Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other

Untangling the Partisan Knot: A Balanced Look at Political News with Isaac Saul of Tangle

2025-04-17

In this episode, we sit down with Isaac Saul, founder of Tangle, a widely respected, nonpartisan political newsletter. Isaac and his team bring a fresh approach to political journalism by curating multiple perspectives—right, left, and independent—on major stories of the day. Corey, a fan and avid reader of Tangle, dives deep into Isaac’s upbringing in Bucks County, PA, how that shaped his civic “multilingualism,” and the genesis of Tangle during a particularly difficult phase of his career. Together, they explore the challenges of journalistic ethics, political polarizat...

What We Discuss:

Why Bucks County, PA, is so friggin' awesome! And why it plays a crucial role in shaping moderate political thinkers.
How Isaac Saul built Tangle from the ground up as a response to media frustration.
The journalistic principles and ethical guardrails that guide Isaac’s work.
How to discern quality journalism in an era dominated by clickbait and misinformation.
The dangers of polarization and what gives Isaac hope about our democratic future.

Episode Highlights:

[00:01:00] Isaac Saul shares the mission behind Tangle and what inspired him to create it.
[00:05:00] Corey and Isaac explore how growing up in politically diverse Bucks County cultivated empathy and civic fluency.
[00:10:00] Isaac discusses his unique way of reaching conspiracy-minded friends—by “using their language” and exposing financial incentives in media.
[00:15:00] Isaac describes his journalistic background and the importance of reporting with integrity and skepticism.
[00:24:00] Isaac recounts his “f*** this” moment that led to launching Tangle after being rejected from multiple major outlets.
[00:34:00] Corey explains his methodical approach to reading Tangle and how it helps refine his own viewpoints.
[00:40:00] Behind the scenes: How Isaac and his team choose stories and fairly represent both sides of complex political issues.
[00:54:00] Isaac shares his hopes and fears about political division, executive overreach, and the role of media in democracy.

Featured Quotes:

"The people who are really politically engaged on the right and the left right now are living in just different realities." – Isaac Saul
"I know what I think. It’s the least interesting thing on the planet. I live with this brain all day. I want to hear what others think." – Isaac Saul
"You should treat every click like you're handing a news outlet a dollar." – Isaac Saul
"Centrism is an ideology in and of itself. I’m not trying to land in the middle—I’m just being honest about my real reactions." – Isaac Saul

Resources Mentioned:

Tangle Newsletter – www.readtangle.com
Isaac Saul’s TED Talk: “What Media Doesn’t Tell You” – youtu.be/543mYKKh1EE?si=CjdQv94HzT04vknh
How Media Bias Works (Tangle article) – www.readtangle.com/why-the-media-is-broken/
Isaac on Twitter: x.com/Ike_Saul

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