Open To Debate Podcast: We Don't Debate Anymore; We Yell At Each Other!

 Open To Debate may be one of the most vital communications channels we still have left in the U.S.today. We don't talk to each other but AT each other. Too often, our solution to communicating to family members, co-workers, friends, and acquaintances is a stony, sullen silence followed by an abrupt, "I don't talk about politics." 

It's safer and easier that way. Often it is. It's exhausting to speak to someone who responds to your discussion with "that's fake news" every time you state something they don't agree with. Worse yet is the retreat into conspiratorial fantasies. How do you respond when they bluster, "Can you prove JFK Jr. is not alive?" Or when they repeat an obvious lie they heard from a politician they admire.

What's missing is debate. Even when a discussion starts out in a debate format, it quickly devolves into a shouting match, resulting in Uncle Fred and Aunt June being uninvited to the wedding.

That's why this award is so important. It's a symbol for what our society could be, if we just lowered the temperature, suspended our confirmation biases, and opened our minds.

This week, the nonprofit media program Open to Debate and moderator Nayeema Raza won a Gracie Award for the March 2024 debate “Should We Address the Gender Wage Gap?” in the category of “Radio - Nationally Syndicated Non-Commercial.” Named after the late Gracie Allen, an influential comedian and businesswoman, the Gracies and its supporting Alliance for Women in Media Foundation honor Allen’s legacy of challenging gender norms and inspiring women in the entertainment industry. Other Gracie Award winners in the Radio category this year include Radiolab’s Sarah Qari, ABC News’ Cheri Preston, and Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett.

The specific Open to Debate episode about the gender wage gap that surfaced Nayeema Raza’s nomination featured six women: Raza moderating; debaters Allison Schrager, a leading economist, and Kadie Ward Philp, the Commissioner of the Pay Equity Commission of Ontario; and three additional leading female voices who cover related policy issues.

Open to Debate CEO Clea Conner: “Debate has long been considered a man’s sport. Women weren’t even allowed to debate at the Oxford Union until 1963. That’s why receiving this Gracie Award is such a meaningful milestone. I’m incredibly honored and proud of the distinguished panel of women who joined us for this episode; of Nayeema Raza, our brilliant moderator; and of the extraordinary leadership team driving Open to Debate forward. Our staff of dynamic women—including our Chief Content Officer, Chief Advancement Officer, Supervising Producer, and myself as CEO—are redefining debate by amplifying more diverse voices to help bridge divides.”

More recently, Raza has moderated Open to Debate programs including “Is It Time to Break Up with Dating Apps?,” “Does Alcoholics Anonymous Work?,” “Is Objectivity Essential to Journalism?,” and “Has Legalizing Sports Gambling Become a Bad Bet?,” and conducted probing conversations in the programs new “Think Twice” series with Malcolm Gladwell and Derek Thompson. Next up she will be moderating debates on an array of culture topics; look for them soon in the Open to Debate podcast, public radio show, and YouTube channel.

In addition to regularly moderating Open to Debate programs in rotation with the show’s Moderator-in-Chief John Donvan and fellow moderators Nick Gillespie, Xenia Wickett, and Gillian Tett, Raza is the host of the new podcast Smart Girl Dumb Questions, which seeks to invite curiosity back into our broader dialogue, and is an adjunct professor at Columbia University, where she teaches a course on technology, media, and the end of trust. Previously, Raza was the co-host of the podcast Mixed Signals, the on-air Executive Producer of the Vox Media podcast, On with Kara Swisher, and a Senior Editor in the Opinion section of The New York Times.

Open to Debate addresses a fundamental problem in America: the extreme polarization of our nation and our politics. 

"We are the nation's only nonpartisan, debate-driven media organization dedicated to bringing multiple viewpoints together for a constructive, balanced, respectful exchange of ideas. Open to Debate is a platform for intellectually curious and open-minded people to engage with others holding opposing views on complex issues. We know debate works to find common ground: On average, 32% of the Open to Debate audience changes their mind on contentious topics after hearing a debate."

That’s the power of debate done right, and at scale, it can change the direction we’re headed in America.

Open to Debate is broadcast as a weekly public radio program, carried on NPR stations including WNYC (#1 in the nation). Open to Debate is made available as a podcast, video series, and digital platform, and records episodes with live audiences nationwide.

Visit opentodebate.org to become a member, access an archive of more than 220 debates, and attend live events.


American economist Joseph Stiglitz once said of debate, "In debate, one randomly was assigned to one side or the other. This had at least one virtue - it made one see that there was more than one side to these complex issues."

We seem to have forgotten that sentiment.