But until then—join us as we pull questions from the tin and discuss why Sunday morning matters.
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict continued to be a counterpoint in the Sunday morning political shows. John Dickerson had an impressive moment on Face the Nation when he weaved together his interviews with Benjamin Netanyahu last week and Senator Bernie Sanders this week. Chris Wallace, on the other hand, actively worked to discredit critical engagement in his interview with Mark, Regev, Senior Advisor to Israeli PM Netanyahu.
Other topics discussed include the lingering coverage of the Republican Party (particularly as it relates to the 1/6 commission) and powerful human stories about elected leaders.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue we note a huge milestone: our first Sunday without a Dr.Gottlieb appearance!! We were STUNNED.
Beyond a Gottlieb-less Sunday, the shows also covered a wide range of topics, including the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Trump’s grasp of the GOP, and the Colonial pipeline ransom attack. On the most complicated topics, we noticed important context setting explainers or segments were missing.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
The economic recovery from this unprecedented pandemic looked like it was going well—until this week. Economists and policymakers were shocked that the 1 million jobs they expected to see created in April was actually just about a quarter of that. What went wrong? While Republicans were interested in pointing the finger at enhanced unemployment benefits as a disincentive to work, experts persistently talked about the role of women during the pandemic. From workforce and labor issues to questions of childcare, we discuss it all in this week’s episode (even if some Sunday shows disappointed on that front). We also address the war within the GOP House conference as Rep. Liz Cheney finds her leadership role under threat.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Republicans went on the Sunday morning political shows to attack President Biden’s infrastructure plan. We were impressed by the effective questions on Fox News Sunday and frustrated by the vague questions and focus on Meet the Press. We were surprised by the lackluster criticisms and weak messaging from prominent Republican leaders negotiating the infrastructure counter proposal.
We also explore the tone and objectives of journalists with a cause.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we explore the many ways the Sunday morning political shows discussed police violence and police reform. Some shows did a crap job and used body cam video footage and mislabeled violence. Other shows chatted in circles about what Washington could do to fix the issue. And then some shows went deeper into the conversation with experts and the actual lived experience in communities.
We also appreciate honest responses, worthwhile follow-up questions, and explicit public health instructions.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we discuss the Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause and whether or not the explanations suffice. We question whether the pause will undermine broader efforts to reach herd immunity.
We also discuss police reform and President Biden’s recent decisions regarding refugee caps and ending military presence in Afghanistan.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
President Biden’s Americans Jobs Plan has caused a lot ruckus in its first couple of weeks in the public discourse. There are questions about what counts as infrastructure, what does a modern society and economy require, and if and how social services should be included in an infrastructure plan.
That is the point of policy discussions. Understanding these disagreements in policy is the whole point of critical thinking and nuance.
What is less clear is the fact that very few news organizations have done their own independent fiscal analysis. Journalists seem to be extra quiet on providing any kind of meaningful fact check about the costs of the proposal.
On today’s episode, we also discuss the extended introduction of Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the frustration of vague language, and the human being component of human stories.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Resources
- “The GOP claim that only 5 to 7 percent of Biden’s plan is for ‘real infrastructure’” (WaPo)
- “A former top Trump official started a lie about Biden's infrastructure bill. Two Sunday shows ran with it.” (Media Matters)
- “When Children Say They’re Trans” (Atlantic)
- Transgender Identity and Experiences of Violence Victimization, Substance Use, Suicide Risk, and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among High School Students — 19 States and Large Urban School Districts, 2017 (CDC)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Infrastructure Week. Finally!! Except don’t call it an infrastructure bill, because apparently it’s called the Americans Jobs Plan. In today’s episode of Polilogue, we examine the framing by the Biden administration for their new aspirational jobs bill and their goal to expand the definition of infrastructure. Some of the journalists questioned this premise stronger than others.
We also discuss differing expert opinions regarding a COVID fourth wave and the host responsibility to lay out the facts.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Resources
- CDC Conflicting Messaging (Tweet by Christopher Ingraham)
- “What Georgia’s Voting Law Really Does” (NYT)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we explore more conversations about bipartisanship and voter rights. We also looked at a special episode on gun violence.
We ask ourselves if journalists asked the right questions. We examine if the hosts framed issues appropriately. And we wonder why some hosts weren’t ready with the rigorous follow up question.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Migrants and unaccompanied minors are arriving to the southern border in new record numbers. Department of Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was on four shows to explain how the Biden administration was working on the issue in a humane manner, but Secretary Mayorkas provided few details on how the decades-long crisis would actually be resolved.
We also discuss how poorly all the shows explained the border crisis or even the immigration crisis more broadly, in any meaningful way.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue we look at if and how the Sunday talk shows presented Biden’s now fully confirmed American Rescue Plan. Shows like Fox News Sunday had extensive conversations about the law’s cost and intended impact. Shows like Meet the Press failed to acknowledge the new law at all.
We all discussed the difference between vague and specific questions; the value of a good clarifying question; and how to spot when a journalist is asking a troll question.
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
President Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief package finally passed the Senate last Friday. The House still needs to approve a few remaining amendments, but it’s official: President Biden’s first piece of tentpole piece of legislation is on its way to become law.
The effort was narrowly approved with only 50 votes after certain benefits were reduced to appease a moderate Democrat with substantial power in the Senate: Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Senator Manchin was on four of the five Sunday shows today defending his actions and his support of the Senate filibuster.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Quality: Who is Worthy to Lead?
- Quality: Returning to the George Floyd Story
- Questionable: Little Substance in Sec Def Interview
- Questionable: Asa Hutchinson’s Public Health Fail
- Politics: DeWine Stays Clear of Texas
- Politics: The Restrictions of Republican Governors
- Journalism: Manchin Mania
- Show Ratings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Resources
- Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American Democracy by Adam Jentleson
- “Manchin in the Middle” via Politico Magazine
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
This week on Polilogue, we look at how leaders attempt to get the next phase of normalcy as COVID continues to be a threat. Governor Andy Beshear from Kentucky prioritized teacher vacinnes and getting children into schools. Meanwhile, Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota deflects the criticisms about the death toll in her state.
We continue to wait for guidance from Dr. Fauci and other public health officials regarding the transmissibility of vaccinated people.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Quality: Kentucky Opens Schools
- Quality: Conceding that Biden Won
- Questionable: Zero Details in Cuomo Conversations
- Questionable: Missing COVID Urgency
- Journalism: Talking About Jamal Koshoggi
- Politics: Jen Psaki Interview
- Politics: The COVID Relief Bill
- Journalism: Noem Falls Apart
- Show Ratings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Resources
- Jessica Malaty Rivera, MS, Science Communications Lead for the COVID Tracking Project
- Laurel Bristow, Infectious Disease Researcher
- Margaret Brennan profile piece
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
This week on Polilogue, we examine the questions and conversations about the crisis in Texas. Millions of people were without electricity or water for days during a winter storm. In less than a week, dozens of lives were lost, people suffered and went hungry, and billions of dollars in property and infrastructure were damaged. How did an energy-rich state like Texas drop the ball the minute the temperatures dropped?
We also continue to look at the language and recommendations by public health officials to Americans regarding COVID mitigations.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Questionable: Fauci on Safe Behaviors
- Questionable: Too Much Trump
- Quality: Fauci on the 1-Dose Vaccination
- Quality: The Direct Teacher COVID Question
- Journalism: FTN’s COVID Exit Interview
- Journalism: Tough Biden Admin Questions
- Politics: The Case for and Against Relief
- Politics: A Failure on Texas
- Show Ratings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Resources
- How Texas’ Drive for Energy Independence Set It Up for Disaster (NYT)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
This week on Polilogue, the Director of the CDC re-appears. It remains unclear if and how the Biden administration will stick with the science to determine if schools should reopen. Either way, the Director of the CDC leans on very little data to communicate these new public health guidances. We also discuss the importance of recognizing which questions weren’t being asked.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Power Player of the Week
- Stealing Insight
- The Maga Siege (New Details)
- Missing Questions
- CDC Reappears
- Panel Worth Watching
- The Witness Vote
- Graham’s Lucky Interview
- Show Ratings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
This week on Polilogue, we look at the conversations that took place on the Sunday shows with Republican senators about the impending impeachment trial. Very few Republicans were were willing to suggest clear accountability measures against the former president who encouraged an insurrection at the Capitol. We also spoke about President Biden’s proposed COVID relief bill. Some shows put their attention on people suffering, other shows focused on the Washington insider baseball game.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlights Throwback
- N Quality: Impeachment Timing Question
- B Quality: Tapper Defends AOC
- N Quality: Global Vaccination Efforts
- B Questionable: Fauci’s Non-Answer
- N Politics: Holding Trump Accountable
- B Politics: FNS and Impeachment
- N Journalism: Pandemic Impact on Women
- B Journalism: Questioning Republicans with Facts
- Show Ratings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Links Discussed
- Kevin McCarthy McCarthy: You had at me at hello (MSNBC)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
This week on Polilogue, we examine how journalists are interrogating Biden’s proposed COVID Relief bill. We question if and how Republican priorities should be included in the Biden package. We also examine access, equity, and changes to the COVID vaccination rollout.
Chapters
- Introduction
- N Quality: Republican Voices on MTP
- B Quality: Firm Questions, Competent Answers
- N Questionable: Vague Questions on FNS
- B Questionable: Inaccurate summaries
- N Politics: Interrogating Biden’s COVID Relief Plan
- B Journalism: Racial Equity & Vaccines
- N Journalism: Incomplete Vaccine Explanations
- B Politics: COVID Gridlock in Florida
- Show Ratings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
This week on Polilogue, we discuss if and how Republicans will levy any consequences on President Trump. We also review the extensive interview with Dr. Deborah Birx on Face the Nation, which illuminates the destructive chaos of the Trump White House during a deadly pandemic.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Missing COVID Questions & Answers
- Uncertain Certainty from Jon Karl
- Responsibility in the Senate
- Birx Looks Back
- The Missing Filibuster Explainer
- Trump’s Thriving Lies
- Show Ratings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
This week on Polilogue, we discuss how the Republican Party is coming to terms with the Trump base. We also discuss which Republicans are dissenting and how they are expressing their dissent. We reflect on a powerful interview with Congressman Jamie Raskin, who is leading the impeachment charge while also surviving a painful personal loss.
Chapters
- Introduction
- GOP Reckoning
- Not a Politician
- Lackluster persuasion
- Journalistic Theft
- Impeachment & Humanity
- Republican Accountability
- New Republican Voices
- The Other Side
- Insurrection Videos
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
This week on Polilogue, we discuss the horrifying attack on the US Capitol by Trump a rabid mob and white supremacist domestic terrorists. We analyze the half a dozen ways the shows explained Wednesday’s gut-wrenching attack and we share what we’re expecting next in forthcoming news coverage.
Chapters
- Introduction
- How the Attack was Characterized
- Lack of Preparation
- Trump the Instigator
- The Republican Party’s Role
- Demanding Accountability
- Looking Ahead
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
The vaccination rollout is moving at a snail pace. Vulnerable nursing home residents wait in limbo for their promised vaccine. for A cohort of Republican senators are attempting a last ditch effort to prevent the certification of the electoral college votes. All eyes on Georgia this week to determine control of the Senate.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Quality: Qanon Explainer
- Quality: The Case for Voting Rights
- Questionable: New House Rules
- Questionable: Waiting Nursing Homes
- Journalism: Vaccination Rollout
- Journalism: MTP Grills Ron Johnson
- Politics: Republicans Contest Election
- Show Ratings
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
The COVID economic relief bill passes — just barely — in the nick of time. Nine months into a global pandemic, the public health messaging from administration officials still flounders. One voice on Face the Nation remains steady. Republicans seem fed up with the whiplash policy priorities of the Trump administration.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Quality: Holiday Book Club
- Quality: Biden Review
- Questionable: Expert Interview
- Questionable: COVID Messaging
- Journalism: Appreciating Gottlieb
- Journalism: Reporter Commitments
- Politics: Republicans vs Trump
- Show Ratings
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
We can hardly keep up with the TOP stories this week—from the new cybersecurity hack by Russia to the Presiden't’s flirtation with turning America into a military dictatorship. Using our new structure, we cover it all—and more! As we lead into this holiday week!
Chapters
- Introduction
- Questionable Moments
- Quality Moment on Cybersecurity
- The Journalism Discussion
- Quality Moments from Joe Kennedy and Mary Daly
- Political Standout - Future Cabinet Members
- Political Standout - The Future of the GOP
- Show Ratings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Links & Resources
- A good overview of the cybersecurity breach into US government systems: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/13/us/politics/russian-hackers-us-government-treasury-commerce.html
- “Why the World Needs an International Cyber War Convention” https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13347-017-0271-5
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
For our 200th episode, we decided to change up the structure and examine the Sunday shows with a new lens. Brendan viewed 3 shows: State of the Union, Face the Nation, and Meet the Press. Naomi watched Fox News Sunday and This Week. And so without knowing what happened on the other’s shows, we shared with each other what stood out.
From both political and journalistic standpoints, we had a lot to unpack!
Chapters
- Introduction
- Questionable/Quality Moment
- The Politics Moment
- The Journalism Moment
- Show Ratings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Links & Resources
- Conservatives grumbling about censorship say they’re flocking to Parler. They told us so on Twitter. (WaPo)
- The four latest contenders to Facebook’s social media throne (CNBC)
- The President Is Acting Crazy, so Why Are We Shrugging It Off? (The New Yorker)
- The great podcast “You're Wrong About” and their outstanding episode on misinformation: https://yourewrongabout.com
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Almost six months since the supplemental federal unemployment benefits expired, Congress is finally seriously considering a new relief bill. Americans are desperate for economic support. Businesses want to keep their doors open. State and local jurisdictions are struggling to balance their budgets.
On today’s episode, we dissect the arguments from bipartisan members of the group pushing this new $908 billion proposal. We also look at emerging news of the Coronavirus Vaccine—which is expected to receive FDA authorization by the end of this week. Finally, we directly address the buzziest conversation out of this Sunday’s shows—George’s controversial interview on This Week with Republican Senator (and Trump election disinformation booster) Mike Braun.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight/Lowlight
- Vaccine Issues
- Pending Relief
- Georgia (The Controversial Mike Braun Interview)
- Show Rankings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Links & Resources
- “How Reporting on People’s Intent to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine Can Harm Public Health,” by Tara Haelle from the Association of Health Care Journalists
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
As millions of Americans return home after traveling for Thanksgiving, public health officials went on the Sunday shows to give advice and amplify warnings. Members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force reiterated that there are actionable steps people can take to reduce the spread of the virus, especially if Americans celebrated the holiday with friends or family outside of their personal pod.
We also discuss the fallout of President Trump’s baseless allegations of massive voter fraud. Most notably, the GOP needs to convince Republican voters to vote in an election they believe is fraudulent.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight/Lowlight
- The Holiday Surge?
- Election fallout
- Show Rankings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Links & Resources
- Small Gatherings Spread the Virus, but Are They Causing the Surge? (NYT)
-
Infectious Disease Experts
- Jessica Malaty Rivera, MS: Science Communication Lead at the Covid Tracking Project
- Laurel Birstow, MSc: Infectious Disease Researcher
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
It’s been almost two weeks since the election was called for Joe Biden… and (still), President Donald Trump has yet to concede. President Trump’s legal team continues to flounder, and now we are seeing the Biden transition team strategically respond and plan for January 20.
Today on Polilogue, we also discuss the developing coronavirus vaccine that is likely just weeks away from being administered. Will people trust the vaccine? And if they do, when and where will the vaccine be available?
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight/Lowlight
- Concession Waiting Game
- Vaccine Waiting Game
- Show Rankings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
- Face the Nation on CBS
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
It’s been almost two weeks since the presidential election and eight days since the election was called for Joe Biden… and yet, President Donald Trump has yet to concede. The Trump Campaign continues to pursue legal recourse though they have yet to win a single legal challenge or provide the American people with any evidence of systemic voter fraud. Today on Polilogue we look at the risks of an incomplete transition or underprepared Biden administration.
We also discuss yet ANOTHER Covid surge as Americans begin their winter and holiday season isolated and weary from the long year.
NOTE: Early in episode Naomi mistakingly combined the hosts names of the podcast You’re Wrong About. Sarah Marshall creates a new tagline for every episode; Michael Hobbes applauds every effort.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight/Lowlight
- Republicans Tolerate Trump
- A Covid Spike Returns
- Show Rankings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
After five days, television networks finally called the 2020 Presidential election: Joe Biden will be the 46th president of the United States of America. Kamala Harris will be the first woman and person of color to serve as the nation’s Vice President. President Donald Trump will end his term being the only one term president who has been impeached or resigned and also lost the popular vote.
Today on Polilogue, we review our biggest media impressions from Election Week. We also examine how the Sunday shows recapped Biden’s wins and discussed Trump’s refusal to concede.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Media Coverage
- President-Elect Biden
- Trump Won’t Let Go
- New Goverance
- Show Rankings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
The Presidential 2020 election is less than 48 hours and the Sunday shows, understandably, focused their shows entirely on the state of the race. Today on Polilogue, we explore how the shows explain their polls and how they contextualize the campaigns’ messaging.
We also examine what else could be motivating people’s votes in the final few days.
REMINDER: We are taking emails, tweets, and voice memos this week! Please send us any and all election news observations that catches your attention this week. If you see or read some news content that is really well-done OR really poorly-done, send a brief description to us and we’ll include it in next week’s show.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight / Lowlight
- The State of the Race
- Last Minute Messaging
- Senate Talk
- Show Rankings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
The 2020 election is just around the corner and the Sunday shows explained just what is at stake. Several Senate elections that were originally expected to win alongside President Trump are now toss ups. Today on Polilogue we look at the discussions that took place on the Sunday talk shows about the presidential election, the Senate races, and the now third spike in Covid cases.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight / Lowlight
- Election Momentum
- COVID Spikes
- Show Rankings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
The Instagram clip: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CGU4MT1AwrT/?igshid=16h2cci4w2uk5
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In this special episode, we analyze the final presidential debate between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. We look critically at all sides of the debate. We divide our episode into three segments: Kristen Welker’s outstanding moderation, President Trump’s constrained temperament, and how Vice President Biden sets the record straight.
CHAPTERS:
- Introduction
- First Impressions
- Kristen Welker Shines
- President Trump Tones it Down
- Joe Biden’s Vision
- Who Won the Debate?
- End of Debate Season!
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket and a significant commitment of time every week. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
With just about two weeks to election day, the coronavirus is striking back. Cases are on the rise across the country and around the world. On today’s episode of Polilogue, we look at how the Sunday shows covered the re-emergence of the COVID story. Then, we sample some of the messaging from the two parties on the state of the presidential race. This is all ahead of our special episode on Thursday’s debate—which you can expect in your podcast feed on Friday morning.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight / Lowlight
- The Third Spike
- COVID Relief
- Election Sprint
- Show Rankings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
We are less than a month away from the presidential election. Today on Polilogue, we look at how the shows talk to and about voters. We also review interviews with the presidential campaigns and prominent Republican and Democratic senators in the middle of a Supreme Court nomination fight.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight / Lowlight
- Voter Sentiments
- Changes to the Supreme Court
- Show Rankings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In this special episode, we analyze the first and only vice presidential debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris. We look critically at all sides of the debate. We divide our episode into three segments, covering Susan Page’s MIA moderation, Pence’s bizarro reality, and the Kamala Harris answer.
CHAPTERS:
- Introduction
- Where is Susan Page?
- The Pence World
- The Kamala Answer
- The Fly
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket and a significant commitment of time every week. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
President Trump has COVID-19 and is currently hospitalized. Just a single month ahead of the election and the same week as the presidential debate! That would be enough, but there’s more to talk about this Sunday as the world struggled to understand the severity of the president’s illness. On today’s episode, we break down the conversations on the Sunday shows into two segments: the credibility crisis and the impact on the election.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight / Lowlight
- The Credibility Crisis in Trumpworld
- The Election Consequences
- Show Rankings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Resources
- Dr. Anthony Fauci Speaks to the Likelihood of Vaccines for HIV and COVID-19 (American Journal of Managed Care)
- U.S. Public Now Divided Over Whether to Get COVID-19 Vaccine (Pew Research Center)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Or leave a review on iTunes, Apple Music, or the Apple Podcast library. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
In this special episode, we analyze the first presidential debate between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. We look critically at all sides of what Dana Bash called this “shitshow” of an event. We divide our episode into four segments, covering Trump’s interruptions, Chris Wallace’s moderation, Biden’s strategy, and a few sparse policy highlights.
CHAPTERS:
- Introduction
- Overall Impressions
- Trump’s Interruptions
- Chris Wallace’s Moderation
- Joe Biden’s Strategies
- Policy Discussions
- Looking Ahead
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket and a significant commitment of time every week. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
On Saturday, September 26, President Trump officially nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court seat that had previously been filled by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. In 2017, the Senate confirmed Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Despite the 2016 Republican outcry of having SCOTUS nomination hearings during an election year, Republicans are moving forward with Coney Barrett’s nomination hearings and hope to confirm the judge before Election Day. Democrats, with very little recourse, are protesting the rushed process.
On today’s episode, we look at how the Sunday shows introduced Judge Amy Coney Barrett to America and all the components of her personal life and professional record that were missing in that introduction.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight / Lowlight
- Media Misses the Mark
- More Senate than SCOTUS
- Show Rankings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Resources
- Barrett pick draws attention to small religious group (CNN)
- Some Worry About Judicial Nominee’s Ties to a Religious Group (NYT)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
The year 2020 sent more bad news this Friday when the world learned that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had passed away. An unflappable and untiring champion of equal justice and a pioneer in women’s rights, Ginsburg was a liberal icon and a bastion of progressive power on the court. Grief and memorials, however, took a backseat this week to the immediate news that Republicans would be rushing towards a new replacement nominee—despite their principled stand in 2016 that during an election year “the voters should have a voice.”
On today’s episode, we look at how the Sunday shows covered the loss of this historic figure, the hypocrisy of this new SCOTUS fight, and the options for democrats. We also look at what the shows missed in their coverage of this story.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight / Lowlight
- Republican Positions
- Democratic Positions
- What the Shows Missed
- Show Rankings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Resources
- Transcript of RBG’s discussion this February at Georgetown University (link)
- “Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Unlikely Path to the Supreme Court” by Jill Lepore in The New Yorker
- “The Mysterious RBG” by Dahlia Lithwick in The Atlantic
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
We’re back!
After a few weeks of family leave for the birth of our baby, Mercedes, the Polilogue team is back with a fresh episode doing what we do best: consuming way too much news in one day and digesting and analyzing the journalistic choices of the Sunday morning political shows.
Today on Polilogue we discuss the lackluster coverage of the wildfires devastating the West Coast. Some shows covered it poorly, some shows missed the story completely. We wonder why journalists often drop the ball when covering natural disasters. We also discuss the 2020 election interviews. In particular, surrogates and defenders of President Donald Trump were featured extensively on the Sunday shows.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight / Lowlight
- Wildfires Coverage
- 2020 Election
- Show Rankings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Resources
- Tsunami Risk Communication: Warnings and the Myth of Panic (by Peter M. Sandman and Jody Lanard)
- Yes, tons of ballots are sent to dead people. Trump shouldn’t worry about them. (WaPo)
- Rain: A Natural and Cultural History (by Cynthia Barnett)
- “U.S. federal fire and forest policy: emphasizing resilience in dry forests” (EcoSphere)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we’re sharing our conversation with Lynn Walsh, Assistant Director at Trusting News. Trusting News is an organization that works with newsrooms trying to do and be better. Trusting News helps newsrooms understand how people decide what news to trust, and they help journalists implement trust-building strategies.
In this conversation, we discuss the state of journalism, why newsrooms should earn the trust of their audience, and the wants and responsibilities of news consumers.
This is our last episode in our series of specials while we spend time with our newborn baby girl. Next week we will return to our traditional coverage of the Sunday morning shows. We hope you enjoy these specials as much as we’ve enjoyed the opportunity to stop and think more broadly about the Sunday shows.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Interview with Lynn Walsh
- Closing Thoughts
Resources
- Trusting News website
- Trusting News on Twitter
- Lynn Walsh on Twitter
- AOC: The Facts vs. the Story (Mediate)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
What’s the single most important part of the Sunday morning political shows? It’s not the panels. Not the questions. Not even the hosts. It’s the bookings. Who are the Sunday shows actually interviewing during any given week? In this special episode of Polilogue, we dive into the question of bookings. And it’s something we don’t talk about enough. It’s all to easy to take the shows for what they are—and then ask: how good were the questions during this interview; how strong was the follow up; how meaningful the discussion? And yet, you could have the best questions, the strongest follow up, and the most meaningful discussion but STILL fail by choosing the WRONG person to interview. How does this happen—and how could the Sunday shows do better?
This special episode continues our series of specials while we spend time with our newborn baby girl. Each week, you can expect a new episode until September—when we will return to our traditional coverage of the Sunday morning shows. We hope you enjoy these specials as much as we’ve enjoyed the opportunity to stop and think more broadly about the Sunday shows.
Chapters
- Introduction
- What is a Bad Booking?
- Missed Opportunities in Booking
- When Bookings Work
- Dialogue Challenge: How to Find New Voices
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Political panels. We don’t talk about them enough on Polilogue—and when we do, it’s usually in the negative. Why is that? And what is wrong with the political panels on the Sunday morning political shows? In this special episode of Polilogue, we give panels the discussion they deserve. And as it turns out, this is the IDEAL time to consider panels—because at two of the Sunday morning shows have completely eliminated panels during the pandemic. So, we challenge ourselves to answer the question: if Face the Nation’s executive producer asked us if they should restart their panels, what would be our recommendation? If the panels drive you crazy—or if Polilogue drives you crazy for not talking enough about panels—this is the episode for you.
This special episode continues our series of specials while we spend time with our newborn baby girl. Each week, you can expect a new episode until September—when we will return to our traditional coverage of the Sunday morning shows. We hope you enjoy these specials as much as we’ve enjoyed the opportunity to stop and think more broadly about the Sunday shows.
Chapters
- Introduction
- The Question of Panels
- Pros and Cons
- Changes to the Panels
- Alternatives to Panels
- The Face the Nation Question
- Polilogue and Panels
- Dialogue Challenge
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Senator Kamala Harris has been selected to serve as Biden’s Vice Presidential running mate. It’s exciting news—and we have some exciting news of our own to share. In this special episode, we look forward to Kamala’s role in the 2020 election by looking back. First, we examine Kamala’s first major interview on the Sunday shows as a presidential candidate last year. Then, we revisit Kamala’s performance in the Democratic debates—hearing again the key highlights and clips from those moments alongside our immediate reactions that appeared in our special debate episodes. Yes, this is what Hollywood would call a “clips episode”—but it’s got clips within clips. And to be honest, we were quite excited to look back and remind ourselves of where Kamala’s been—and where her political career might take this 2020 election. Join us for this fun special episode. It’s a Polilogue first!
Chapters
- Big News
- Kamala Harris Sunday interview
- Debate 1B: June 27, 2019
- Debate 2B: July 31, 2019
- Debate 3: September 12, 2019
- Debate 4: October 15, 2019
- Debate 5: November 20, 2019
- Dialogue Challenge
Links and References
Chuck Toddcast episode with NBC News Political Embed Deepa Shivaram on August 12, 2020: https://art19.com/shows/toddcast/episodes/85265538-0509-438e-93f0-7ea1174ac874
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
The Trump Administration and Congressional Democrats are at an impasse and have not made concrete progress for the next round of COVID relief. In response, President Trump signed a series of Executive Orders that are aimed to provide relief to unemployed and struggling Americans. The devil, as they say, is in the details. And the details show that there’s a long way to go still for any economic support to get into the wallets of desperate Americans.
Multiple White House representatives and Congressional Democrats were on the shows today making their case. Dana Bash examined this breakdown best in her interview with Larry Kudlow, the Director of the National Economic Council. Today on Polilogue, we talk extensively about this powerful, effective interview, as well as the others stakeholders in this negotiation process.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight / Lowlight
- Kudlow vs Bash
- Two Pelosi Interviews
- Stronger Arguments
- What We Learned Today
- Show Rankings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
It’s been a rough week for many households. Thirty million Americans are currently unemployed. The extra $600 federal unemployment benefit insurance expired. The American economy had its worst growth number ever recorded. The virus continues to surge in the south, west, and some parts of the midwest. And yet, the Trump administration and Democratic Congressional leaders are still in ongoing conversations to determine the next round of Coronavirus economic relief.
Today on Polilogue, we look at the slow progress of these negotiations and examine the differed focuses of Republicans and Democrats. We also examine the VP selection for assumed Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Joe Biden. Congresswoman Karen Bass, in particular, was on multiple shows making the case for her possible selection.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight / Lowlight
- Coronavirus relief negotiations
- Virus Update
- 2020 Election Stakes Heat Up
- Show Rankings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
The extended federal unemployment benefits for out of work Americans expired last week. No longer will unemployed Americans receive an extra $600 per week. This will leave many scrambling to make ends meet. Republicans from the Trump Administration and in the Senate are working to put together a relief bill. The proposal would counter the Democratic bill that passed the House two months ago and serve as a starting point for negotiations.
Today on Polilogue, we look at the interviews with key Republicans working on that relief package. We discuss interviews that took place with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, and Economic Advisor Larry Kudlow. We also review the interview with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who talked about protecting essential workers and supporting state and local governments.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight / Lowlight
- Republicans’ Relief Bill
- The Missing Portland Context
- Show Rankings
- Dialogue Challenge
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Resources and Links
- Many low-wage workers earn more on unemployment than in their former jobs (CBS News)
- The Mother Tongue - English And How It Got That Way (Bill Bryson)*
This book was written in 1990 and in some parts it is out of date with the latest understandings of linguistics.
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we look at the interview Chris Wallace has with President Trump on Fox News Sunday. Wallace is often someone that thoroughly prepares for his interviews — and today’s interview is no different. Wallace is ready with data-driven questions and real-time fact-checking. While there were a couple of missed moments for follow ups, Chris Wallace overall demonstrates why he is one of the best interviewers in journalism today.
We also discuss the life and legacy of Congressman John Lewis who passed away last Friday.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight / Lowlight
- Remembering John Lewis
- The Trump Interview
- Show Rankings
- Closing
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
It’s mid-July, schools are supposed to open in the next 4-6 weeks, and COVID-19 cases are rising across the south and southwest. Today on Polilogue, we closely examine two important interviews with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Dana Bash in particular, did a fantastic job questioning Secretary DeVos on the objectives and plans for reopening schools. We also looks at the comments of other public health experts scratching their heads in exasperation at these new COVID-19 spikes.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight / Lowlight
- Two DeVos Interviews
- COVID-19 Predictions
- Show Rankings
- Closing
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Everyday we learn of new record-breaking case counts of COVID-19. Cases are spiking, especially in states like Florida, Texas, and Arizona. But instead of sharing words of confidence and assuredness in two recent speeches, President Trump lambasts the far left and urges the preservation of America’s history.
Today on Polilogue, we explore if and how journalists have learned to simultaneously cover the comments of this president and the breaking news of the day.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight / Lowlight
- COVID-19 cases spike
- Grab bag rants
- Show Rankings
- Closing
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
The Coronavirus returns as the dominate story on the Sunday talk shows. Virus containment strategies, like extensive contact tracing, are being successfully implemented in other countries, but are no where near operational in the US. This meanwhile cases of the virus are spiking in several states in the south and southwest, including Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California.
Today on Polilogue we explore how the Sunday morning political shows handled conversations with key leaders of the virus taskforce: Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Vice President Mike Pence. We also examine the asks, expectations, and pleas of other political and public health leaders.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight / Lowlight
- The Resurging Virus
- Police Reform Update
- Show Rankings
- Closing
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on Polilogue, we look at the exclusive interview that Martha Raddatz had with John Bolton, former National Security Advisor to President Trump. It’s the first interview in Bolton’s long-awaited book tour—and although it was a prime time special and not a Sunday morning booking, we cover it at the start of today’s episode. Then, in our second segment we discuss key moments from Sunday’s five morning shows.
Chapters
- Introduction
- The Bolton Interview Format
- Bolton as Key Witness
- Martha Raddatz as Interviewer
- Sunday Show Lightning Round
- Show Rankings
- Closing
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Articles Discussed on the Show
- The full transcript of the un-edited Bolton interview: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/transcript-john-bolton-interview-abc-news-martha-raddatz/story?id=71287825
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
The shows continue to fail to explain and contextualize the Black Lives Matter and the Defund the Police Movements. Experts, researchers, and activists who have been working in this space are still not leading the conversations. And we still see journalists use partisan language like using the word '“warlord” to describe protesters.
Today on Polilogue, we look at the strategic choices and clumsy framing by the hosts and how it leads to shallow explanations of one of the largest protests we’ve seen in the United States in decades. We also look at some of the responses from Republican and Democratic leaders shaping legislative responses.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight/Lowlight
- Host Performances
- Republicans Talk Police Reform
- Democrats Talk Police Reform
- The Missing Segment
- Show Rankings
- Closing
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Articles Discussed on the Show
- The End of Policing by Alex Vitale
- Laquan McDonald shooting puts Rahm Emanuel in battle over the truth (The Guardian)
- Chicago mayor says 'sorry' for police misconduct in Laquan McDonald case (The Guardian)
- The Definitive Guide for Cable Hosts, Bookers, and Editors to the Fraud and Failure that was Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (The Intercept)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
For a second week, all the Sunday political shows focused their time on the national uprisings and racial injustice protests. Last week when the story was fresher and developing, we gave the shows more leniency in how they covered the topic. We asked if the shows were explaining why people were angry and if they were explaining the fervor that was spilling into the streets in cities across America.
A week later, the protests have not waned. But disappointingly, we find the shows are still failing to explain this moment. They are failing to include important voices on this topic. They are using incendiary and/or unnecessary language. There remains a deference to military and police that we are not seeing towards the average Black American. This is an important moment in history. The shows need to realize that they are failing to get this story right.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Meet the Press
- State of the Union
- This Week
- Face the Nation
- Fox News Sunday
- Rankings
- Closing
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Articles Discussed on the Show
- The End of Policing by Alex Vitale
- Kim Latrice Jones interview (David Jones Media)
- Justice in America podcast hosted by Josie Duffy Rice and Clint Smith III (The Appeal)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
For the first time since March 2, today’s episode of Polilogue focuses on something other than the Coronavirus. All of the Sunday shows centered the bulk, if not the entirety, of their time on the 140+ protests that took place after the death of George Floyd. Floyd died Monday, May 25 while in custody with the Minneapolis Police Department. This death, like many others before him, was videotaped by a witness nearby and has reignited a deep heartbreak and anger in this country.
All week thousands of people have taken to the streets protesting police brutality and echoing other frustrations of the Black Lives Matter movement. The news coverage of these protests has been non-stop all week. Today on Polilogue, we look at how these important weekly political shows are framing and explaining this issue. We explore whether they are simply reporting that people are angry, or if they are explaining why people are angry. We look at interviews that examine police accountability, and we scrutinize ones that focus only on violent protesters instead of violent police officers.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight / Lowlight
- The Police
- The Protesters
- Rankings
- Closing
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Articles Discussed on the Show
- Echoes of 1969 (Harvard Magazine)
- Prisons are packed because prosecutors are coercing plea deals. And, yes, it's totally legal. (NBC News)
- Thousands of Complaints Do Little to Change Police Ways (NYT)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on this holiday-edition of Polilogue, we took a different approach to design the show. Instead of our typical format (highlight, lowlight + 2 themed segments), we took a page from the NPR Politics podcast. For each show, we identified one thing that we can’t let go. We discuss a wide range of observations, including the missing Hong Kong context, the inflated spotlight of Chris Christie and Rham Emmanuel, learning in public, the tone and tenor of military coverage, and much more.
Happy Memorial Day to everyone and thank you to all of our veterans and active-duty service members!
Chapters
- Introduction
- Meet the Press
- This Week
- Fox News Sunday
- State of the Union
- Face the Nation
- Rankings
- Closing
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Articles Discussed on the Show
- Why are there protests in Hong Kong? All the context you need (BBC)
- Exclusive: Too risky to come home, crew of 'clean' U.S. warship in coronavirus limbo (Reuters)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on the Sunday news shows, the hosts covered a wide range of topics, including Coronavirus, the economy, new Trump rumors about Obamagate, the November election, and many other topics. Instead of examining topics, today on Polilogue we group questions in two buckets: unproductive and productive questions. Across topics, we noticed that some hosts carefully selected questions to seek a very specific answer, whereas other hosts asked broad questions for a less structured conversation.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight/Lowlight
- Unproductive Questions
- Productive Questions
- Show Rankings
- Closing
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Today on the Sunday news shows, the hosts questioned if the Trump administration has any comprehensive plans to address the public health crisis and the financial catastrophe of COVID-19. Multiple representatives of the White House went on the shows, including Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, White House Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Kevin Hassett, and Economics Advisor Larry Kudlow. Not all the hosts appropriately interrogated the talking points of the White House. George Stephanopoulos, in particular, missed the mark and gave too much leeway to Kudlow.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight/Lowlight
- Talking to Scientists
- Interrogating Economists
- Show Rankings
- Closing
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
The Coronavirus pandemic enters a new month and the Sunday talk shows focused on familiar subtopics, including the public health responses and economic pains of Americans and state governments. The Sunday shows also discussed the scientific breakthroughs in treating this virus. After many weeks of only COVID-19-centric episodes, most shows, at least for one segment, also discussed the presidential election.
Today on Polilogue, we explore the value of nuance in understating states that choose to reopen, the benefits of seeing the long-view COVID-19 picture, and why the Tara Reade allegation— at this point in time— is not as complicated of a story that most people are making it out to be.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight/Lowlight
- Tepid Mitigation Success
- Additional Economic Support on Pause
- COVID-19 Breakthroughs
- Election 2020: Amash for President
- Election 2020: Tara Reade’s Biden Allegations
- Show Rankings
- Closing
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Articles & Resources Discussed
- Investigate Tara Reade’s Allegations (NYT Editorial Board)
- NIH Trial Finds Gilead's Remdesivir Shows Early Promise in Treating COVID-19 (AJMC)
- Gov. DeWine reverses decision to make masks mandatory, now 'recommended' while shopping (News 5 Cleveland)
- Bewildering computer crashes and glitches for those in Florida seeking unemployment benefits (Tallahassee Democrat)
- “Florida Is a Terrible State to Be an Unemployed Person” (NYT)
- Why Won’t TV News Book Tara Reade? (NYT)
- Webinar: COVID-19 in Context: News Coverage and News Literacy in Uncertain Times (News Literacy Project)
- Overall fantastic resources with the News Literacy Project
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Every week for the last couple of months, either Dr. Anthony Fauci or Dr. Deborah Birx go on the Sunday talk shows and explain the current state of the national COVID19 response. Fauci and Birx are medical and public health professionals with decades of experience and public service. Lately, however, their roles have been more political lately as they struggle to defend or deflect bombastic statements by President Trump. Today on Polilogue, we discuss the role of scientists in Trump’s administration — and the role of the press in interviewing these experts.
We also talk about the next wave of economic support — including another round of money going into the Paycheck Protection Program to support struggling small business owners and the fight to get money allocated for revenue-depleted states and municipalities.
Chapters
- Introduction
- A Michigan Correction
- Highlight/Lowlight
- Scientists Try to Defend Trump
- PPP Fund Replenished
- Show Rankings
- Closing
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
The Paycheck Protection Program was designed to give small business owners a lifeline during this unprecedented economic crisis. However, within two weeks of the program going live, the funds have been depleted, leaving many small business owners empty handed. The Trump administration and Congressional leaders are steadily working on the next round of support. This time around, journalists ask if unfair loopholes and unnecessary barriers will be resolved.
In addition to financial support, many Americans are wondering when it will be safe to resume their lives. Extensive testing and contact tracing are crucial components to making that possible — and yet, testing across the US remains a mess.
In today’s episode we look at both of these issues.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight/Lowlight
- The Next Financial Aid Bill
- Testing Barriers Remain
- Trump Foments Unrest
- Show Rankings
- Closing
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Resources
- Scott Gottlieb on how, and when, to end social distancing (Ezra Klein Podcst on Vox)
- Last year, we searched Google for how to tie a tie. Now we’re using it to find toilet paper. (WaPo)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
New data shows that the Coronavirus is devastating Black and other marginalized communities disproportionately compared to their white counterparts. Several Sunday shows had segments or interviews that highlighted this new trend. The quality of those discussions were largely dependent on the guests that were invited to speak on the topic. Highlights include the Governor of New Mexico Michelle Lujan Grisham on State of the Union, the Governor of Maryland Larry Hogan on This Week, and the Mayor of Chicago Lori Lightfoot on Face the Nation.
Additionally, the shows had many conversations about what it would take to open restart the economy and to reopen the country. And while the physical and economic safety concerns run rampant, one component remains steadfastly important: achieving extensive and widespread testing capabilities.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight/Lowlight
- The Coronavirus and Race
- Steps to Open the Economy
- Why It Matters: Moving Past the Trump Story
- Show Rankings
- Closing
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org
Another Sunday with Coronavirus-filled segments on the political shows. Today the shows focused on the federal response (or lack thereof) and the testing and treatment options that need to be in place to finally get a handle on this pandemic.
Face the Nation also had very important interviews about the economic impact and the dire need to get support into the hands of small business owners and workers as quickly as possible.
Oh — and for one last time — Happy Birthday, Brendan!
Chapters
- Introduction
- Highlight/Lowlight
- Looking Ahead on the Coronavirus
- The Pandemic’s Economic Impact
- Why It Matters: Why Style Matters in Journalism Now
- Show Rankings
- Closing
Shows discussed
- Face the Nation on CBS
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday on FOX
- This Week on ABC
- Meet the Press on NBC
Resources we discuss
- Study shows photos of empty supermarket shelves instigate panic buying (University of Southhampton)
Contact us
Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.
Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!
Check out some of our other work:
Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com
Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org