FULL EPISODE - The Friday Edition: Debunking some myths about Tangle (and me). - Tangle

Summary

Tangle Podcast Episode Summary: "The Friday Edition: Debunking Some Myths About Tangle (and Me)"

Release Date: February 28, 2025
Host: Isaac Saul

Introduction

In this episode of the Tangle Podcast, host Isaac Saul takes a deep dive into clarifying common misconceptions about the Tangle platform and himself. Aimed at fostering a more transparent relationship with the audience, Saul addresses the organization's mission, core values, and the personal principles that guide his editorial decisions.

Mission and Core Values

Isaac begins by sharing insights from an internal presentation he recently delivered to the Tangle team. Central to Tangle's existence is the commitment to deliver trustworthy political news that appeals to a diverse audience spanning the left, right, and center.

Key Values Outlined:

Big Tent Media Organization
- "Everyone is invited and we are for everyone."
  (02:30)
Human-Centric Communication
- Emphasizes curiosity, personal connection, and humility.
- "Communicate like a person, admit mistakes, make it personal."
  (03:10)
Simplicity and Consistency
- Focus on steady, deliberate work without unnecessary complications.
- "Fancy fails, we win with consistency, with rhythm, with pace."
  (03:45)
Mission-Oriented Funding
- "Money unlocks the mission. We are building a mission oriented business, not a passion project."
  (04:20)
Balanced Work-Life Ethos
- Advocates for hard work, enjoyment, and regular rest to sustain long-term success.
- "We embrace the work and the play. There's no point to any of this if our team isn't having fun."
  (04:55)

Isaac emphasizes that while not all values directly influence day-to-day editorial choices, they shape the overarching framework of Tangle as a news organization.

Debunking Common Myths

Isaac addresses five prevalent misconceptions about Tangle:

Nonpartisan and Balanced
- Tangle aims to break media echo chambers by presenting a variety of perspectives on each topic.
- "We cover one topic a day and publish a diverse set of opinions about that topic. That's it."
  (05:30)
- Recognized by top media watchdogs for being balanced, factual, and nonpartisan.
Host's Personal Bias
- Isaac clarifies that while he possesses personal opinions, his professional experience and moderate stance equip him to maintain Tangle's objective stance.
- "I am a political moderate. I'm deeply skeptical of both major political parties."
  (07:10)
Centrism and Heterodoxy Misconceptions
- Tangle is neither centrist nor heterodox; instead, it provides a platform for a wide range of viewpoints without subscribing to any specific ideology.
- "Centrism is its own political ideology... Heterodoxy is an ideology too."
  (08:00)
'My Take' Section Transparency
- The "My Take" segment is designed for transparency, allowing Isaac to share his thoughts without intending to persuade listeners to agree.
- "My Take is an act of transparency. It's me sharing exactly what I'm thinking."
  (06:25)
Admitting Fallibility
- Isaac openly acknowledges that he makes mistakes and emphasizes the importance of evolving views based on new information.
- "I'm wrong a lot. I have thick skin and I know my opinions will keep evolving."
  (07:50)

Filling the Media Gap

Isaac articulates Tangle's unique position in the media landscape:

Objective Reporting Amid Partisanship
- Unlike organizations that cater exclusively to specific political narratives, Tangle seeks to present a balanced array of opinions without adhering to predetermined narratives.
- "We're not here to service a preset narrative. We cover one topic a day... with a diverse set of opinions."
  (10:00)
Exposing, Not Coercing
- The goal is to expand the debate and provide comprehensive exposure to various arguments, allowing listeners to form well-informed opinions.
- "Tangle is about exposure, not coercion. It's about expanding the debate, not agreeing on the conclusion."
  (11:15)
Handling Criticism and Maintaining Integrity
- Isaac addresses backlash from readers who misconstrued Tangle's coverage, reinforcing the platform's commitment to balanced reporting.
- "If you think our coverage is falling short, speak up. Address our actual writing and track record, not those of other media organizations."
  (13:45)

Engaging with the Tangle Community

Isaac urges listeners to actively participate in the Tangle community by:

Providing Constructive Feedback
- Encouraging dialogue that focuses on improving the platform rather than partisanship.
- "Try to change our minds or the minds of the Tangle community rather than just score some partisan points."
  (14:30)
Promoting Open-Mindedness
- Advising listeners to approach differing opinions with curiosity and a willingness to understand.
- "If something you read makes you angry, approach it with curiosity. Ask questions, inquire, open your mind."
  (15:10)
Building Resilience
- Highlighting the importance of perseverance in fostering a diverse and robust media ecosystem.
- "If everyone quits the first or second time they get offended or annoyed, we'll never get there."
  (16:00)

Conclusion and Call to Action

Isaac wraps up the episode by reinforcing Tangle's mission and inviting listeners to support the platform:

Membership and Community Growth
- "If you believe in this mission, the best thing to do is to become a Tangle member. Tell a friend to subscribe."
  (17:50)
Encouragement for Continued Engagement
- "I genuinely hope you all stay along for the ride and I'm excited to see this community continue to grow."
  (18:10)

Isaac expresses gratitude towards the listeners and reiterates the importance of maintaining an open and engaging community as Tangle continues to evolve.

Notable Quotes

On Tangle's Purpose:
- "Tangle exists to deliver trustworthy political news."
  (02:15)
On Personal Bias:
- "I'm deeply skeptical of both major political parties in our country."
  (07:10)
On 'My Take' Transparency:
- "It's me sharing exactly what I'm thinking, trying to call some balls and strikes."
  (06:45)
On Media Fragmentation:
- "The fragmentation of media ecosystems... have become the easiest ways to build a profitable media business."
  (10:30)
On Community Participation:
- "Try to better understand the opinion you're struggling with. Ask questions, inquire, open your mind."
  (15:25)

Final Remarks

Isaac Saul's candid discussion in this episode serves to clarify Tangle's foundational principles and address the challenges of operating a nonpartisan news platform in a polarized environment. By emphasizing transparency, inclusivity, and a commitment to factual reporting, Tangle positions itself as a unique voice striving to bridge ideological divides and foster informed discourse among its audience.

Transcript

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Isaac Saul (1:51)

From executive producer Isaac Saul. This is Tangle Foreign.

Isaac Saul (2:06)

Good afternoon and good evening and welcome to the Tangle Podcast, a place we get views from across the political spectrum, some independent thinking, and a little bit of my take. I'm your host Isaac Saul, and on today's episode we're doing something a little bit different. We're going to talk about Tangle and I'm going to debunk some myths about what we're doing and about me personally that I think have been coming up over the last few weeks. I'd like to start by doing something a little bit unusual. I'm going to share some information with you from an internal presentation that I gave to the Tangle team. Actually just this week. We were talking about our core values and our mission statement. And there's a slide in this deck that I presented to the team that says why does Tangle exist? And the answer to that question is this. Tangle exists to deliver political news that can be trusted by the left, right and center all at once. A snappier version of this is that we exist to deliver trustworthy political news. In the next slide in this presentation I outline five values that are core to this mission. Value number one is that we are a big tent media organization. Everyone is invited and we are for everyone. Value number two is to be human, stay curious, communicate like a person, admit mistakes, make it personal. Value number three is simple scales. Fancy fails, we win with consistency, with rhythm, with pace. We work deliberately and smartly. No frills, no tricks, no complications. Value number four is that money unlocks the mission. If we want to win, we have to make money. We are building a mission oriented business, not a passion project. And value number five is to work hard, play hard and rest regularly. We embrace the work and the play. There's no point to any of this if our team isn't having fun and we are in it for the long game. Obviously not all of these values apply directly to our day to day editorial choices, but this is the news organization that we are trying to build. I want to produce political news that is trusted by a larger swath of the country than any media organization on earth. I want us to communicate the news like the wisest versions of ourselves with curiosity and skepticism and humility and open mindedness. I want our content to feel informative and premium, but also personal. This deck is not marketing material. I actually never planned for it to go public. In fact, about 48 hours ago I specifically instructed my team to not share it with anyone outside our company. This is not our outward facing pitch to readers. These are the internal values I try to live by and that I invite my employees to live by. Trust the big tent Media Curiosity, Humility, Skepticism, personal Bringing Americans of different political stripes under one roof has always been difficult. In this hyper polarized era, it often feels impossible. One of the biggest challenges we face at Tangle is that so many people regularly misunderstand what we are doing and why we are here. That makes sense. People come here at different times and for different reasons and not everyone wants the same thing. At various points over the last five and a half years, I've tried to restate our mission, especially when I feel the Tangle community and the country tearing a bit at the seams. This is one of those times. So let me start by clearing up five common misconceptions about our work. 1. Tangle, as an organization is nonpartisan and balanced. Central to everything we do is the idea that many Americans are living in a media echo chamber. Our goal is to get people out of their echo chambers. We want to create a destination where you can find a plethora of views on whatever topic we are covering all in one place. The today's topic section is a neutral just the facts breakdown. Then we share a wide range of opinions from the left, right and center left or center right. Then someone from our staff, typically me, but occasionally another editor, shares their opinion in the My Take section. That structure, we believe, creates balance. Not every time, but over time. We are nonpartisan because we are not biased toward any political group. That is why the top media watchdogs have rated us as balanced, highly factual and nonpartisan. Number two, I am not claiming to be unbiased. I, Isaac Saul, am a person. I have views and principles and opinions, sometimes strong ones. I believe I have two qualities in particular that make me well suited to execute Tangles mission. One is that I've been a politics reporter for over a decade, so I have the tools, sources and experience to analyze the news thoughtfully. Two is that I'm a political moderate. I'm deeply skeptical of both major political parties in our country and deeply exhausted by our political fringes. Every now and then I strongly align with one party on an issue. But it's relatively easy for me to oscillate between agreeing with one of the two big political tribes in our country, and I often find myself somewhere in the middle. Which brings me to number three. We are not centrist or heterodox. Centrism is its own political ideology, no better or worse than liberalism or conservatism. Centrists straddle the partisan divide on principle, always looking for some kind of middle ground for moderation's sake. A centrist will look at point A and point C and say we're going to take point B because it's in the middle. Heterodoxy is an ideology too. In the media, it's the act of looking around at the mainstream consensus or the majority opinion of the left and the right, and then intentionally disagreeing with that consensus. Sometimes I will arrive at a heterodox opinion, but I never let a desire to be different guide my analysis. At Tangle. We'll share heterodox and centrist views, of course, but we don't subscribe to heterodox or centrist ideologies. Number four, My take is an act of transparency. When I first had the idea for Tango, my take didn't really exist. The newsletter was just a short explanation of the main story, with summaries of what the left and the right were saying. But friends and family, I shared the concept with were curious what I thought. They felt like the newsletter raised a bunch of questions and issues and then it just ended. This feedback resonated, so I added the My Take section, which according to reader surveys, is now the most popular part of the newsletter. My Take is not about convincing you that I'm right. It's an act of transparency. It's me sharing exactly what I'm thinking, trying to call some balls and strikes, and hoping it helps you make better sense of things. You can take it or leave it, but I don't want you to ever feel that I'm dishonest about what I think. And finally, number five, I'm wrong a lot. I get stuff wrong all the time. Sometimes I have bad takes. I hate being wrong publicly. People typically aren't very nice about it. But I'm relatively young, I'm open minded and I've got thick skin and I know my opinions will keep evolving. I know I have been wrong many times in the past and I will be wrong many times in the future. I am comfortable with this arrangement and I am married to very few of the views I hold. And I believe that having evolving views, so long as they are evolving for the right reasons, is healthy and natural. People whose positions never change make me suspicious. I sincerely doubt all of your opinions are correct. While some of my opinions will end up aging poorly, I still might try to defend them when they come under attack. But if we ever make factual errors in the newsletter or the podcast, we correct them promptly and prominently. We'll be right back after this quick break.