Used to listen to every episode without fail, as the pod was a refreshing bit of balance in an otherwise biased media landscape. Now I listen sporadically as Derek seems to be losing that balance that made the show so great.

Fantastic podcast that is so insightful and has fantastic guests. You truly never know who will be on from week to week or what topics will be discussed. I really enjoy that about this pod. Keep it up!

The host says twenty words for every one word from the guest! Asking “Am I right? after an essay-length question is not a dialogue. Monologues can be interesting, but not when they are pretending to be dialogues. Poor guests. Poor listeners.

Derek is awesome! He has a great perspective that I always find I engaging.

It’s hard to do justice to all the complexities of our daily world, and this podcast does as good of a job as any. Critical-minded yet open and intellectually humble. Great conversational flow as well.

Derek is such a great host and interviewer. A recent guest referred to him as a super communicator and I couldn’t put it better. I look forward to the diverse topics and always learn something, every episode no matter what. Keep up the great work!!

There aren’t as many people, places or things I touch daily that leave me better off for it. That’s where Plain English comes in. Each time I listen to Plain English I leave more well informed, opened minded, with an excitement to continue learning all the while being entertained. Derek Thompson is best in class.

I heard Derek on Bill’s podcast and decided to listen to some episodes and I’m so glad I did. The best way to describe this episode is that it cultivates thought. You don’t finish listening and say “boy Derek is right again!” You leave thinking how interesting the conversation was and how you want to read or listen to more about the subject. Personally for me I ask people about the subjects that are discussed to get their point of view. Really really interesting views!

Nice try at convincing me he economy is fine, buy i base thdeconomy not on stats but rather on my pantry, lightbill and gas bill, In good times i canbuy those and have money for the tooth fairy too, butwhena boc of cereal is this expensive ,,, am hurting,

The Venn diagram of The Ringer’s ‘21st century’ sports & pop culture podcast Millennial & Gen Z media consumers, versus us Old Head-Boomer paying subscribers to the ‘20th century’ media stalwarts we grew up with on the East Coast — like The Atlantic and the New Yorker — probably doesn’t display a ton of ‘overlap’. So to me it felt surprising and non-intuitive, when The Ringer added Plain English to its stable of podcasts. The easiest thing would be for The Ringer to “steer clear” of current events…and for Mr. Thompson to simply publish his podcast on The Atlantic’s website. But Mr. Simmons’ history is not to take “the path of least resistance” — as people who’ve followed him from his Grantland days know. So I heard Bill’s promos when the show first launched, and I’ve been subscribed to Plain English ever since. Mr. Thompson’s curiosity, and his excitement & determination to “wrap his head around” a topic — and in so doing, to allow his audience to, as well — comes through. And the show’s producers & host often manage to pull off the “neat trick” — a trick made famous by Apple, when it gave the world a series of hellaciously expensive products, that people had no idea they needed, or wanted — of giving us as listeners, a podcast on a topic that wasn’t top-of-mind, but that we’re immediately interested in when we see it. Keep up the great work!

Love the show but as a long time listener the guests seem to all be the same at this point. Derek seems to only bring on guests that he either agrees with or he already knows how they’ll respond to his questions. The result is an hour of two people paraphrasing each other and boy is it dry, no matter the topic. Please get someone that’s a little different than Derek so some deeper points can be flushed out. Also why does Derek always profess to be a leftist progressive? It taints the show and no longer listen to half shows because I know the topics will be covered like MSNBC. Be a journalist and return to objective reporting! Thanks and I really do love the show.

This is absolutely not the case. Please research this supposed problem more widely. The nuance is vast.

A friend of mine shared this episode with me after learning that my 80 year old father is a still a small town newspaper and editor here in Kansas. He and my mother bought the newspaper back in 1977 and have been running it ever since. We have watched the effects that you discuss greatly impact the newspaper, his business and his work. He refuses to sell because he is highly principled and he won’t sell to a corporation or financial company. He is holding tightly because he believes small towns should be owned by local people who have the small town community’s best into heart. I would like to hear more about what your thoughts /opinion or predictions are for small town newspapers and their survival. - Stacey Harper

Love the show! I would love to hear a deep dive on the carbon cost of extracting all the rare earth materials necessary for “green” energy and storage, versus the long term benefits. Maybe the NIMBYism of electric vehicles, as an angle?

Excelente

Every episode has a guest with a leftist agenda. Derek does a terrible job of interviewing and allows only one-sided viewpoints. Feels like each episode is a combination of MSNBC and The View

Listen to every episode. This one is just about ID politics, and does not go into the broader reason why people are feeling this way. Most the time show is very informative, but this one totally turned me off.

A must-listen for anyone curious about the world and the rationale behind some of the most thought-provoking issues.

Derek is a powerful thinker & speaker whose gift is breaking down complex topics in simple yet eloquent ways. When he finds interviewees who can match his level, the results can be amazing. The podcast comes from a highly liberal perspective, and may benefit from a greater diversity of views and opinions. Sometimes, the conversations flow almost too smoothly, is as if they are scripted. These minor details aside, the podcast is an excellent and intellectually stimulating listen.

Plain English covers topical geo-political topics very well. Derek is up-front with his bias, and works to be even-handed. He capably addresses other subjects as well.

Provides great context for some of the more complex topics in today’s society. Enjoyable and interesting listen!

This is the first podcast that I ever got into. I started listening when the Ukraine crisis began and now Derek is my best friend on the radio that I have never met. His conversational tone on deeply complex issues is in fact like chatting with a smart friend. I always learn something new and sometimes I disagree vehemently with what he is saying, but then he explores my view of things in a rational way. I struggled with the Israel-Palestine episodes… but I have an emotional and identity connection to that topic… so its just fraught. Ultimately, his is my favorite podcast and I look forward to every new episode like the gift from a”friend” that it is. Keep going, Derek! Bring on the hard stuff that no one else is covering with as much depth as you.

I'm updating my initial review and am downgrading it. Some of the topics are great but others not so much. I find myself only listening to select episodes now. My main issue is the frenetic cadence of Mr. Thomson's voice; it's very irritating to listen to at times.

Not sufficiently informed on views outside mainstream liberal takes, particularly on economic diagnoses and assessments and Israel’s occupation of Gaza and resulting conflicts and ethnic cleansing/genocide.

I listen to a lot of podcasts, and it’s hard to beat this one. If you’re looking to learn about a wide variety of interesting topics, look no further. Great 360 degree views with interesting guests to get a full picture of an issue. I’ve never left a review but feel obligated because this is so good.

I learn something new every time I listen in! Thank you for doing what you do!

Derek is an incredible thinker, episodes are interesting and densely packed. Love the show.

Derek is going to save the world someday, one rational curious conversation at a time. The show challenges me and also soothes me and I don’t know how it does both but it does. There actually are smart people left in the world who are curious and empathetic.

Derek’s understanding of so many topics and ability to explain them in more simple terms is uncanny. I’m a physician and feel like I understand biology, but the way he explains topics on this particular subject sounds like a experienced college professor. Keep up the great work.

I like long form journalism but find it challenging to have time to read much of it these days. This is an excellent replacement. Derek has a great voice, stakes out positions but then introduces nuance. Easily worthy of two hours or so a week.

Super sharp commentary on well-chosen topics

Derek you will always be famous

Plain English is always worth listening to even when the topic seems like it might be out of my areas of interest. The breadth of subjects is tremendous. Derek can be counted on to have done his homework and developed probing questions (as well as metaphors to better translate technical answers). The recent 2-parter on GLP1 receptor agonists is brilliant. I especially appreciated Derek’s effort to engage with skeptics as well as proponents. Top shelf journalism!

That George Packer interview about Kissinger was one of the best I’ve heard in a very long while.

Some of the first episodes I listened to seemed to have the guest making overly broad or simplistic statements about a complex topic, or rarely making a simple topic much more complicated. However, while not every subject interests me, I think he does a very good job of trying to either objectively cover the topic or evenhandedly present a mix of opinions. I was very impressed by the series of podcasts that he did on the Israel-Hamas conflict; it was the best coverage I was able to find! I think this podcast is an excellent addition to the small collection that I listen to regularly.

I always enjoy the depth at which Derek and his guests dive into their subject matters. always a thought-provoking and intuitive podcast.

Show is consistently interesting but I cannot believe how bad the editing is. Todays episode on Elon Musk teased a clip from his NYT Dealbook interview, then the clip just didn’t happen. Does anyone listen to this before it goes out?

Derek, like many other Western media outlet talking heads attempts to reframe the Israel-Palestine conflict as contemporary culmination of the Netanyahu and Hamza regimes. Yes, both sides have exacerbated the conflict however it is naive to conclude that simply removing these two regimes will allow for peace and harmony. Throughout its history the Zionists and then later the government of Israel have set out to destabilize, debilitate and destroy any competent, coherent and self-respecting Palestinian leadership. I challenge Derek to produce evidence that contradicts this fact. Current events do not transpire in a vacuum, rather they are the most recent moment in a series of continuous events. The American Revolution was not a spontaneous event born of the grievances of King George and George Washington. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is complicated because it is hard to admit that the stories and narrative you were told of it’s inception and existence are false and that you have been deceived. Apartheid in South Africa was also complicated at one point until one day it was not. The great irony is that lessons of history continue to repeat, while we laud it’s significance, but the hubris of man continues to repeat, while we condemn its consequences.

Excellent host. Like how Derek allows his guest to shine. Never know what the topic will be for the next episode. It is all over the place - in a good way.

I only listened to this show since they had the Israeli historian Benny Morris on, who is intelligent and has a strong understanding of Middle Eastern history. Benny is rational and tries his best to be an honest and ethical historian. Then they got Zachary Foster who is totally naive and not ethical or a professional historian. He is worse than useless on the topic of Palestine. Zachary manages to explain the origins of Hamas without a single mention of the Muslim Brotherhood and the religious aspirations of militant Islamist groups and jihadism. Dishonest. Wish this show had gotten a real historian on who understands the dangers of religion. Gazan suffering does not happen in a vacuum, in 2005 they had enough international aid and support to build Singapore on the Mediterranean but instead voted in a kleptocracy that morphed into a terror cell bent on destroying Israel. Gaza deserves better. Gazans are only “victims” because of Hamas’ toxic ideology. Palestinians need a democratic and secular state, not another Islamic kleptocracy.

Plain English, is, in a nutshell, one of the very best podcasts (in the short history of podcasts). It is a concise, comprehensive, balanced, and consistently interesting take on what’s top of mind in the world today. Derek is thoughtful, articulate, and as unbiased as you could expect. I eagerly look forward to this twice weekly pod with delight.

Asks questions of conflicting ideals, in ways that offer intimate understandings for current and future resolutions. No other podcast tackles seemingly impossible conflict like this one. If there is any hope for all of us, no matter how conflicted we are, it will be in the manner of negotiations that will produce peaceful resolutions. Political resolutions.

Genuinely started kinda interesting when talking tech… genuinely lost all interest when this became a NY times propaganda outlet. Really a hateful, regressive and very poorly conceived podcast now. Tried listening again and still mostly James clapper level propaganda

Used to like this show a lot. Host was knowledgeable and unbiased. That has changed and the host/guests seem to have lost journalistic integrity.

Derek should follow his own advice and consider the morality of his vocal support of Netanyahu. I’d suggest that Derek grab a flight to Jerusalem and queue up with the Israeli soon to be occupying forces. Talk is cheap. Derek’s ramblings are worth zero. Get in the fight, big man.

The future of the military episode was shameful and embarrassing. A PR piece for the military industrial complex with softball questions. Similar to his recent episode on Israel, which was biased, irresponsible and conspiratorial. I’m a progressive but this is poor commentary.

Good topics, solid expert guests. Derek js very smart…but also knows it. And sometimes seems very know it all-y. That being said, I always learn stuff and it’s very interesting.

So impressed by Derek’s ability to take complicated, in depth subject matter and not only explain it, but provide context to why it SHOULD matter to the listener. One of the best thought provoking pods out there!

If your day is lacking a white man explaining why he’s so right about everything while all the words he’s saying are wrong, then this is the podcast for you

This is one of my favorite podcasts to listen to because it points out the obvious and stuff no one ever listens to. It is a great podcast to listen to. Thanks so much keep it up