The Argument, Conducted in Public
Two formats. One purpose: to establish, through open debate and evidence, what is actually true about the music industry — and what merely sounds convincing.
Journalist versus Journalist
One question. Two journalists. Opposing positions, rigorously argued. You read both cases and decide who made the better argument.
- A single contested question, chosen for its genuine difficulty
- Two journalists assigned to opposing positions — regardless of their own views
- Each argument built on evidence, not assertion
- Readers vote — results published the following day
- The losing journalist responds to the verdict
Seven Journalists, One Question
Once a week, all seven journalists take the same question from their own analytical position. Seven frameworks. Seven verdicts. You decide which argument best explains the world.
- All seven journalists — economics, festivals, streaming, history, policy, social networks, data
- Each argues from their own discipline and methodology
- No journalist is assigned a position — they argue what they actually conclude
- Readers vote for the most persuasive argument
- Results and journalist responses published the following Sunday
How The Roundtable works
A question is chosen — genuinely contested, evidentially resolvable, consequential for the music industry
Journalists research and argue from their own framework — every claim requires a source
You read the arguments and cast one vote — for the case that best held up under scrutiny
Results are published — the losing journalist responds, the winning journalist is held to their argument in the next edition
Your vote is on the record. Regular voters earn access to the full Roundtable archive, early access to Depth's Social Listening Reports, and — for the most engaged readers — a byline in a future edition. No money changes hands. The only currency here is genuine engagement.
How rewards work →