The Honest Broker Podcast

Jared Henderson

Publishing Industry

Substack

Antisocial Century

Social Media

Technology

Classics

Enshittification

Internet

The Atlantic

University Of Tulsa

Liberal Education

Google

General Education

Amazon

Smartphones

American Time Use Survey

Robert Putnam Bowling Alone

Identity Politics

Artificial Intelligence

The Honest Broker features in-depth conversations with the leading thinkers and writers of our time. It is a partnership between host Jared Henderson and culture critic Ted Gioia at The Honest Broker, a newsletter covering arts, culture, and media. www.honest-broker.com

20 ratings

Publishes	Monthly	Episodes	8	Founded	4 months ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	ArtsSociety & CultureBooks

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Guests Reviews Charts Talking Points

Latest Episodes

Why Read the Classic Books?

Welcome back to The Honest Broker interview series—also available on our new YouTube channel. You can also find it on Apple Podcasts and other podcasting platforms.

Today, I’m pleased to share my conversation with Naomi Kanakia.

Please support The... more

16 Mar 2026 • 1 hr 19 min

The Philosopher of Games

Welcome back to The Honest Broker interview series —also available on our new YouTube channel. You can also find it on Apple Podcasts and other podcasting platforms.

Today, I’m pleased to share my conversation with C. Thi Nguyen.

Please support The... more

12 Feb 2026 • 1 hr 27 min

This University Built an Honors College — and Then Destroyed It

Welcome back to The Honest Broker interview series —also available on our new YouTube channel. You can also find it on Apple Podcasts and other podcasting platforms.

Today, I’m sharing my conversation with Jennifer Frey.

Please support The Honest ... more

7 Jan 2026 • 1 hr 13 min

Publishing Is Getting Smaller—and Maybe Better

Welcome to the latest installment of our interview series here at The Honest Broker—also available on our new YouTube channel. You can also find it on Apple Podcasts and other podcasting platforms.

Today, I’m excited to share my conversation with Ro... more

5 Dec 2025 • 1 hr 28 min

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Recent Guests

Naomi Kanakia

Author and writer

Author; Princeton University Press project on the classics

Episode: Why Read the Classic Books?

C. Thi Nguyen

Philosopher and author exploring games as art, agency, and quantification

University of Utah (teaching), author of The Score

Episode: The Philosopher of Games

Jennifer Frey

Philosophy professor and former head of an honors college at University of Tulsa

University of Tulsa

Episode: This University Built an Honors College — and Then Destroyed It

Ross Barkan

Writer and journalist with work in New York Magazine and The Times Magazine; co-founder of The Metropolitan Review

The Metropolitan Review

Episode: Publishing Is Getting Smaller—and Maybe Better

Nicholas Carr

Author of The Shallows and longtime technology writer

Author, Writer

Episode: How Technology Tears Us Apart

Derek Thompson

Author and journalist, The Atlantic

The Atlantic

Episode: Derek Thompson on the Anti-Social Century

James Marriott

Writer and commentator on literacy, culture, and political life

Independent writer / contributor to discussions on literacy and democracy

Episode: James Marriott on the Post-Literate Society

Cory Doctorow

Author and digital rights activist

Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) / Boing Boing

Episode: The Honest Broker Launches an Interview Series with Our First Guest Cory Doctorow

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 20 ratings

Going to be a great show
Love the honest broker and Ted Goia’s substack. Excited they are putting out an interview series. The first few episodes bode well.
Apple Podcasts
5
Uriah82
United States4 months ago

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Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Audience seems motivated by explorations of how systems shape society and individual behavior.

Listeners appreciate the candid, thoughtful conversations and the host's clear commitment to intellectual rigor.

The show attracts guests who offer critical perspectives on technology, media, and culture.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts	#55	United States/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts	#160	United States/Arts
Apple Podcasts	#36	Canada/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts	#93	Canada/Arts
Apple Podcasts	#146	United Kingdom/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts	#87	Germany/Arts/Books

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Philosopher of Games

Q: Why are games fun, from your perspective as a philosopher of games?

Fun arises not from mystery but from intentional design: pacing, rules, and the incentive structures can be tuned to elicit a satisfying balance of challenge and progression, while allowing players to engage with the game on their own terms.

The Honest Broker Launches an Interview Series with Our First Guest Cory Doctorow

Q: What are the historical disciplines that historically kept platforms in check, and which ones are missing today?

Historically, competition, regulation, interoperable technology, and a workforce willing to push back (the Tron-pilled labor force) kept platforms in check. Today, those disciplines are weakened or bypassed, allowing platforms to alter the core logic of products in ways that enhance monopoly power, reduce competition, and erode user sovereignty.

The Honest Broker Launches an Interview Series with Our First Guest Cory Doctorow

Q: Could you elaborate on your precise meaning of Enshittification and why it matters beyond everyday complaints?

Enshittification is a structured process where platforms, to maximize value, progressively make the service worse for end users while locking them in, benefiting business customers and investors. It's not mere decline; it's a deliberate, technically grounded dynamic that combines product changes, pricing, and policy shifts to extract more value over time, often at the cost of openness and interoperability.

How Technology Tears Us Apart

Q: What prompted your early skepticism about technology?

Carr cites his experience with the dot-com crash and personal observations of how online life began reshaping social behavior and cognition as the foundation for his skepticism, emphasizing that enthusiasm often outpaces understanding of long-term consequences.

Derek Thompson on the Anti-Social Century

Q: What role do AI and large language models play in therapy and dating within this antisocial century, and what are the potential risks and benefits?

He explains AI can mimic therapeutic validation and cognitive-behavioral steps, offering accessible support, but warns it may fail to confront delusions, discourage critical questioning, and promote narcissism if used as a substitute for human connection; he suggests a need for designs that encourage deeper questioning and human-centered interactions.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Honest Broker Podcast

What is The Honest Broker Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show features in-depth conversations with leading thinkers across philosophy, technology, publishing, and culture, often centered on how ideas shape society, media, and education. Episodes frequently probe how modern systems—from gamification and metrics to digital platforms and liberal education—affect behavior, democracy, and culture, with a willingness to challenge prevailing narratives. Noteworthy angles include rigorous intellectual scrutiny, cross-disciplinary guests, and a distinctive emphasis on practical implications for creators, policymakers, and informed citizens.

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How many listeners does The Honest Broker Podcast get?

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Which podcasts are similar to The Honest Broker Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Honest Broker Podcast:

1. The Ezra Klein Show
2. Interesting Times with Ross Douthat
3. The Gray Area with Sean Illing
4. Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin
5. Plain English with Derek Thompson

How many episodes of The Honest Broker Podcast are there?

The Honest Broker Podcast launched 4 months ago and published 8 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Honest Broker Podcast?

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What guests have appeared on The Honest Broker Podcast?

Recent guests on The Honest Broker Podcast include:

1. Naomi Kanakia
2. C. Thi Nguyen
3. Jennifer Frey
4. Ross Barkan
5. Nicholas Carr
6. Derek Thompson
7. James Marriott
8. Cory Doctorow

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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