Listener sentiment
Forum's listener base is deeply divided along a temporal fault line corresponding to the 2020 transition from longtime host Michael Krasny to current hosts Alexis Madrigal and Mina Kim. Older ratings praise Krasny's intellectual rigor, journalistic fairness, and ability to host substantive debate across the political spectrum—even conservative listeners credited the show with balanced treatment. Recent reviews, by contrast, describe the show as having narrowed its scope to social-justice-focused topics and identity politics, with hosts who lack Krasny's depth of questioning and challenge to guests. Multiple reviewers independently cite a decline in editorial rigor—less follow-up questioning, failure to fact-check claims, and a sense of "cheerleading" rather than journalism. Some appreciate the new hosts' warmth and accessibility, but the dominant recent sentiment among engaged listeners is one of disappointment and disengagement; several long-time subscribers report tuning in far less frequently than they once did.
Apple3.5 · 64
Summary generated May 29, 2026