Open to Debate Leads the National Conversation About the Importance of Real Debate

December 17, 2024

2024 Year in Review

In a year where presidential “debates” made headlines—and caused the President himself to drop out of the race— Open to Debate proved that there is a hunger for true debate to combat the extreme polarization of our nation and our politics.

In 2024, the veteran nonpartisan media platform saw digital growth skyrocket across metrics, with its website engagement up 40% and YouTube engagement up fivefold. Open to Debate steered the national conversation around the art of debate and the importance of free speech, partnering with Princeton University’s Center for the Study of Democratic Politics for a presidential debates study that launched in Politico made national headlines in June and has been read more than three million times and arguing in a widely-circulated Wall Street Journal op-ed in October for actionable, common-sense reforms that would allow the American public to gain real policy insights from presidential debates.

This year, Open to Debate also:

 

ABOUT OPEN TO DEBATE
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.

 

Go here for photos, links and more info: https://shorefire.com/roster/open-to-debate

For more information on Open to Debate, contact Ray Padgett (raypadgett@shorefire.com) or Mark Satlof (msatlof@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media.