Episode 139: Informed Without Being Influenced: Rebuilding Trust in the News with Kira Shishkin
In a world flooded with headlines, hot takes, and clickbait, how do you stay informed without being overwhelmed or manipulated? In this episode, Zach Randles-Friedman sits down with Kira Shishkin, a four-time entrepreneur and the founder of informed.now, a radically simple, subscriber-supported news service delivering unbiased facts in just 30 seconds a day. Born in Ukraine, coming of age in Israel, and now living in the U.S., Kira brings a rare global perspective shaped by firsthand experience with information warfare, media manipulation, and political polarization. Together, they unpack how modern media became optimized for outrage and advertisers, why most Americans aren’t actually consuming news—but commentary—and how informed.now is challenging that system by stripping news down to its purest form: facts, not feelings. This conversation explores media anxiety, tribalism, clickbait culture, and what it means to reclaim independent thinking in an era of nonstop noise. If you’ve ever felt exhausted, disconnected, or anxious trying to keep up with the news, this episode offers a hopeful alternative. About informed.now informed.now is your news concierge to beat information overload. It provides minimal, concise, and factual daily news briefings via SMS to keep you informed without the influence of bias, sensationalism, or advertisements. Know more, read less. Get www.informed.now About Kira Shishkin Kira Shishkin is the CEO of informed.now, the news concierge service to beat information overload. Kira is a 4-time serial entrepreneur, strategic advisor, and investor in the technology industry. His experience spans investment banking, corporate strategy, and private equity investments in category-defining ventures. His education includes University of Chicago, Booth School of Business, and Stanford. Kira was in Forbes 30 Under 30. Connect with Kira Shishkin: https://l.informed.now/kira Get www.informed.now
Everything & Anything...and a bit gay Podcast · Zach Randes-Friedman
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Show Notes
In this episode, we cover:
- Kira’s journey as a four-time entrepreneur and why he sees entrepreneurship as problem-solving
- How growing up in Ukraine and Israel shaped his understanding of information conflict
- Why today’s biggest media problem isn’t lack of information—but overload
- The rise of misinformation, clickbait, and “structural sensationalism”
- How advertiser-driven media changed journalism’s incentives
- Why most people consume news commentary instead of actual news
- What “being informed without being influenced” really means
- How informed.now delivers fact-based news in just 30 seconds a day via SMS
- Why subscriber-supported media protects editorial integrity
- The connection between news consumption, anxiety, and peace of mind
- Breaking free from political echo chambers and tribal thinking
- Why paying for news can actually restore trust and clarity
- The future of media in the age of AI—short-term chaos, long-term hope
- Why minimalism, not more content, may be the future of staying informed
Guest:
Kira Shishkin — Founder of informed.now
Four-time entrepreneur | Multilingual | Media reform advocate
Follow Kira:
@KiraShishkin on social platforms
Learn more:
informed.now
Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com
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