Listener sentiment
This Week in Tech remains one of the most polarized podcasts in its category, with listener sentiment splitting cleanly into two camps that have hardened rather than reconciled over the past several years. The dominant criticism—echoed by dozens of reviewers, many of them self-described 10-to-20-year listeners who have since unsubscribed—is that the show has abandoned substantive technology coverage in favor of left-leaning political commentary, with particular frustration directed at recurring criticism of Elon Musk and conservative political figures. A secondary but persistent complaint, raised even by sympathetic reviewers, is that host Leo Laporte frequently interrupts and talks over his panelists, undermining the roundtable format that listeners value. On the other side, a loyal core of long-time fans continues to rate the show highly, crediting Leo's experienced moderating, the rotating expert guest roster, and the show's willingness to grapple with the increasingly unavoidable intersection of technology and policy. Supporters argue that tech and politics are now inextricable and praise the show for treating its audience as informed adults. The divide shows no sign of narrowing, and the most recent 2026 ratings suggest the same tensions persist, with a few newer complaints about the podcast inserting unrelated "you might like" promotions into the feed.
Apple3.0 · 801
Summary generated Aug 30, 2026
