Tangle Podcast: The Friday Edition – "It's time for some change."

Date: March 20, 2026
Host: Isaac Saul (with Tangle editorial staff)

Overview

This special Friday edition of the Tangle podcast centers on significant updates to Tangle's editorial policies, podcast and newsletter structure, and the first-ever comment moderation policy. The episode’s driving theme is transparency: Isaac Saul and several editorial staffers explain both the what and the why behind each change, with an emphasis on building trust, encouraging constructive debate, and fostering a high-quality, diverse community. The episode establishes Tangle’s commitment to clarity, rigorous standards, and thoughtful adaptation as a politically independent outlet.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Editorial Guidelines Update

• Background and Intent (03:00)
  • Isaac Saul outlines Tangle’s goal to be the most trusted political news outlet, emphasizing the importance of language, transparency, and responding to community feedback.
  • “We are a big tent media organization and we are trying to win the trust of Americans from across the political spectrum. Language, choice and editorial standards in service of this goal were the subject of my 2024 TED talk, and it's part of how we continue to evolve for the widest, most politically diverse audience possible.” (03:38, Isaac Saul)
• Editorial Language Standards (14:15, Ari Weitzman)
  • “Fascist” and “Authoritarian”: Definitions and why Tangle avoids labeling Trump as either, citing U.S. democratic health and established legal mechanisms limiting executive power.
  • “American” vs. “U.S. Citizen”: Editorial shift to using “American” for clarity while noting the term’s historical roots and uncommon alternate usage.
  • Place Names: Tangle will retain established geographical and departmental names unless changed by congressional action.
  • Language on Suicide: Tangle adopts “kill themself” over “committed suicide” due to stigma concerns, citing available research but stopping short of dogmatic enforcement.
  • Political Labels: Delineating “Republican/Democrat” (party) from “conservative/liberal” (ideology); further, distinguishing “left/right” as umbrella groupings for broader viewpoints.
  • Immigration Terms: Moving from “unauthorized migrant” to “unauthorized immigrant”; emphasizes precision and contextual specificity.

Notable Quote:

• “Going forward, we will use liberal and conservative to describe figures and ideas in line with traditional American understanding of these terms, and we will use left and right as umbrella terms to discuss other relevant political ideas and figures when they come up.” (27:08, Ari Weitzman)

2. Comment Moderation Policy

• Policy Introduction (05:56, Audrey Moorhead)
  • Only paying Tangle members can comment, effective March 30, 2026.
  • Aims to foster buy-in, minimize trolling, and distinguish Tangle’s community from larger social media platforms.
  • “We believe having a members only comment section will encourage buy in to our mission. If someone is paying to support or access our work, they are more likely to care for the space and conduct themselves in a way that comports with our vision.” (06:21, Audrey Moorhead)
• Core Rules (09:54)
  • No direct name-calling: Republicans are stupid (allowed); Kevin, you’re stupid (not allowed).
  • No inciting violence: Debating intentions is allowed, but explicit calls for violence are not.
  • No gratuitous obscenity: Swearing is fine, but explicit sexual or bodily content is not.
  • No violent imagery: Discussion allowed; direct graphic links removed at Tangle’s discretion.
  • No spam/self-promotion: Off-topic advertising will be removed.
  • No excessive report abuse: Use the report feature only for true rule violations.
• Guidelines (Soft Rules):
  • Be persuasive: Encourage dialogue by explaining views (e.g., why Democrats are stupid).
  • Approach arguments with curiosity: Actively engage instead of dismissing.
  • Hold each other accountable: Self-policing is valued.
• Violation consequences: Warnings, post deletions, or disabling commenting.

Notable Quote:

• “Practice now without further ado, the rules: first, no direct name calling. This is pretty simple. Saying Republicans are stupid is permissible. Saying Kevin, you're stupid is not.” (10:14, Audrey Moorhead)

3. Structural Changes to Newsletter & Podcast

• Staff Dissents and Concurrences (30:29, Will Kbach)
  • Dissent and concurrence features showcase internal viewpoint diversity and public disagreement or additional commentary—modeled after Supreme Court justices’ opinions.
  • “These features, staff dissents and staff concurrences, were inspired by the Supreme Court, and we aspire to be something akin to perhaps the Supreme Court of the media...” (31:19, Will Kbach)
• Section Rotation and New Features
  • Some sections (‘Under the Radar’, ‘Numbers’, ‘Have a Nice Day’) will rotate in and out to streamline and keep the newsletter fresh.
  • Upcoming experimental sections: daily quote, team recommendations, puzzles, historical look-backs, and more.
  • Invitation for audience input on new sections.
• Flex Topics
  • Occasional deep-dives on major issues not directly tied to the immediate news cycle—“Flex Topics”—will become more common.
• 2:2:2 Format
  • For some topics, coverage will expand beyond just left/right to include a third, relevant group (e.g., state-specific, technical experts, international voices).
• AI Use Policy
  • AI assists with fact-checking and research, but not with editorial or content creation.
  • “Tangle is a people first organization. We don't rely on artificial intelligence to create any of our editorial content on any platform.” (39:06, Will Kbach)

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “Rather than just telling you what we're going to do, we hope to build some trust by explaining why we're doing it.” (04:39, Isaac Saul)
• “Comments like ‘boys can’t become girls’ or ‘Trump supporters are all racist’ are certainly offensive to some, but they will be allowed on our page provided the comments do not otherwise violate our rules.” (09:10, Audrey Moorhead)
• “We like having the flexibility to dip out of the news cycle from time to time, especially when the week's dominant stories are ones we've recently covered, and the response to these Flex pieces has been broadly positive...” (36:35, Will Kbach)
• “AI isn't perfect for this use case. It still flags things as incorrect that aren't and misses things that our human editors later catch. But we think of AI as part of our team. It certainly can't replace any one of us...” (39:25, Will Kbach)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | Speaker | |-----------|----------------------------------------------|-------------------------| | 01:53 | Opening and overview | Isaac Saul | | 05:56 | Introduction to the new comment policy | Audrey Moorhead | | 09:54 | Detailed rules for comment moderation | Audrey Moorhead | | 14:15 | Editorial guidelines and language choices | Ari Weitzman | | 30:29 | Structural newsletter/podcast changes | Will Kbach | | 31:19 | Inspiration for dissents and concurrences | Will Kbach | | 36:35 | Explanation of "Flex Topics" | Will Kbach | | 39:06 | AI use in Tangle's editorial workflow | Will Kbach |

Tone & Language

Throughout, the tone is earnest, measured, and transparent, with substantial effort put into explaining not just procedural changes but the philosophical reasons behind them. Tangle’s staff consistently invites reader feedback, emphasizes respect for disagreement, and signals a high bar for internal debate and continual improvement.

Conclusion

This “Friday Edition” marks a pivotal update in Tangle’s evolution, with meaningful changes intended to protect civil discourse, refine editorial practices, and ensure Tangle remains a unique, trusted space for engaging with America's most pressing political debates. Audience participation and feedback are repeatedly encouraged—listeners, like Tangle staff, are viewed as essential partners in shaping the outlet’s direction.

(For more detail, see key timestamps or visit www.readtangle.com.)