A special note for our readers.
I’m Isaac Saul, and this is Tangle: an independent, nonpartisan, subscriber-supported politics newsletter that summarizes the best arguments from across the political spectrum on the news of the day — then “my take.”
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Today's read: 6 minutes.
Dear readers,
This Monday, August 5, marks the fifth anniversary of the first Tangle newsletter.
Many of you have heard my story before: I'm a politics reporter who grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, one of the most politically divided counties in America. When I started working in media and saw how the sausage was made, I could tell something was broken. And I had an idea for how to fix it: A newsletter that highlights arguments from the right, left, and center on the big debates of the day.
Over the summer of 2019, I sent a newsletter prototype to friends, family, and former colleagues comparing summaries of arguments from the left and right. The number one response I got was, "Yeah, but what do you think?" So, I added the "My take" section. People started writing in with questions, so I added the "Your questions, answered," section. On July 31, 2019, I sent a newsletter on the Democratic primary to 13 people. A week later, I took it public and 130 people signed up. I had a black and white logo, bragged about 130 people being on the mailing list, and set a long-term goal of reaching 10,000 readers.
Today, the Tangle mailing list is 125,000 strong. We have tens of thousands more followers on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. Our podcast gets over 100,000 downloads a month. We are a full-blown media organization now; but we’re also a community — a group of people who are tired of the same old political coverage and hungry for something new. We have independent and moderate readers, yes. But we also have satisfied partisan readers — MAGA diehards or leftist ideologues — who read Tangle because they are open-minded about their convictions, because they want to hear what the "other side" is saying, and because they trust the way we cover the news more than what they could get elsewhere. What we are doing is genuinely unique, and I believe genuinely good for our country and for our readers’ brains.
We have done a lot in the last year: We hired our first intern cohort. We launched a college ambassador program. We got Tangle into some college textbooks. We launched a limited podcast series following five undecided voters up to and through election day. We launched the Sunday podcast, where Managing Editor Ari Weitzman and I chop it up about all the things we didn't get to say in the newsletter. We started churning out YouTube videos and shorts. We were recognized as one of the most successful newsletters on the web by our peers. We broke 100,000 subscribers on our mailing list. We broke $1 million in annual recurring subscription revenue. We hosted two live Tangle events (first in Philly, then in New York). We launched a Sunday newsletter, which includes a reader-essay series (more on that in a minute). And, of course, I got to give a TED talk about the work we're doing at Tangle.
Here is what we are planning to do in the next year: First and foremost, we're going to continue to focus on all the things we are good at right now. A lot of media companies that have early success end up failing because they get distracted by new, shiny things and stop focusing on what worked. I am committed to not making that same mistake. So, it might sound boring, but guess what? We're going to keep doing more of what we have been doing, since we know that's why many of you are here. We are going to keep covering this (literally) unbelievable election with the same balance, curiosity, and skepticism as always.
But all our success this year allows us to pursue some fun ideas that build on the mission of Tangle. We are going to expand our on-the-ground reporting for our YouTube channel, podcast and newsletter, starting with our in-person coverage of this month's Democratic National Convention in Chicago. We just landed a fiscal sponsor, and now we can take tax-deductible donations and grants to support specific Tangle-related projects (you can go support us that way right now). We are going to formalize our reader-submissions process and also start soliciting pieces from big-name writers. We're going to introduce and show off our team members more often — you'll see bylines from other writers and editors on staff, and even from our interns. We're going to redesign our website, which has already undergone some changes. We’re going to launch some new podcast series as well as paid, ad-free podcasts for our listeners, who have been pining for them.
And most of all, we're going to invest more money into growing our audience and this community.
I remain immensely grateful for these opportunities, so let me just say:
Thank you.
The media industry is in a tough place right now — many outlets are bleeding jobs and losing money. I am profoundly grateful to be on a ship that isn't sinking, with a team that I love, a sustainable business model, and a lot more growth on the horizon. None of it is possible without you, our readers and listeners. None of it is possible without the subscribers who buy memberships to support our work (a reminder to please do that if you haven't yet). None of it is possible without trust, which you've given us, and which we will work tirelessly to keep.
I’ll say it one more time: thank you. For supporting us, for trusting us, and for embracing a new way to follow politics. We’re proud of what we’ve done and grateful for where we are, and we’re thrilled about the year (and years) to come.
Best,
Isaac, Magdalena, Ari, Will, Jon, and the Tangle team
Now, onto some content!
For the last year, we've been publishing reader essays in our members-only Sunday editions. We have not done a good enough job promoting them, and we decided that dedicating a Friday edition to highlight our readers’ work would be a fitting way to do that. As a team, we picked our 10 favorite reader essays from last year.
Each of these essays is partially public, partially paywalled, so you'll have to become a member to read them in their entirety. (You’ll also have to be logged into our website to read them, so if you’re on mobile, I suggest making sure you’re opening these links in your browser and not your email client.)
If you’re a paying subscriber to Tangle, you’ll get a weekly roundup of our stories, political cartoons, a word game, and more Sunday-paper style features sent to your inbox on Sunday morning, along with a featured essay from a reader. This week, a Tangle reader who just graduated from high school tells us what he thinks most people leave out when discussing the mental health crisis among teenagers.
But without further ado, here are our top ten reader essays. They cover a wide range of topics, and I’m sure you’ll find a few that you’ll enjoy!
10) An Environmentalist Argument for Nuclear Reactors in the Pacific Northwest. A watershed restoration expert from Washington state gives an environmentalist argument in favor of a technology that is not popular amongst most environmentalists: nuclear reactors. He takes an uncommon angle to make his argument, which we think is compelling regardless of what side of the issue you’re on.
9) Terrorphobia. The writer looks back at a youth haunted by arachnophobia and admits to a sense of frustration at himself for allowing an irrational fear to get the best of him. He argues Americans should feel the same way about airport security, making the case that many of the TSA’s policies are an irrational projection of our fears and a waste of resources.
8) Show your face and say what you mean. When the writer of this piece began having doubts about her career and life choices, performing in a DEI-themed theater show for the Federal Reserve in Atlanta proved clarifying. Those reflections offer a lot for us to learn from, too.
7) Seattle Public Schools is making a huge mistake. An anonymous middle school teacher from Seattle, Washington, shares her critique of Seattle Public Schools' decision to end the district's advanced learning program in elementary and middle schools. This is a local story, but the argument stands out for its Tangle-like approach to the topic.
6) Beyond the Biological Imperative: Having Kids When Everything Sucks. The ethical debate over having children is injected with levity and wit in this even-handed analysis of the issue. The essay is seriously funny, and probably all too relatable for many.
5) When Your Karma Runs Over Your Dogma. In this thoughtful piece, the writer recounts the experience of having his political beliefs challenged by a deeply personal situation in his family. The essay explores what happens when ideology and lived reality come into conflict, and how these experiences can change how we view the world.
4) The Red Salt Pig. In an essay well timed for its release on last year’s Christmas Eve, the writer explains why she thinks the meaning of Christmas has been lost, and how she’s been able to find it again. The piece’s ruminations on memory and the passage of time resonate even in the middle of summer.
3) The kids are alright. The world can seem like a scary place at times. For parents, it can seem even scarier, and the desire to protect children from the dangers of the world is only natural. However, two Tangle readers and mothers of young children argue that the attempt to protect children from threats can be an even bigger threat to a child’s health development.
2) In Favor of Open Primaries. This piece makes the case for open primaries, with the writer sharing a compelling story from his home state of Florida. He chronicles the movement’s evolution in the past few years and even offers a constructive critique of Tangle’s neglect of the story.
1) From the Border of Identity, Politics, and Medicine. In this provocative and personal essay, the writer shares his unique perspective on transgender issues as a deeply conservative physician and transgender man. He also assesses what the left and right get wrong when talking about this topic.