ABOUT US
WHY WE FOUNDED ESSENTIAL NETWORK
A long time ago, many of us used to trust the mainstream media and live in a shared reality. Not anymore. Trust in the media is at an all-time low.
America is politically divided. Political violence is on the rise and people can be injured or killed for what they express.
Inflation rates and prices for everything from food to gasoline have hit all-time highs.
Some people believe open borders is acceptable and don't pay attention to the consequences.
A new cold war has broken out between Chinese communist and anti-communist forces.
Russia and Ukraine are at war.
There’s turmoil in the Middle East and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is far from over.
Our civil liberties are under attack.
People are questioning whether elections are even free, fair and legitimate anymore.
If you want to speak truth in today’s world, or express a dissenting opinion, you can face cancellation.
Artificial intelligence is changing our world for the better and for the worse. If used improperly, the consequences unleashed by AI could be difficult to undo.
We will provide a fountain of reliable information to vulnerable people in countries where people don’t have access to accurate information. We will point out media bias. We will call out falsehoods. And we will create solutions to what ails our modern media.
We're not just a media company that breaks the news. We stand up to elites who think they're smarter and better than anyone else, including everyone who votes for anti-establishment causes, traditional values or conservative populism -- a group of people they see as hopelessly dumb, bigoted, racist, uneducated, anti-LGBTQ, pathetically religious, etc.
With your remote control, your computer, and your smartphone, you can make a difference by watching and learning from our programming. When they flood the zone with wokeness, falsehoods, noise, media bias, cancel culture, censorship, insults, and divisive rhetoric, we will flood the zone with the opposite of all of that.
We're a team of talented and determined individuals who are not afraid to discuss what's really going on in America and the world.
There is hope, though. If you’ve got a problem, if you’re concerned about our future, and if no one else can help, maybe you can turn to… Essential Network!
In times of light and darkness, we are ESSENTIAL and we are here FOR YOU.
Essential Network does not endorse or advocate for or against political candidates and ballot initiatives but generally leans to the center and the right-of-center in its political outlook.
OUR SHOWS
If you love movies and want to learn more about the stories behind your favorite movies, Essential Network Movie Club with Peter Matthews is for you.
Essential Network's Guide to the Interesting
Want to learn more about the world's most interesting people, places and objects? Check out Essential Network's Guide to the Interesting with Peter Matthews!
David Thompson exposes, debunks and provides the opposites of falsehoods, inflammatory talk and partisan propaganda masquerading as objective journalism.
The 56
A look at the 56 patriots that paved the way for the founding of the United States.
OUR TEAM
Peter Matthews
Founder, Editor-in-Chief, President and CEO
Peter Matthews is an entrepreneur and independent journalist. An intelligent young man, he became interested in both politics and journalism at a young age. He launched a short-lived Substack at the age of 22. After witnessing lots of changes in society that he felt contradicted and the disenfranchising of ordinary Americans and their views by Big Tech, Hollywood and mainstream media, he decided to become the media by launching Essential Network.
He is a graduate of Orange Coast College and California State University, Long Beach. When he's not on the air or in the recording studio, he loves to play video games, meet up with his friends, travel and attend sports games.
David Thompson
Host of How They Lie To Us
Independent journalist David Thompson is a journalism enthusiast and content creator with a penchant for monitoring media bias.
He named himself after two journalists he grew up admiring: David Muir -- the ABC evening news anchor known for his calm, dignified and erudite narration and presentation of news events -- and the late Hunter Stockton Thompson, a Rolling Stone journalist who was a countercultural icon that challenged authority, governments and media, and used his writing to critique American society, expose corruption and challenge hypocrisy.
Alessandra Rubin
Production and Social Media Assistant
A graduate of Orange Coast College, Alessandra serves as the production and social media assistant for Essential Network. When she's not working behind the scenes, she loves playing pickleball recreationally, watching Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, She also loves to play video games, listen to music, and meet celebrities.
Jonathan Jogiel
Deputy Editor-In-Chief
Jonathan is the deputy editor-in-chief of and a behind-the-scenes star performer at Essential Network. He provides us with material exposing wrongdoing, shining a light on the truth, and helping America wake up. His positive optimism and his unapologetic support for masculinity are his trademarks. He loves baseball, UFC, all things Israel, fitness, and fashion (including Vuori). And most importantly, he loves great conversations and values freedom of speech.