As we approach the 2026 legislative session, in which your elected representatives will spend three months debating policies and budgets that affect you and your families, I wanted to remind you to focus on the signal, not the noise.
If you’re my age or older, you might remember that before there was Spotify, we had radios. These radios had circular dials we could use to change frequencies or amplitudes in order to pick up local stations. To find your favorite music or local talk programs, you had to cycle through a lot of noise, which the radio rendered as static.
The paradox of citizen government is that there’s a lot of noise we have to sift through in order to find the important signals we need to be participants in the business of the Republic. It’s easy to get lost in soap opera storylines about who said what, or wild goose chases on issues that don’t really matter in the end. A lot of what goes on social media these days is nothing but noise, a distraction from what really matters. It can be hard to sift through all that noise to find information that is actually useful.
My first real political gig was a writing fellowship at the National Pulse in 2020—you can still find some of my old articles in the archive, though it’s a bit spotty at this point. Editor Raheem Kassam always said he wanted to find the signal amidst the noise, to cut out what was extraneous and focus on what was important and actionable. It’s a philosophy I’ve tried to carry forward with my own work here in Idaho.
It’s why I have put so much work into Idaho Insider. I’m not interested in telling you what to think, like so many platforms try to do. I want to give you the tools to think for yourself, to equip thousands of engaged citizens who will make a difference in their own communities and the state we all cherish.
It’s why it was a privilege to be part of the Idaho Signal program put on by Citizens Alliance of Idaho last year. Matt and his team did a great job of cutting out the noise and focusing on what really mattered during the 2025 session, and I’m excited to see it come back for the next one.
It’s been quite an adventure over the past few years meeting likeminded people here in Idaho, who share the same goal of equipping citizens to better engage in the political process, who agree that Mean Girls gossip and constant ragebait are counterproductive to our cause. I am proud to be part of a coalition that is working to build a lasting movement for liberty and prosperity in the Gem State.
In that vein, I am excited to announce that the Gem State Report is coming back for the 2026 session. Every Friday evening I’ll come to you with news and analysis as well as interviews with Idaho political figures. The first stream of the new season will go live tonight, featuring Rep. Jeff Ehlers talking DOGE, Sen. Scott Grow doing a deep dive on our state’s budget situation, and Ryan Spoon talking about why he got free beer from Old State Saloon.
I’ll be live around 8:30pm, or whenever the children are asleep and quiet. Follow the Chronicle on X, Facebook, YouTube, Rumble, or Substack to tune in.
Thank you for your support on this journey to find the signal amidst the noise. It’s been an amazing four years, but I still believe we’re just getting started.
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About Brian Almon
Brian Almon is the Editor of the Gem State Chronicle. He also serves as Chairman of the District 14 Republican Party and is a trustee of the Eagle Public Library Board. He lives with his wife and five children in Eagle.
