E70: Katherine Boyle on Religion, Journalism, and Polarization
59:16 Share

In this episode of Upstream, we revisit a 2020 conversation with Erik Torenberg and Katherine Boyle exploring the intersection of religion and media in this tech-driven world. Katherine discusses her Washington Post article on how San Francisco's tech advancements have largely bypassed religious institutions. They explore the factors behind this gap, the emergence of digital faith, and the decline of traditional religious affiliations. Katherine also shares her insights on the media landscape discussing the challenges and opportunities in subscription-based journalism and the potential for startups in both media and religion. 

🔥 Apply to join over 400 founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj)

—

RECOMMENDED PODCASTS:

🎙️1 to 100 | Hypergrowth Companies Worth Joining

Every week we sit down with the founder of a hyper-growth company you should consider joining. Our goal is to give you the inside story behind breakout, early stage companies potentially worth betting your career on. This season, discover how the founders of Modal Labs, Clay, Mercor, and more built their products, cultures, and companies.

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/70NOWtWDY995C8qDqojxGw)

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1762756034)

🎙️** History 102 with WhatifAltHist**

Every week, creator of WhatifAltHist Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg cover a major topic in history in depth -- in under an hour. This season will cover classical Greece, early America, the Vikings, medieval Islam, ancient China, the fall of the Roman Empire, and more.

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-102-with-whatifalthists-rudyard-lynch-and/id1730633913)

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36Kqo3BMMUBGTDo1IEYihm)

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@History102-qg5oj)

—

SPONSORS:

💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist.

🌐 Ready to achieve your 2024 goals? Start learning a new language with Babbel in just three weeks. Enjoy app lessons, live classes, and podcasts designed for real-world conversations. Get up to 60% off at https://babbel.com/torenberg)

Get first-party targeting with Brave's private ad platform: cookieless and future proof ad formats for all your business needs. Performance meets privacy. Head to https://brave.com/brave-ads/) and mention “MoZ” when signing up for a 25% discount on your first campaign.

—

LINKS:

Silicon Valley has digitized everything but religion. Will that change? - https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/05/21/silicon-valley-has-digitized-everything-religion-will-that-change/

Pew Research Forum : https://www.pewresearch.org/

In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace - https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/ 

—

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(01:26) Katherine’s Article on the Washington Post About Religion and Technology

(02:47) The Decline of Religious Affiliation in the US and Europe

(04:27) Polarization and Secularization

(07:55) Media's Role in Polarization

(11:26) SPONSORS: Squad | Babbel

(14:12) The New York Times Controversy

(21:56) The Role of Independent Journalists

(23:41) The Fairness Doctrine and Media Fragmentation

(27:25) Subscription Models in Journalism

(32:11) The Evolution of Media

(35:10) SPONSOR: Brave

(45:59) Corporations and Political Stances

(49:32) Billionaires and Media Ownership

(51:34) Investing in Media and Religion Startups

(55:19) Wrap