The Tudor Dixon Podcast: FreeSpoke, Media Bias & Finding Truth in Search

Date: February 20, 2026
Guests: Tudor Dixon (Host), Todd Ricketts (FreeSpoke co-founder, former RNC Finance Chairman)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Tudor Dixon welcomes Todd Ricketts—former Republican National Committee finance chairman and co-founder of FreeSpoke, a new search engine aimed at reducing media bias and providing a broader spectrum of news sources. The discussion centers on FreeSpoke’s goals, the state of media bias in tech platforms, how Americans can seek truth in today’s digital landscape, and the broader political climate approaching the midterms.

Key Topics & Insights

1. Introduction: The Problem of Media Bias in Search (02:36–04:58)

• Media Suppression by Mainstream Search Engines:

  • Todd Ricketts describes personal frustration with Google and Bing results that “didn't match what I expected” ([03:07]).
  • He notes Google admits suppressing information, especially on topics like climate change.
  • Quote: “Google admits that, that they suppress information on climate change that is counter to the narrative.” – Todd Ricketts ([03:19])

• Birth of FreeSpoke:

  • FreeSpoke was developed to “surface as much information on all these topics as best we could to give all sides of that topic.” ([03:43])
  • Incorporates a “digital news assistant” powered by AI to present reporting from left, right, and center.
  • Quote: “We try to take out all the bias and lay the information out there for people so they can make up their own mind.” – Todd Ricketts ([04:36])

2. How FreeSpoke Works: Features and Philosophy (04:08–06:50)

• Left/Right/Middle Labeling:

  • FreeSpoke labels sources by political lean, shows stories from both sides, and uses a “just the facts, ma'am” AI model. ([04:22])

• Broad Source Inclusion:

  • FreeSpoke includes outlets often buried or excluded by Google, such as Breitbart, and also seeks out rising or lesser-known sites.
  • Quote: “We've actively gone out and tried to tag and crawl so that [these sources] will show up when you search in FreeSpoke.” – Todd Ricketts ([06:10])

• Business Model Contrasts:

  • FreeSpoke eschews paid search ranking (unlike Google’s ad-focused model) to create a more level informational index. ([06:50])

3. Motivation & Addressing Systemic Tech Bias (07:22–08:12)

• Why Build FreeSpoke?

  • Ricketts wanted to offer an alternative to the “double whammy of bias” in traditional search.
  • Quote: “[Big tech companies are] just run by people in California who are a little bit left-leaning. And so the guys that design the index are a little left-leaning. And then you put a crawler on top of that, that's a little bit left leaning... you get this double whammy of bias in your searches.” – Todd Ricketts ([07:38])

• Vision:

  • The internet’s promise should be “to help educate people, not be led in a direction or like listen to the narrative from a left-leaning tech company.” ([07:33])

4. Enhanced News Discovery & Political Information (08:12–10:28)

• Podcast Integration:

  • FreeSpoke transcribes and makes podcasts searchable, allowing users to jump to relevant moments rather than sifting through hours of audio.
  • Quote: “If there's a minute in a podcast where they're talking about the Ukraine war, it doesn't take you to the full hour... but specifically to that minute so you can listen to just the part you want to hear about.” – Todd Ricketts ([08:41])

• Election Portal & Rapid Candidate Research:

  • Offers a candidate search feature and election portal for up-to-date races and positions, aiding journalists and political analysts ahead of the midterms. ([10:10])

5. Media Narratives, Political Bias, and Information Currency (10:28–12:12)

• Case Studies of Media Spin:

  • Discussion of alleged bias in coverage of AOC and the Texas Senate race involving Stephen Colbert and Talarico; highlights how narratives are manufactured for political gain. ([10:28])

• Role of FreeSpoke:

  • Dixon suggests FreeSpoke can be a resource for checking narratives and “elevating the truth” via social media and podcasts.

6. Political Landscape & 2026 Midterm Outlook (12:12–14:04)

• Media Messaging & Party Strategy:

  • Democrats focus on “affordability” as their campaign buzzword; Republicans counter with economic data and improvements.
  • Importance of redistricting and its potential to influence House and Senate majorities.

• Quote: “Republicans are going to be pushing the message that the economy is getting better and Democrats are going to be pushing this word affordability...” – Todd Ricketts ([13:07])

7. Economic Analysis: Stock Market & Everyday Impacts (16:12–19:09)

• Stock Market Reality:

  • 50% of Americans have stock exposure, the remainder feel “left behind.” ([17:34])
  • Quote: “We always just have to be ensuring that everybody... feels like they have an opportunity to get ahead. That's like the promise of America...” – Todd Ricketts ([17:49])

• Inflation and Real Wages:

  • Despite the lowest inflation since 2021, wage increases don’t always translate to improved quality of life due to lingering price hikes.
  • Quote: “Inflation going down doesn't necessarily take prices down with it.” – Tudor Dixon ([18:31])

8. Populist Messaging & Tax Policy in Elections (19:38–22:43)

• Contrast in Candidate Strategies:

  • Discussion around populist promises versus the realities of tax policy (case of Mamdani in NYC).
  • Quote: “First of all, he's a politician, so of course he lied.” – Todd Ricketts on populist campaign tactics ([21:21])

• Tax Returns & Voter Sentiment:

  • Larger refunds may boost voter short-term satisfaction, but long-term electoral impact remains uncertain.

9. Senate & House Races: The 2026 Climate (23:03–24:34)

• Senate Battleground:

  • Dixon and Ricketts note challenges in Texas and North Carolina, with Republican infighting and tight margins.

• “Referendum on Trump”:

  • The midterms are positioned as both a test of Trump’s residual influence and a commentary on the current administration’s performance.
  • Quote: “Every two years we hear it's the most important election we've ever had... I feel like that's generally true.” – Todd Ricketts ([23:59])

10. US Foreign Policy and Comparative Global Politics (27:14–32:34)

• Trump’s Disruptive Influence:

  • Ricketts credits Trump for forcing the global order to “shake out of its slumber,” arguing for stronger European partnership and accountability. ([28:33])

• Rising Division in Europe:

  • Points out persistent divisions within the EU, similar to US partisanship, and notes Europe’s economic stagnation relative to the US.

• International News on FreeSpoke:

  • FreeSpoke allows users to compare global news sources, thus enabling balanced perspectives on international affairs as well. ([32:16])

11. Practicalities & Closing Thoughts (32:34–33:43)

• Using FreeSpoke:

  • Available via website or app; promotes itself as the “go-to” resource for news, research, and balanced perspectives every day. ([33:11])

• Feedback Solicited:

  • Ricketts and Dixon invite user input to improve FreeSpoke’s features and coverage. ([33:28])

Notable Quotes

• “At FreeSpoke, we just wanted to give the best information possible without those biases.”
  — Todd Ricketts ([07:57])

• “We are in a time when information is currency. And if you can get the information out there first... we are looking for [ways]... to search the candidates by name to see where they’ve been.”
  — Tudor Dixon ([09:21])

• “I encourage everyone to download the app... every time you have a question, that should be like your go to.”
  — Tudor Dixon ([33:12])

Timestamps of Important Segments

• [03:07] — Todd Ricketts describes the genesis of FreeSpoke and suppression of information by Google.
• [04:22] — How FreeSpoke labels and presents news sources from left, right, and center.
• [06:10] — FreeSpoke’s inclusion of news outlets often suppressed elsewhere.
• [08:41] — Podcast search functionality and granular audio indexing.
• [10:10] — Election portal and candidate-specific news searches.
• [13:07] — Analysis of 2026 midterm messaging strategies.
• [17:34] — Disparity of stock market benefits among Americans.
• [21:21] — Politicians and the reality of campaign promises.
• [23:59] — Razor-thin margins and the importance of each election.
• [28:33] — Role of Trump and current US foreign policy direction.
• [32:16] — FreeSpoke’s international news coverage capabilities.
• [33:12] — Instructions for downloading and using FreeSpoke.

Memorable Moments

• Humorous Take on Political Messaging:
  Todd Ricketts jokes, “Of course he lied,” referring to the typical behavior of politicians when confronted with uncomfortable truths. ([21:21])

• On Technology’s Bias:
  Ricketts’ “double whammy of bias”—from designers to the crawlers to the algorithms—offers a striking image of how ideology seeps into digital products. ([07:38])

Takeaways

• FreeSpoke positions itself as a transparent, politically-neutral alternative to mainstream search and news aggregation platforms.
• Increasing political polarization heightens the need to access unbiased, comprehensive information.
• Americans want—and need—tools to compare perspectives across media, especially as the 2026 midterms approach.

Final Recommendation:
If you’re seeking to break out of the information silos curated by mainstream platforms, FreeSpoke offers an intriguing new resource, especially for staying up to date with both US and international politics.