Mapping the podcast universe
The Brand Brief 1.22.26: The Beckhams, Erika Kirk, Jack Smith, Gavin Newsom, Davos, Abigail Spanberger, Ben Affleck, and Pam Bondi
Actionable media intel to keep you ahead: The Brand Brief delivers a daily snapshot of the conservative media ecosystem - FOX News, podcasts, and more. | Brought to you by On Brand Strategies | Written by Carly Moran and Nathan Brand
📣 Driving the Conversation…
1,448 words | 6 minute read | Written to be skimmable (12+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: The most extensive podcast study I’ve seen
New Media Voices: Greenland and Pam Greer
Leading FOX: Davos and Jack Smith
Trending and Pouncing: All Minnesota
What the Right is Writing: The board of peace
✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
An underreported podcast research project resurfaced on X this week. A team of researchers at the University of Michigan released one of the most comprehensive mappings of the podcast universe. It’s impressive.
New media is so fragmented, so projects like this are rare. Their research team processed more than one million transcripts, analyzing guests, show structures, and themes.
A few highlights are circulating on Twitter, and the full study is available here. It’s pretty cool. - NRB
I would love to hear your feedback - survey here. Thank you!
🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Megyn Kelly Show - 1/21
The RealClearPolitics panel discusses how President Trump mocked world leaders during his World Economic Forum speech for their mass migration and energy production, said American ownership of Greenland is necessary for national defense
Dave Aronberg, MK True Crime host, and Mike Davis, founder of the Article III Project, discuss whether Don Lemon could face federal charges for associating with a mob of protesters at a church, violating the FACE and Klan Acts
Actor Timothy Busfield has been released from jail despite still facing pending child sex abuse charges
The Michael Knowles Show - 1/21
Yuval Noah Harari, Israeli historian, made claims in Davos that AI has become an agent, not a tool, which will lead to its domination of language and even religion, resulting in a human identity crisis
Knowles argues the liberals at the World Economic Forum are elitists, not woke, and believe in globalism, net progress, and the power of the institution
Greenland was the highlight of President Trump’s speech, despite extensive foreign policy gains in Venezuela, Ukraine, and the Middle East
Referencing Catholic Bishop Fulton Sheen’s command to have at least three children, Knowles congratulates the Vances on their fourth kid
Actress Pam Greer claims on The View her mom shielded her from witnessing lynchings as a child, despite the last one in Ohio happening in 1911
The Matt Walsh Show - 1/21
Virginia is already on track to be the next California, thanks to the radical policies of Gov. Abigail Spanberger
A new bill introduced by Virginia Democrats would discriminate by race in government contracts, while Walsh argues Republicans are losing by trying to run minority candidates, not calling out anti-white prejudice
Actress Pam Greer claimed on The View to have witnessed lynchings in 1960s Ohio, despite the last lynching in the state being in 1911
Credit card companies have ignored Trump’s call to cap interest at 10%
Walsh endorses the SAVE Act for voter ID, condemns 92-year-old Sen. Chuck Grassley’s opposition to the bill
While Ben Affleck on The Joe Rogan Experience claimed AI isn’t a threat to filmmaking, Walsh says it removes human soul from art
Allie Beth Stuckey’s “Relatable” - 1/21
A group of professional BLM activists stormed Cities Church in St. Paul, scaring children and calling Christians “privileged pigs,” Stuckey says it mirrors the 2020 riots, using trigger events to justify targeting conservatives
Many of the people ICE were targeting were convicted of sex offenses, drug trafficking, or DUIs, Stuckey says Romans 13 affirms the government’s role to punish wrongdoing and condemns theologian Russell Moore for misusing the passage
Rep. James Talarico claims Christianity supports a welfare state, gay marriage, and abortion rights, Stuckey says his assertions can be rebuked by a variety of verses, such as Exodus 20:13
After Party with Emily Jashinsky - 1/21
Political analyst Eric Kaufmann’s new poll reveals only 3% of adults and 7% of young Trump voters watch Nick Fuentes regularly, and those polled among Tucker Carlson’s audience expressed very limited extreme views
While some see Trump’s deal with Greenland as a potential for mineral rights and the creation of a “golden dome,” critics like guest Young Turks host Cenk Uygur say it’s posturing to appease donors
Uygur argues Trump’s “erratic” foreign policy makes the U.S. look unreliable, pushing allies like Canada toward deals with China and India, hastening BRICS dominance
A New York Times essay argues after the 2024 election, progressive entertainment is on the downfall, being replaced with irony and culture war punchlines
Uygur and Jashinsky uncover how mainstream media distracts from elite “robbery,” whether that’s corporate subsidies or legalized bribery, through culture wars and identity politics
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS
The Five
President Trump says a deal has been reached over Greenland
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz tells Trump to visit the state to address the ICE protests, VP J.D. Vance visits today
President Trump reintroduces mental institutions as a more humane way of treating the mentally ill than letting them be homeless
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says her party’s messaging is “obtuse,” suggests a return to identity politics
FOX & Friends
Hugh Hewitt, KT McFarland react to Jared Kushner explaining a plan to rebuild Gaza live at Davos during the Board of Peace ceremony
The ex-Uvalde police officer has been deemed not guilty, he believes he was used as a scapegoat for broader issues with the shooting response
Erika Kirk says the continued goal is to “make heaven crowded,” guest Dr. Frank Turek, Charlie Kirk’s mentor, reacts
Oral arguments begin in the Blake Lively v. Justin Baldoni case
Royal reporter Kinsey Schofield explains why the Daily Mail is being accused of illegal reporting tactics by Prince Harry
David and Victoria Beckham return to social media, ignoring their son Brooklyn’s claims against them
Guest Interior Sec. Doug Burgum says Trump has the framework of a Greenland deal
FOX Newsroom
Guest Sen. Tom Cotton emphasizes the national security interest in Greenland
U.S. Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer says in Davos we are entering a “new world order”
AG Pam Bondi announces the arrest of Nekima Levy Armstrong, a BLM advisor, for helping lead the St. Paul church anti-ICE mob
Chief of Staff Susie Wiles says Trump is going to campaign in the midterms like it’s 2024 all over again
FOX provides live coverage of former DOJ special counsel Jack Smith testifying on Capitol Hill
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today…
Newsom gets irritated when his bad nicknames are read to him [X, Brand]
Nick Shirley gifts Ilhan Omar a Quality Learing Center hoodie [X, Shirley]
Alleged leader of anti-ICE Minnesota church riot Nekima Levy Armstrong, arrested by the FBI [X, Libs of TikTok]
Stephen A. Smith *goes off* on Gavin Newsom for bashing Trump overseas: “Respectfully, what are you doing? ... Why are you over in Davos, Switzerland, talking to folks and speaking negatively about the president? ... I’m not down with that!” [X, Cohen]
No, ICE didn’t take this kid from his family. His illegal immigrant father ran away and abandoned his child. [X, Scher]
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill compares ICE agents arresting criminal illegal aliens to British soldiers. [X, RNC Research]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
Leading FOX News Digital
World leaders join Trump to sign Board of Peace agreement [FOX News]
NATO official, Trump reach Greenland deal ‘framework’ [FOX News]
Potentially catastrophic winter storm now threatens over 35 states [FOX News]
Top of Breitbart
How Mexico Floods the U.S. with Anti-American Textbooks to Indoctrinate Kids from L.A. to Orlando [Breitbart]
Trump Lays Out Vision for ‘Strong and Unified West’ at World Economic Forum [Breitbart]
Trump Announces ‘Framework of a Future Deal’ Regarding Greenland [Breitbart]
Justice Dept. to Interview Tim Walz, Four Other Top MN Democrats [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
Mr. Trump and the Davos Divide [WSJ Ed]
The Clintons, Contempt and Jeffrey Epstein [WSJ Ed]
Tom Barrack’s Not-So-Excellent Syrian Adventure [WSJ Ed]
Trump’s Tough Day at the Supreme Court [WSJ Ed]
New York Post
Trump unveils ‘Board of Peace’ in Davos ceremony, claims Gaza war ‘down to little fires’ [NYP]
Inside Trump’s plans to go all in on the midterms: ‘Going to campaign like it’s 2024’ [NYP]
Al Gore accosts Commerce Secretary after Trump official’s Davos speech [NYP]
Washington Free Beacon
Andrew Jackson Comes to Davos [WFB]
The Washington Reporter
Schumer, Tester recruiting University of Montana President Seth Bodnar for potential Senate bid [Wash Reporter]
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so fascinating!