The Munk Debates Podcast

Munk Foundation / iHeartRadio
  • 4.6 (339)
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The Munk Debates Podcast

The Munk Debates podcast is an extension of the main stage events - in subject, speaker selection, tone and format. It will introduce the iconic brand - and its engaging debates about significant issues of our time. Audiences will hear strong and passionate arguments from both sides of an issue so they will have enough information to make up their own minds about where they stand.

  1. Friday Focus: Zelensky clashes with Trump and Canada faces tariff threats - again

    TRAILER

    Friday Focus: Zelensky clashes with Trump and Canada faces tariff threats - again

    Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus. Janice and Rudyard react to the shocking Oval Office press conference between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump. Was Zelensky's decision to respond in kind to Trump's aggression a smart move? Zelensky showed great courage, but did he make gains for his country?  In the second half of the show Rudyard and Janice turn to Canada which is facing another tariff threat from the US, a liberal leadership race coming to a close, and a possible election call in the coming days. How has Donald Trump's erratic and aggressive behaviour influenced polls in Canada and who voters see as the best candidate to manage this turbulent period? To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

    20 min
  2. Munk Debates Podcast: Stephen Walt and Evelyn Farkas on Trump's plan for Ukraine and the changing world order

    6D AGO

    Munk Debates Podcast: Stephen Walt and Evelyn Farkas on Trump's plan for Ukraine and the changing world order

    Harvard Kennedy School's Stephen Walt and the McCain Institute's Executive Director Evelyn Farkas join us to debate and discuss what a good peace deal for Ukraine would look like, Russia's imperialist ambitions, and how Trump's reverence towards strongmen like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are remaking the world order and challenging America's longstanding alliances.

    25 min
  3. Friday Focus: Trump attacks Zelensky and Xi Jinping sees an opportunity

    TRAILER

    Friday Focus: Trump attacks Zelensky and Xi Jinping sees an opportunity

    Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus. Rudyard and Janice start the show by talking about Donald Trump's personal attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Are business opportunities in Russia causing the US to abandon its allies and European partners? The long term consequence of this - depriving the US of any legitimacy among Democratic states - is catastrophic. Rudyard and Janice then turn to Taiwan and the South China Sea where Xi Jinping is taking advantage of USAID's closure to leverage Chinese money and gain influence abroad. In the absence of American power and pressure, can the Chinese leader get the territory he has long sought without military force? To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

    18 min
  4. Be it Resolved, don't trust mainstream media

    FEB 20

    Be it Resolved, don't trust mainstream media

    On this special edition of the Munk Debates podcast, we are bringing you the best moments from the Munk Debate on media bias, which took place in the fall of 2020 in front of a crowd of 3,000 people at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall. This is a debate that went viral on social media - it spoke to a vast number of people whose growing distrust in legacy media was finally being addressed. Recent polls show that one third of Americans have low confidence in the mainstream media, while another third distrust it altogether. Canadian polls show similar numbers. How did we get to this point? Listen to this debate to find out. Arguing in favour of the resolution, Be it Resolved, don’t trust mainstream media, was the associate editor of The Spectator magazine, Fox News contributor, and bestselling author Douglas Murray. He was joined on stage by Substack publishing sensation, former Rolling Stone contributing editor, and investigative journalist, Matt Taibbi Arguing against the resolution was the internationally acclaimed author, podcaster and veteran New Yorker staff writer, Malcolm Gladwell. His debate partner was Michelle Goldberg, New York Times columnist and MSNBC contributor.       The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Kieran Lynch

    1h 28m
  5. Friday Focus: Plans to end the war in Ukraine and momentum for Mark Carney

    SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Friday Focus: Plans to end the war in Ukraine and momentum for Mark Carney

    Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus. Rudyard and Janice start the show by reacting to the big news announced by Trump's defense secretary this week: Russia gets to keep the Donbas border region, no pathway to membership, and no security guarantee from the US. While Putin's aggression is being rewarded, it's fair to say that we are witnessing the end of the liberal international order and the return of 19th century imperialism: the mighty do what they want, the weak do what they must. What lessons will China and Russia take away from America's abandonment of Ukraine? In the second half of the show Rudyard and Janice turn to Canadian politics and how Trump's volatile first few weeks in office have influenced voters north of the border - specifically who Canadians view as the best leader to respond to threats from the US. Can Pollievre's disruptive agenda get support in this new political reality? Or is Mark Carney's calm, steady approach what Canadians are looking for? To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

    13 min
  6. Munk Debates Podcast: Gaza, tariffs, and a constitutional showdown

    FEB 12

    Munk Debates Podcast: Gaza, tariffs, and a constitutional showdown

    Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle and Vox senior correspondent Zack Beachamp unpack President Trump's plans for Gaza, closing USAID, and what we can expect from a constitutional showdown between this administration and the courts. The host of this Munk Dialogue is Rudyard Griffiths To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ Executive Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Kieran Lynch

    33 min
  7. Friday Focus: Tariff reversal and Trump's shocking plan for Gaza

    TRAILER

    Friday Focus: Tariff reversal and Trump's shocking plan for Gaza

    Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus. Rudyard and Janice start the show talking about President Trump reversing course on tariffs at the last minute. While some say this was all a negotiating tactic by creating confusion to get concessions from Canada and Mexico, others are more concerned that this is all a pretense to Trump 2.0's territorial ambitions.  Moreover, the damage done to the Canada-US bilateral relationship will have huge long term consequences. In the second half of the show Rudyard and Janice turn their attention to Trump's shocking plan for Gaza, reimagined as the Riviera on the Mediterranean as the Palestinians are relocated against their will. This plan, so utterly lacking in credibility, is an affront to Trump's entire voting base which wants to retreat from the world, not spend money on developing it. Even so, when a President says something, no matter how outrageous, there are consequences. To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

    18 min
  8. Be it resolved, liberalism gets the big questions right

    FEB 5

    Be it resolved, liberalism gets the big questions right

    Liberal democracy has long been credited with the West’s economic development, social tolerance, personal freedoms, and the rule of law. And yet, in recent years, it's been blamed for everything from growing inequality, environmental degradation, political polarization, and cultural fragmentation.  Its critics argue that liberalism’s failure to meet the moment has fueled trust societies and given rise to populist movements in the US, England, France, Germany, and even Canada. Is it time for a new, animating ideology? On this special edition of the Munk Debates podcast, we seek to answer this question featuring the best moments from the Munk Debate on the Crisis of Liberalism, which took place in the fall of 2023 in front of a sold out crowd of 3,000 people at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall. The debate resolution was: Be it resolved, liberalism gets the big questions right Arguing for the motion was the controversial former British M.P. and cabinet minister, Jacob Rees-Mogg. He was joined by the American writer and columnist who has shaped a generation’s thinking on the important issues of our time: George F. Will. Opposing the motion was U.K. journalist, self-avowed communist and popular leftist thinker, Ash Sarkar. Her debating partner was the disruptive and thought-provoking American social conservative, Sohrab Ahmari, author of the bestseller Tyranny Inc.: How Private Power Crushed American Liberty.   The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Kieran Lynch

    1h 29m
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4.6
out of 5
339 Ratings

About

The Munk Debates podcast is an extension of the main stage events - in subject, speaker selection, tone and format. It will introduce the iconic brand - and its engaging debates about significant issues of our time. Audiences will hear strong and passionate arguments from both sides of an issue so they will have enough information to make up their own minds about where they stand.

Information

  • Creator
    Munk Foundation / iHeartRadio
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2025
  • Episodes
    454
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Antica Productions and Bell Media
  • Show Website
    The Munk Debates Podcast

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