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