Today on Polilogue, we look at the walk back from Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney on Fox News Sunday. After normalizing quid pro quo’s and telling the press to “get over it,” Mulvaney took a very different tone and said he never used those words. Chris Wallace came extremely prepared with many video clips disputing Mulvaney’s reversal comments.

We also look closely at the questions asked in many interviews. Are they purely subjective? Do they invite conversation? Do they use inflammatory language? It’s easier to recognize when a guest trying to play an interview to their advantage. It is a harder task to identify hosts’ missed opportunities. But with dense topics like impeachment inquiries and Syrian conflicts, the questions asked are just as valuable as the answers given.

Chapters

• Introduction

• Highlight/Lowlight

• Mulvaney plays dumb

• Five day ceasefire in Syria

• 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

New places where you can find us!

• Instagram (@polilogue)

• Spotify

• YouTube

Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.

Love our show and want to support us directly? You can support us on our Patreon.

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 fourth democratic primary debate. Last night, CNN and the New York Times hosted a three hour debate with TWELVE candidates! That is the most candidates on stage EVER. We provide an analysis of the host performances and then rank the candidates in three distinct categories: candidates who have improved their standing; candidates that are in the same place they were  yesterday; and candidates who are in a worse place than they were yesterday. 

Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.

Love our show and want to support us directly? You can support us on our Patreon. 

Check out some of our other work: 

Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com  

 Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org

For the last six months we have examined State of the Union, This Week, Meet the Press, and Fox News Sunday. From July 2017 to April 2019, we had looked at Face the Nation and not Fox News Sunday. But today on Polilogue, we’re thrilled to announce that for the first time, we examined all five of the Sunday news shows!

Today on Polilogue, we looked at how the new media covers and explains complicated news stories like what we’re seeing now in Syria. We also examine if the Sunday news shows explained how President Trump’s erratic decision making is a death sentence for our Kurdish allies in northern Syria.

This was a good week to include Face the Nation in our weekly digest, because Margaret Brennan’s interview with Defense Secretary Mark Esper was one of the top interviews of the week. Chris Wallace also had an excellent interview with Esper. What we see in Brennan and Wallace’s interviews are appropriate interjections and a demand for clarity. They had interviews that were productive for people outside of the Washington Beltway bubble.

Chapters

• Introduction

• Highlight/Lowlight

• Trump and the Kurds

• Wallace and Brennan Interview the Defense Secretary

• Republicans and Democrats United

• 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 we found helpful:

• Trump’s shocking Syria decision and confusing aftermath, explained (Vox)

• Who are the Kurds? (BBC)

New places where you can find us!

• Instagram (@polilogue)

• Spotify

• YouTube

Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.

Love our show and want to support us directly? You can support us on our Patreon.

Check out some of our other work: 

Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com  

 Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org

What is the value of interviewing a liar? What is the value of interviewing someone who is intentionally and actively trying to deceive his or her audience?

These are questions that usually only come up when journalists interview White House officials like Kellyanne Conway or Stephen Miller. However the quandary has now spread to other Republican loyalists in Congress who are willing to confuse and deceive. In today’s episode of Polilogue we examine Chuck Todd’s interview with Senator Ron Johnson and George Stephanopoulos’ interview with Congressman Jim Jordan.

We also discuss the impeachment inquiry and ask ourselves: “Should Democrats vote on a formal impeachment resolution?!”

Chapters

• Introduction

• Chuck Todd’s Anger

• George Repeats the Question

• From Inquiry to Impeachment

• Show Rankings

• Closing

Shows discussed 

• State of the Union on CNN

• Fox News Sunday on FOX

• This Week on ABC

• Meet the Press on NBC

New places where you can find us!

• Instagram (@polilogue)

• Spotify

• YouTube

Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.

Love our show and want to support us directly? You can support us on our Patreon.

Check out some of our other work: 

Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com  

 Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org

As more and more details emerged about the pressure President Trump put on the Ukrainian President to investigate his political rival, House Democrats opened an impeachment inquiry against President Trump. 

In response, a handful of Republicans went on the Sunday political shows to defend President Trump — and each had their own explosive interview.

Chapters

• Introduction

• Fox News Sunlight

• State of the Union

• Meet the Press

• This Week

• Final Thoughts

• Closing

Shows discussed 

• State of the Union on CNN

• Fox News Sunday on FOX

• This Week on ABC

• Meet the Press on NBC

New places where you can find us!

• Instagram (@polilogue)

• Spotify

• YouTube

Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.

Love our show and want to support us directly? You can support us on our Patreon.

Check out some of our other work: 

Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com  

 Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org

Today we had two big stories from abroad dominating the Sunday news shows.

First, the breaking whistleblower story that was originally reported by the Washington Post. According to reports, on a July 25 call President Trump pressured the Ukrainian President-elect Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, for conflicts of interest. This pressure came at the same time that President Trump withheld or delayed foreign aid to Ukraine.

Second, President Trump wants to demonstrate power and strength against Iran, but he is also extremely reluctant to start a war. While economic sanctions against Iran continue in severity, the United States is sending a battery of US forces to Saudi Arabia for additional defense support.

Chapters

• Introduction

• Highlight/Lowlight

• The Ukraine Scandal

• The Iran Escalation

• Show Rankings

• Closing

Shows discussed 

• State of the Union on CNN

• Fox News Sunday on FOX

• This Week on ABC

• Meet the Press on NBC

New places where you can find us!

• Instagram (@polilogue)

• Spotify

• YouTube

Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.

Love our show and want to support us directly? You can support us on our Patreon.

Check out some of our other work: 

Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com  

 Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org

Three days after the debates and the Sunday morning political shows were still talking about the performances of the top 10 candidates at the third Democratic debate.

Two moments from the debate were frequently mentioned: 1.) Congressman Beto O’Rourke’s insistence of a mandatory buyback program for assault weapons; and 2.) the tense exchange between former HUD Secretary Joaquin Castro and Vice President Joe Biden about Biden’s potentially fleeting memory.

Candidates like Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Senator Amy Klobuchar, and entrepreneur Andrew Yang attempt to keep the momentum going in the days after the debate.

Chapters

• Introduction

• Highlight/Lowlight

• Acting on gun violence

• The Biden age question

• Moderates demand attention

• The Iran conundrum

• Show Rankings

• Closing

Shows discussed 

• State of the Union on CNN

• Fox News Sunday on FOX

• This Week on ABC

• Meet the Press on NBC

New places where you can find us!

• Instagram (@polilogue)

• Spotify

• YouTube

Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.

Love our show and want to support us directly? You can support us on our Patreon.

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 third democratic primary debate. Last night, ABC News hosted a three hour debate with TEN candidates. This is the first debate held on a single night. Over 10 candidates did not reach the threshold, so we had just 10 candidates onstage. And no debate on Friday. Yay! As in earlier debates, we do a quick analysis of the hosts’ performances and then rank the candidates in three distinct categories: candidates who have improved their standing; candidates that are in the same place they were yesterday; and candidates who are in a worse place than they were yesterday. 

Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.

Love our show and want to support us directly? You can support us on our Patreon.

Check out some of our other work: 

Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com  

 Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org

In a series of surprising tweets, President Trump announced late Saturday night that a secret meeting at Camp David with Taliban leaders and Afghanistan leaders fell apart as the last minute. The meeting was part of a larger negotiation strategy about the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The immediate backlash in both parties was complete and utter dismay that Taliban leaders were ever invited to Camp David.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo went on all the Sunday morning political shows to defuse the outrage and explain the larger goal of getting out of an 18-year-long war.

Chapters

• Introduction

• Highlight/Lowlight

• Pompeo Makes the Rounds

• Mark Sanford Joins the Race

• Show Rankings

• Closing

Shows discussed 

• State of the Union on CNN

• Fox News Sunday on FOX

• This Week on ABC

• Meet the Press on NBC

New places where you can find us!

• Instagram (@polilogue)

• Spotify

• YouTube

Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.

Love our show and want to support us directly? You can support us on our Patreon.

Check out some of our other work: 

Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com  

 Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org

Each week the Sunday morning political shows are mainly compromised of interviews and panel discussions. But there are many other editorial decisions that are made that reflect show values and host preferences.

Today on a special episode of Polilogue, we discuss the extra segments of each show. We ask ourselves if (1) Data Download; (2) Nate Silver’s Do You Buy That?; (3) State of the Cartoonian; (4) Power Player of the Week; and (5) John Dickerson’s Asides are valuable contributions to our media diet.

Chapters

• Introduction

• Special Segments

• Data Download

• Nate Silver’s Do You Buy That?

• State of the Cartoonian

• Power Player of the Week

• John Dickerson’s Asides

• The Future of Special Segments

• Closing

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

New places where you can find us!

• Instagram (@polilogue)

• Spotify

• YouTube

Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.

Love our show and want to support us directly? You can support us on our Patreon.

Check out some of our other work: 

Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com  

 Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org

The trade war escalated to new levels as Chinese President Xi JinPing and President Trump raised tariffs again and shocked global markets. Interestingly, and disappointingly, most Sunday political shows failed to aptly explain the latest economic turmoil.

This week on Polilogue we examine the missing context and compare the interviews of Steve Mnuchin on Fox News Sunday and Larry Kudlow on State of the Union. We also look at Republicans eying a primary challenge against Trump for 2020.

Chapters

• Introduction

• Highlight / Lowlight

• Trump’s trade tirade

• Republicans Take the Stage for 2020

• Show Rankings

• Closing

Shows discussed 

• State of the Union on CNN

• Fox News Sunday on FOX

• This Week on ABC

• Meet the Press on NBC

New places where you can find us!

• Instagram (@polilogue)

• Spotify

• YouTube

Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.

Love our show and want to support us directly? You can support us on our Patreon.

Check out some of our other work: 

Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com  

 Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org

Recent economic indicators signal a potential looming recession. These newer reports coupled with the ongoing trade war against China has many in the media wondering — is the White House worried? Why is their messaging contradicting their strategy? And is President Trump’s reelection at risk if the economy take a downward turn?

The Trump administration sent Peter Navarro, Director of the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, and Larry Kudlow, Director of the National Economic Council, to defend President Trump’s economy.

Chapters

• Introduction

• Highlight / Lowlight

• Recession Anxiety

• Valuable 2020 Voices

• Show Rankings

• Closing

Shows discussed 

• State of the Union on CNN

• Face the Nation on CBS

• This Week on ABC

• Meet the Press on NBC

New places where you can find us!

• Instagram (@polilogue)

• Spotify

• YouTube

Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.

Love our show and want to support us directly? You can support us on our Patreon.

Check out some of our other work: 

Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com  

 Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org

This week the Department of Homeland Security raided chicken processing plants in Mississippi and detained almost 700 people. This came days after a white nationalist drove nine hours to murder 22 Americans of Mexican descent and Mexican nationals and injure an additional 25 people. The two events rattled Latinos across the country.

Notably, not all Sunday morning political shows focused their coverage and interviews on how these two events are affecting people or how these two events are perceived together. Today on Polilogue we explore if the Trump administration and the media are able to aptly address both immigration and gun violence at the same time.

Chapters

• Introduction

• Highlight / Lowlight

• Immigration Raids

• Reducing Gun Violence

• Show Rankings

• Closing

Shows discussed 

• State of the Union on CNN

• Fox News Sunday on FOX

• This Week on ABC

• Meet the Press on NBC

New places where you can find us!

• Instagram (@polilogue)

• Spotify

• YouTube

Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.

Love our show and want to support us directly? You can support us on our Patreon.

Check out some of our other work: 

Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com  

 Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org

Over the course of 24 hours, we saw two mass shootings. Families, friends, and communities mourn the 29 people that were killed in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio from two 2 shooters.

Mass shootings are a uniquely American phenomenon and our political leaders share the bulk of the burden for their frequency. However, today on Polilogue we spend a significant amount of time looking at another important stakeholder: the media. Who is covering mass shootings well? Who is helping the audience? And who is glorifying the very person perpetuating this violence?

Chapters

• Introduction

• Highlight / Lowlight

• The Shows and Guns

• Racial Motivations

• Gun Access

• Show Rankings

• Closing

Shows discussed 

• State of the Union on CNN

• Fox News Sunday on FOX

• This Week on ABC

• Meet the Press on NBC

New places where you can find us!

• Instagram (@polilogue)

• Spotify

• YouTube

Other valuable research links:

• “Mass Shootings and the Media Contagion Effect” by Jennifer Johnston, Ph.D. and Andrew Joy, BS

Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.

Love our show and want to support us directly? You can support us on our Patreon.

Check out some of our other work: 

Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com  

 Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org

Night two included 10 new candidates and a much more toned down approach of the moderators. No one seemed eager to clamp down responses like in Night 1. Like in our previous debate recaps, we categorize the candidates’ performance into three distinct buckets:

1. Those who improved their standing with their performance;

2. Those who will probably stay the same in the polls; and

3. Those who maybe hurt their case for the presidency. 

If you haven’t had a chance to watch yet, you can view the full debate here.

Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.

Love our show and want to support us directly? You can support us on our Patreon.

Check out some of our other work: 

Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com  

 Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org

We’re back from vacation and excited to jump back into a special episode covering the CNN Democratic Debate.

Like in Episode 109 and 110, we share our overall impressions from the debate and then categorize the candidates’ performance into three distinct buckets:

1. Those who improved their standing with their performance;

2. Those who will probably stay the same in the polls; and

3. Those who maybe hurt their case for the presidency. 

If you haven’t had a chance to watch yet, you can view the full debate here.

Check your feeds tomorrow for another special episode for night 2 of the debate!

Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.

Love our show and want to support us directly? You can support us on our Patreon.

Check out some of our other work: 

Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com  

 Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org

We’re wrapping up our vacation, but we have a special repeat of one of our best episodes. In today’s episode of Polilogue, listen to our in-depth interview with Chuck Todd, host of Meet the Press, and John Reiss, the Executive Producer of the show.  We talk about the Meet the Press brand, the place of the Sunday shows in the broader media landscape, how they choose what to cover, who to book, how to question and how they frame the news of the week. 

Chapters

• Introduction

• Chuck Todd and John Reiss Interview

• Show Closing

Find us on the Internet:

• Instagram (@polilogue)

• Spotify

• YouTube

Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.

Love our show and want to support us directly? You can support us on our Patreon.

Check out some of our other work: 

Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com  

 Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org

Today, we bring you a special episode weeks in the making. We sit down with Avi Belkin, director of the new documentary Mike Wallace is Here about the career of the historic broadcast journalist.

Political journalism is having a moment. Some people may avoid the news or have skepticism about the news, but a significant portion of the population is watching more news than ever. They are turning to new voices and new formats; the are listening to podcasts (thanks for that!) and they are refreshing Twitter. People are considering— and reconsidering— who to listen to and what to trust.

These changes in the media landscape feel like a lot — but it’s not the first time there’s been mass changes. There are a handful of journalists and innovators who have been key to the changes of their time. Think: William Randolph Hearst. Ida Tarbell. Ida B. Wells. Edward R. Murrow. Or Walter Cronkite.

Mike Wallace is surely one of those innovators. Known for his hard questions and aggressive style, Mike Wallace took the one-on-one interview and made it a verbal boxing match.

In this episode, we talk with Director Avi Belkin about his new documentary on Wallace, opening nationwide this Friday. We discuss the process of making the documentary and everything he learned about Mike Wallace. We also explore how looking back might give us some insight about what to expect from the journalism we see today — and what we should demand in the future.

Check out Mike Wallace is Here on Friday, July 26 in a theater near you.

Today’s episode of Polilogue is sponsored by the Election Ride Home podcast.

If you enjoy this episode, please consider supporting the show so we can produce more episodes analyzing the Sunday shows and what it means to make great journalism. Visit our Patreon at www.Patreon.com/Polilogue 

Chapters

• Introduction

• “Mike Wallace is Here” Review

• Interview with Director Avi Belkin

• Show Closing

New places where you can find us!

• Instagram (@polilogue)

• Spotify

• YouTube

Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.

Love our show and want to support us directly? You can support us on our Patreon.

Check out some of our other work: 

Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com  

 Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org

On the Sunday talk shows, several Trump administration officials went on to defend the conditions of the detainment centers. Their defense comes a few days after Vice President Mike Pence visited the detention centers with Republican senators. In that visit, several journalists were also able to go in, take photos and videos, and speak to the detainees for a few minutes. Many had been in the cages for 40+ days. There was not enough room for all men to lay down at once. There were no cots. Some slept on cement floors. The photos and videos of those centers have forced the Trump administration to more explicitly explain conditions that seem indefensible.

We also discuss the Democratic infighting between Speaker Nancy Pelosi and several freshmen Congresswomen and explore how the media could elevate the conversation overall.

Chapters

• Introduction

• Highlight / Lowlight

• Migration Detention Centers and ICE Raids

• Democratic Infighting

• Show Rankings

• Closing

Shows discussed 

• State of the Union on CNN

• Fox News Sunday on FOX

• This Week on ABC

• Meet the Press on NBC

New places where you can find us!

• Instagram (@polilogue)

• Spotify

• YouTube

Other valuable research links:

• Children in Immigration Detention -- What are the International Norms?

• Ongoing Feud Between House Democratic leadership and progressives, explained

Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.

Love our show and want to support us directly? You can support us on our Patreon.

Check out some of our other work: 

Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com  

 Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org

Recent reporting by the New York Times and El Paso Times described unsanitary, prison-like conditions for children and asylum-seeking immigrants currently being held at Customs and Border Patrol detention centers. Several immigration officials went on the Sunday political shows to defend the conditions of the centers and the efforts to bring them to compliance. Democrats like Senator Jeff Merkley questioned the basic premise of cruelty as a deterrent.

We also had a Polilogue first: a show so bad we had to limit our discussion of it altogether. As a substitute for Chris Wallace, Dana Perino neglected any journalistic values and brought partisanship to the host seat that we have never seen in the almost two years worth of Polilogue.

Chapters

• Introduction

• Highlight / Lowlight

• Fox News Sunday Lowers the Lights

• Detention Center Crisis

• 2020 Candidates

• Show Rankings

• Closing

Shows discussed 

• State of the Union on CNN

• Fox News Sunday on FOX

• This Week on ABC

• Meet the Press on NBC

New places where you can find us!

• Instagram (@polilogue)

• Spotify

• YouTube

Email us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.

Love our show and want to support us directly? You can support us on our Patreon.

Check out some of our other work: 

Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com  

 Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org