Today is a milestone day: the official launch of Filtered with TJ Walker. This is not just another news show. It’s a new way of understanding the daily flood of stories in business, technology, and culture, through the unique filter of communication.
Every day, you are bombarded by thousands of headlines, tweets, soundbites, and hot takes. The problem isn’t lack of information; it’s too much of it, often wrapped in hype, spin, or fear. That’s where Filtered comes in. My goal is simple: to strip away the noise and focus on what really matters, not just the facts, but the messages behind the facts.
Starting today, you can:
- Watch the show on Substack.
- Listen on any major podcast platform, Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and more. We’re live everywhere.
- Subscribe on your favorite app so you’ll never miss an episode. Daily insights, filtered for clarity, delivered in the format that works best for you.
Subscribe on Substack for the Cleanest Experience
The easiest way to make sure you never miss an episode of Filtered with TJ Walker, and to avoid any duplicate emails from other lists, is to subscribe directly on Substack.
That’s where every new episode, transcript, and commentary goes first. By signing up at https://substack.com/@tjwalkersuccess, you’ll always get the show delivered straight to your inbox in one clean stream.
Why I Created Filtered
After decades of coaching leaders, executives, and public figures on communication, I’ve seen one truth repeated over and over: it’s not the raw information that changes people’s minds. It’s the framing. The choice of words, the images, the symbolism, that’s what sticks.
And in today’s world, those choices are often designed to confuse, distract, or overwhelm. My job in Filtered is to help you see through it. To understand not only what happened, but how it was presented, why it was framed a certain way, and how you can decode it for your own advantage.
Think of this show as your daily debrief on how communication shapes the world, and how you can use those lessons to sharpen your own communication in business and life.
🎙 Today’s Filtered Rundown
Launch day wouldn’t be complete without diving straight into the stories that matter most. Here’s what’s on the agenda for today’s show:
1. Xi’s Parade Was a Global PR Spectacle, Not a History Lesson
In Beijing, China staged a parade that was nothing short of cinematic. Fighter jets roared overhead. Missiles rolled past. Eighty cannon blasts echoed across the city. Eighty thousand balloons floated into the sky, followed by eighty thousand doves. Every detail was choreographed for maximum impact.
This wasn’t simply a show of national pride. With Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un seated prominently next to Xi Jinping, the event was designed for global television audiences. Every camera angle communicated the same message: China is powerful, China is aligned with these leaders, and China is ready to be seen as the preeminent world power.
TJ’s Top Take:
“China has arrived. It sees itself not just as a superpower, but the superpower. The Mao-style suit, the choreography, the seating of Putin and Kim, this was theater, carefully crafted to say: we’re powerful, we’re united, and we demand recognition. The PR here matters as much as the hardware.”
2. Judge Orders Google to Share Its Index—But No Breakup
In a landmark antitrust decision, a federal judge ruled that Google must open parts of its search index to competitors after decades of monopolistic control. Importantly, the ruling stopped short of breaking up the company.
Alphabet’s stock popped, as Google painted the decision as proof that competition is alive and well. Regulators, however, stressed this is only step one in a longer journey toward fairer tech markets.
TJ’s Top Take:
“For twenty years, page two of Google has been the best hiding place on the planet, because no one ever looks there. That’s why opening up even a sliver of Google’s power matters. Big Tech likes to wave the ‘free market’ flag, but let’s not forget: the entire ecosystem was built on government R&D. If you owe your wealth to public investment, it’s fair that some of your dominance gets checked.”
3. Meta’s Flirty AI Chatbots Impersonated Celebrities
Meta is under fire again. This time, the company allowed chatbots to impersonate celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johansson, and Anne Hathaway, sometimes producing explicit content. The backlash has raised urgent questions about consent, safety, and identity in the age of AI.
The controversy arrives just as researchers warn of a booming “digital afterlife” industry where AI avatars of the dead could flood the internet.
TJ’s Top Take:
“If you’re a celebrity, get ready for legal warfare. The tech exists to clone your face, your voice, your personality in a minute. The real question is: do you control it, or does someone else hijack it for profit? Using AI to enhance your own brand is one thing. Having your likeness exploited without consent is another. This is the new battleground of personal branding.”
4. NYC Crime Is Down—But the Headlines Say Otherwise
Despite sensational media coverage, the data show New York City has seen seven straight quarters of declining crime. Murders are down nearly 20% this year. Violent crime is at historic lows. Police credit targeted foot patrols and gang takedowns; Mayor Eric Adams calls NYC the safest big city in America.
Yet headlines often scream the opposite, playing to fear rather than facts.
TJ’s Top Take:
“You’re being lied to. Crime is down, but headlines are designed to scare you because fear sells. It’s a classic case of negativity bias, the same instinct that helped our ancestors survive when they overreacted to rustling in the grass. Today, that bias warps our reality. Ask yourself: who profits when you feel unsafe?”
5. Texas Bans Lab-Grown Meat for Two Years
On September 1, Texas enacted SB 261, banning the sale of lab-grown meat for two years and requiring strict labeling. Supporters framed the move as consumer protection. Critics see it as culture-war posturing against food innovation.
The deeper issue is how political branding now trumps evidence. “Woke” has become a label used to dismiss anything unfamiliar, from science to sustainability.
TJ’s Top Take:
“Texas is now ground zero for right-wing wokeness. When you can’t justify policy with facts, you slap a label on it. Today it’s lab-grown meat. Tomorrow it could be anything else. This is what happens when culture-war branding replaces real debate.”
Why Filtered Matters
Each of these stories highlights a bigger truth: the events themselves are only half the story. The other half is communication, the framing, symbolism, and storytelling used to shape how you think and feel about those events.
- China’s parade wasn’t just military hardware; it was theater for global perception.
- Google’s ruling wasn’t only legal; it was about loosening control of information flow.
- Meta’s scandal isn’t just AI gone wrong; it’s the future of identity and consent.
- NYC’s crime stats aren’t only data; they reveal how media profits from fear.
- Texas’s meat ban isn’t about food; it’s about branding and ideology.
When you learn to see stories through this filter, you gain an edge, not only in understanding the world but in sharpening your own communication skills.
Join the Conversation
So here’s my invitation:
- Subscribe to Filtered with TJ Walker on your favorite podcast app.
- Watch on Substack for full transcripts and commentary.
- Engage with me live, because Filtered isn’t just a show, it’s a conversation.
Every day, I’ll bring you the most important stories, not as headlines, but as communication lessons you can use.
Final Word
Launch days are special, but what excites me most is what comes next: the daily rhythm of cutting through hype, fear, and noise to uncover the truth beneath the surface.
Thank you for joining me on this journey. Let’s filter the noise together.
—TJ
Disclosure: This newsletter is compiled from the transcript of what I actually say on Filtered with TJ Walker. It is edited with the assistance of ChatGPT. Mistakes are inevitable: if you spot one, please email feedback@tjwalker.ai