Somewhere, NY | September 19, 2022 10:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time
Unf*cking the Republic (UNFTR) surpassed one million downloads in its first 18 months. The New York-based podcast covers political, economic and socioeconomic issues from a progressive perspective and regularly ranks among the most popular leftist political podcasts in the United States and Canada.
Unf*cking the Republic (UNFTR), the popular independent political podcast covering economic and socioeconomic issues, recently surpassed one million downloads. The show was given an early boost when The New York Times called it “consistently compelling and educational, aiming to challenge conventional wisdom and upend the historical narratives that we’re taught in school. The host, a ‘quasi-anonymous political writer,’ according to the podcast’s synopsis, approaches the show with a playful and often coarse tone that never undermines the rigorous, serious content of its episodes.”
The decision to host the podcast anonymously was made in an effort to put the content center stage instead of building a personality-driven show. The show is written and hosted by self-proclaimed “basic white guy” under the pseudonym “Max” and is co-hosted by the show’s producer known only as “99.” Sound design and engineering for the pod is provided by Manny Faces, an award winning producer and journalist based in Atlanta, GA.
“We’re obviously beyond thrilled at the reception to the show,” said Max. “In order to move past the gimmicky nature of unknown hosts, which made it impossible to leverage social media in any meaningful way, we knew that the content had to be air tight and top notch. Word of mouth and support from our audience has allowed us to break through the clutter more than even we anticipated.”
UNFTR launched in late 2020 with a handful of introductory episodes to establish the format and lay the groundwork for what would become a weekly foray into American politics, history, economics and socioeconomics. UNFTR officially launched the weekly format in March 2021. Its most popular episodes to date are “The Economics of Racism,” a two-part series titled “Libertarians are Exhausting” (Part 1 & Part 2) and a deep dive into The Chicago School of Economics in which the hosts examine the life and legacy of the show’s arch nemesis Milton Friedman.
“We approach American political history and current events through a progressive lens but take great pains to provide a balanced, nuanced and exhaustive account of public policy,” continues Max. “Sourcing and research are critical to the success. Attention to detail, providing clear and accurate information and taking a balanced approach despite the sometimes tawdry language has allowed us to forge a rather unique bond with our listeners. In return, they support the show both financially and intellectually as many of the topics come from the audience.”
UNFTR is available on all major streaming platforms and more information about the show and the entire catalog can be found at UNFTR.com.
The show is funded entirely by donations, memberships and a coffee partnership with a native roasting company based on the Poospatuck Reservation on Long Island. None of the content is gated and all of the episode essays can be found at unftr.substack.com.
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Unf*cking The Republic
Max
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