TP&R: Political and Religious Podcasts Are Emerging to Push Back on Partisan Rhetoric
Corey Nathan introduces the idea of political and religious podcasts to help spread your message.
Los Angeles, CA, Feb. 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Talking about politics and religion often leads to unnecessary arguments and a fight (1). Democracy does not guarantee our freedom to talk about this subject, whether on the primetime programming of FOX NEWS, MSNBC and OANN or simply at our backyard BBQ with family and friends.
Corey Nathan, producer and host of Talkin’ Politics & Religion Without Killin’ Each Other believes we can. The subjects of politics and religion have had a history of contentiousness often accompanied with violence.
In today’s world of media, from traditional broadcast behemoths to smaller-scale niche outlets, the well-worn tensions of polarization have become standard. Pundits who turn up the vitriol with the most outrageous takes about “the other side” are rewarded.
In media, there is a larger trend of massive increases in the number of people listening to podcasts vs. a steady decrease in those listening to terrestrial radio. Podcasts like The Joe Rogan Experience, Stuff You Should Know and Pod Save America have millions of listeners. These numbers coincide with the emergence of other media platforms such as digital newsletters like Substack and Medium.
It is in this environment that independent platforms have emerged as an alternative to the “Cold Civil War” that national figures like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Mark Levin had established. Now, there is a growing ecosystem of podcasts, journalism and other content such as The Dispatch, The Bulwark and Politicology as well as individual contributors like Matt Lewis, Pete Dominick and many others who prioritize in-depth dialogue over 10 second inflammatory sound bites.
*What is TP&R?*
Enter Talkin’ Politics & Religion Without Killin’ Each Other, a podcast launched in late 2020 with the intent to engage with “all kinds of folks across the spectrum and hopefully have some fun in the process.” The guest list has included elected officials, national media figures, academics and faith leaders including Bill Kristol, Charlie Sykes, Curtis Chang, Dr. Russell Moore, Sarah Isgur, former Congressman Joe Walsh, Matt Lewis, Elizabeth Neumann, Del Walters and Jake Sherman among others.
“It’s critical to have voices in our culture who can have healthy dialogue about important topics without the warlike mentality,” says Corey Nathan, TP&R's creator. “That’s why we’re doing this. It’s been inspiring to have all these high profile people spend some time with us on the show. A little counter-programming to all the screamers out there.”
The idea for TP&R was planted years ago when Corey experienced a religious conversion. In his late 20s at the time, he became a Christian after growing up in an observant Jewish family.
This created a rift among some family members and friends. To help wade through these differences, it became imperative for the new Christian to avoid heated arguments and learn how to engage “in gentleness and respect.”
Later, it was within his church where Corey found it challenging to speak about topics such as politics. He found that in addition to doctrinal orthodoxy, such as believing in the authority of the Bible, there was also a political orthodoxy. As he describes, “Over the years, I was kicked out of a Bible study or two just for asking a question about whether we in the church had it wrong on something like immigration. Or how we’re caring for the homeless.”
But these conflicts were not limited to just his church friends. “Meanwhile, I was getting heat from other circles in the arts and entertainment industry, a lot of them assuming that being a Christian meant I was also a hard core Republican. So I’d get folks asking me to defend the war in Iraq or something some right wing politician said.”
Then, when more and more Evangelicals came to support Donald Trump’s candidacy and presidency, that’s when Corey decided to engage more actively in discussions about politics and religion. Creating a podcast as a forum to meet this challenge head-on was a perfect fit.
“Podcasting is a great venue to have these conversations. Unlike traditional radio and tv, good podcasts allow the host and the guests to get so much more nuanced. What guys like Marc Maron and Dax Shepherd do so well is to go deeper with their guests. So we decided to do some of that too - but in the arena of faith and politics. Just trying to reclaim and redeem some of that space in the public square.”
*About TP&R*
TP&R is a podcast started by Corey Nathan that talks about politics and religions in 2020. He built this "safe container" to make sure all voices are being heard without judgment. Starting from a Jewish-Christian shift that provoked controversy in his circle, Corey has successfully invited high-profile guests to his podcast, from elected officials, national media figures, academics, and faith leaders. One podcast and one conversation at a time.
*Media Contact:*
SCAN Media
Corey Nathan
(661) 312-4050
corey@scanmedia.coReference:
1) https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/02/25/religious-left-politics-liberal-471640
Media contact: az@kisspr.com
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