meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Channels with Peter Kafka

ThinkProgress founder Judd Legum

Channels with Peter Kafka

Vox Media Podcast Network

Technology, Tv & Film, Business News, News

4.4585 Ratings

🗓️ 30 August 2018

⏱️ 47 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Judd Legum, the founder of the left-wing political blog ThinkProgress, talks with Recode's Peter Kafka about why he left that site to start a political newsletter, Popular Information. In this episode:02:27 - Legum’s background and early blogs05:09 - Starting ThinkProgress08:58 - Working on Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign12:59 - The Steele dossier and “who’s the messenger?”15:35 - Have we stopped holding candidates to a higher standard?22:02 - Getting internet-famous in the Trump era25:11 - Why he left ThinkProgress27:31 - Why Popular Information is an email newsletter31:41 - Newsletters vs. Twitter and Facebook 34:09 - Convincing readers to pay37:33 - Filter bubbles40:02 - Previewing the next round of Congressional tech hearings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Thanks to ZipRecruiter, which is the presenting sponsor of Recode Media and the smartest way to hire.

0:06.2

The ground is always shifting in the tech world.

0:08.3

There's a constant barrage of new programs, platforms, competitors, and regulations that make running a tech company a wild ride.

0:14.8

So you need to find a fast way to find the people with the skills to keep up.

0:18.4

There's no better way than ZipRecruiter.

0:20.8

Their powerful

0:21.3

matching technology scans thousands of resumes across its network to actively find people with the

0:26.1

right experience and invites them to apply to your job. Not your job, the job you're hiring for.

0:30.7

If you're hiring, it's time to get smart. Try ZipRecruiter for free right now at ZipRecruiter.com

0:37.1

slash Peter. This is Recode Media with Peter Kafka. That is me. I am part of the Vox Media Podcast Network here in New York City. It's very warm here, so I hope you're cool wherever you're listening to this. And if you're listening to this, as you are, please tell someone else. Thank you. I'm here with Judd Legham. Did I get it right?

0:54.6

That's right. Woohoo. Founder, editor-in-chief of Think Progress. Now has his new thing called

0:59.6

Popular information, which is a newsletter. Judd, you're like the great Venn diagram of all the

1:07.4

RICO media guests. So you're a guy who's building his own business via

1:11.5

newsletter, eventually a subscription. So that's one half of all our guests, trying to figure out how

1:17.1

to get someone to pay for that information. And you are someone who rose to prominence really

1:21.7

the last few years because of the Trump administration and the renewed interest.

1:25.8

And what did we call it politics or national nightmare or both?

1:29.5

Yeah, I'd say I basically have been doing the same thing for most of my career, but I think

1:34.6

it's a buyer's market or a seller's market for progressive media, you know, in the last

1:39.9

couple of years.

1:40.9

Let's rotted out.

1:41.9

People who are interested in Trump.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Vox Media Podcast Network, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Vox Media Podcast Network and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.