My Favorite Show

This platform is unique and I'm a little addicted (but in a good way)

About a month before the presidential election in November, I stumbled upon Mark Halperin’s new media venture—it’s called 2WAY and I love it. All of the shows include audience participation—hence the name 2WAY because the conversation moves in two directions, unlike a typical newscast.

There are two shows that run daily —the Morning Meeting at 9 am EST and 2Way Tonight at 6 pm EST and, based on my observations over the past six months, there are a lot of people who tune in to both every day. The platform is growing and there are a couple other shows that are on twice a week (one hosted by Michael Moynihan and another hosted by Meghan McCain) but I am only a faithful and consistent viewer of the two daily shows hosted by Mark Halperin.

The Morning Meeting is always Mark with his two wingmen: Sean Spicer (Republican) and Dan Turrentine (Democrat.) Mark runs through the big stories of the day and offers some analysis and then asks Sean and Dan what they think. The conversation is a mix of friendly banter and sharp political analysis. The second half of the show is always dedicated to audience questions and comments — it is not surprising to me that most first time participants open their comments with words of appreciation for the 2WAY platform because of how unique it is in our current media landscape. More than a few have used the phrase “breath of fresh air” to describe it and I absolutely concur.

One interesting thing to know is that Democrats who watch often confess that they didn’t used to like Sean Spicer but now they do; and lifelong Republicans frequently say how much they “love Dan” and “wish all Democrats were like him!”

Below is how 2WAY describes its Morning Meeting:

2WAY Tonight airs at 6pm EST, is also hosted by Mark and features all kinds of different guests—journalists, authors, current elected officials, former elected officials, political strategists, partisan influencers, campaign operatives, nonprofit leaders and more.

You can watch both shows live on YouTube or X or participate in the live show via Zoom. I have raised my “electronic hand” on Zoom a few times and even been called on a couple times to, as Mark Halperin says, “be part of the conversation.” It was a very cool experience to have an exchange with the hosts about topics that are interesting and important to me—and it was gratifying to see that those topics (activism/ideology in K-12 education and the terrible ways society/schools treat boys) matter a lot to others in the 2WAY community. Plus, Sean Spicer is originally from Rhode Island so his ears perked up when he heard me say that I live in his home state.

Here are a some reasons why I appreciate the platform so much and try not to miss an episode, even if it means catching up days later:

• The political analysis is arguably the best in the biz. Not only is Mark a tireless and well sourced reporter but his ability to analyze current events based on decades of experience is unmatched.

• Mark treats audience members who participate in the conversation with a level of respect that is rarely seen by high profile media figures when they interact with average Americans.

• The audience represents every corner of the United States (and even some places abroad). We know this because every guest is asked to share where they live when they get called on…the geographic diversity of the participants is striking.

• The platform has a stated mission of combatting the polarization that plagues us by helping people talk across lines of difference. Mark and his team know that too many of us see others as caricatures, largely created by media echo-chambers and hyperbolic rhetoric. I’d argue that 2Way has been successful in meeting this goal.

• The morning and evening shows have created a community that comes together at the same time, twice a day, five days a week. This means that people, especially those with a lot of free time to fill, can start and end their day as part of something that stimulates their minds, teaches them new things and offers a sense of community. We know that millions of Americans suffer from loneliness and I am convinced that this platform is helping to chip away at that.

• It provides an alternative to “soundbite” media and “gotcha” journalism. It is thoughtful, smart, respectful and bipartisan. Imagine that! And there is a humility to it—nobody is certain and if a prediction or claim ends up being being wrong, they acknowledge it and even have a laugh about it. This is very different from so many other outlets where everyone moves on from their mistakes and pretends they never said what they said. It’s so refreshing.

Why am I writing about this? Well, the news seems to increasingly make people upset, angry and hopeless — but 2WAY does the opposite. It doesn’t make you want to hate “the other side”—it helps you to understand them. And it’s perfect for those of us who aren’t particularly partisan and feel political homeless. I would consider myself a political news junkie and I had basically given up on watching network and cable news because of how tribal, biased and dishonest it had become —I went from looking forward to ‘Meet the Press’ every Sunday during the Tim Russert years to finding the show utterly unwatchable.

Well, I’ve spent six full months of consistently watching the Morning Meeting and 2Way Tonight and I still don’t like to miss an episode. I love the diversity of viewpoint, the smart analysis and the audience members who contribute so much to the conversation and often know A TON about an issue in the news. I love that it provides community at a time of great loneliness and isolation for so many. I love that it appeals to Gen Z and Boomers and Gen Xers like me. I love the respect it shows for everyone, the humility, the humor and the mission to help people learn to talk across lines of difference.

So this is my plug. Nobody asked me to write it. But I do like to share stuff with you guys that I think you might appreciate and enjoy and after six months as an avid 2WAY viewer and occasional participant, I can confidently say that this platform will teach you something and brighten your day.

Hope to see you guys there!