Political Gabfest

Launched in 2005, Political Gabfest is one of the oldest news podcasts out there. The show is hosted by former Slate correspondents Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz. All three hosts have been with the show since its inception, and have become masters of informal, yet intelligent, discussion. Having worked together for so long, the trio often sounds like bantering siblings more than cohosts as they tackle an array of political topics. As hilarious as it is informative, Political Gabfest never fails to entertain while delivering incisive analysis of the major political issue affecting our country today. 

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

The Gist 

The Gist is one of the best daily news podcasts available today. Every afternoon, host Mike Pesca breaks down the most prevalent political and cultural issues of the day. Though episodes are only half-an-hour long, Pesca manages to cram into that small amount of time an incredible amount of useful information. Each episode follows the exact same three-part format. First, Pesca opens with a comedic introduction and overview of the topics to be covered. Second, he interviews a guest. These guests are often journalists, politicians, or other high-profile political figures who offer keen insight and unique perspectives. Each show concludes with a monologue, known as the “spiel,” in which Pesca delivers his own opinions and insights in order to impart upon the listener some of his understanding, and most importantly, his passion for progressive change.

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

NPR Politics Podcast

Every weekday, NPR’s best political reporters present top-level analysis of the biggest political stories coming out of Washington with the NPR Politics Podcast. The show brings together a multitude of NPR reporters to provide a wide range of perspectives on the state of the country’s politics. In contrast to public radio, the NPR Politics Podcast gives way to the more personality-driven reporting that has become popular with the rise of podcasting. Guests are allowed to take off the kid gloves and present the facts alongside biting opinions and colorful commentary. As the podcast’s slogan says, “They don’t just tell you what happened. They tell you why it matters.”

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

The Daily

As the name might suggest, The Daily is a daily news podcast produced by The New York Times. The show is hosted by Times political journalist Michael Barbaro. The episodes are short, only twenty minutes, and designed with the understanding that their listeners’ time is limited. The Daily is only concerned with providing the most important and pressing news stories of the day, compiled from interviews with Times journalists. Often stories are supplemented with audio recordings and interviews with the persons involved. Because Barbaro is so frequently talking to reporters, The Daily also offers a unique insight into the fast-paced, high-stress world of news reporting.

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

Pod Save America

Pod Save America is hosted by four former aides to President Barack Obama: Jon Favreau, Tommy Vietor, Jon Lovett, and Dan Pfeiffer. The three hosts founded the show along with their progressive media company, Crooked Media, in the wake of the 2016 election. They set out to make a podcast that would not only entertain and inform but inspire passion and activism. Since then, Pod Save America has gone on to become one of the most popular political podcasts of the decade. Not only do they bring on high-profile political guests, including presidential candidates, but the hosts have attained celebrity status themselves by way of their unique insight and passion for change.  

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

Today, Explained

Today, Explained is a daily podcast from Vox that breaks down the major news stories from the day in a way that is easily understood. The show is hosted by Sean Rameswaram, a former correspondent for Radiolab. Each day, in less than half-an-hour, Rameswaram takes the most important stories in the news and deconstructs them in a way that is both entertaining and highly consumable. Today, Explained works as a sort of counterpart to The Daily, and not just because the latter releases episodes in the morning and the former in the afternoon. Whereas The Daily takes a more earnest approach, Rameswaram affects a more casual, more relatable tone in his storytelling, adopting the persona of a regular person doing his best to make sense of a chaotic world. 

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

The Weeds

Also produced by Vox, The Weeds is in many ways the polar opposite of Today, Explained. The show is hosted by Matthew Yglesias, Ezra Klein, Dara Lind, Jane Coaston, all reputable writers and reporters of politics and economics. The hosts are often joined by other members of the Vox team with expertise in the specific topic of the episode. As the name implies, The Weeds sets out to take a deep dive into noteworthy topics such as healthcare, housing, and immigration reform. The episodes are essentially long-form discussions of a specific topic, intended to leave the listener with a broader, more holistic understanding of the issues at hand. 

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

Up First

Up First is the best news podcast for listeners in a hurry. Each episode averages just 10 minutes and focuses on the three biggest stories of the day. The show is hosted on weekdays by NPR veterans Rachel Martin, Noel King, David Greene, and Steve Inskeep. There is also a weekend edition on Saturday mornings hosted by Lulu Garcia-Navarro, former NPR foreign correspondent, and NPR Journalist Scott Simon. Up First has that soft-spoken quality that so many NPR listeners find appealing. It’s a great way to receive news early in the morning in a calm, straightforward manner that won’t provoke a spike in the listener’s cortisol levels.  

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

The Brilliant Idiots

The Brilliant Idiots is the perfect podcast for those looking to get their news and cultural commentary in a more irreverent way. The show’s hosts–media personality Charlamagne Tha God and comedian Andrew Schulz–created the show specifically as a platform to express uncensored opinions that they wouldn’t have been able to divulge publicly while working for public radio. The show is relatively unstructured, usually anchored around a specific topic or set of topics, but always leaves room for plenty of comedic discussions. While they aren’t reporters, Schulz and Tha God are intelligent color commentators on the country’s most pressing current events, each bringing a perspective to the conversation that is always hilarious, often loud, and that never fails to be insightful. 

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

Skimm This

The Skimm news podcast takes the most important stories of the day and breaks them down into an easily digestible form, all in 10 minutes. Rather than regurgitating all major headlines, The Skimm takes three to four major stories and makes them the focus of each episode. The show lives by the mantra, “Context is clarity,” and that is exactly what it aims to provide. Listeners are treated to a purely factual, unbiased approach to reporting that delivers news stories free of opinions that otherwise might skew one’s perception of the facts. The goal is to leave listeners with the context they need in order to not only understand what is happening in the world but why it is important.   

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

Honorable Mentions: 

• NPR News Now
• BBC Global News Podcast
• The Takeaway
• CBS: The World This Hour  
• PBS News Hour
• World News Roundup
• Buzz Burbank News and Comment
• This Morning with Gordon Deal
• 60 Minutes 
• The Brief from Time Magazine

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The post 20 Best News & Politics Podcasts appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

Until SXSW earlier this month, when I saw not one, but two live podcasts. Though there were some similarities, the two podcasts were extremely different examples of what you could and should expect from the experience. With SXSW in town, there were loads of live podcasts to choose from, but I ended up going to Pod Save America and The Bill Simmons Podcast with Bill Hader as his guest.

I understand why live podcasts exist. They’re a great money maker for popular podcasters akin to a band going on tour. They’re also a good venue to engage with fans, and especially for Pod Save America (and other political podcasts), a good way to localize the conversation. Make money, engage with fans, rinse and repeat.

But again, do people like live podcasts? Only a small fraction of people get to attend the live podcast while the vast majority get FOMO and listen to a poor quality episode. So what exactly is the point?

Attending a Live Podcast

Pod Save America

I saw Pod Save America at the Austin City Limits Live theater with more than 2,000 other people. It’s not exactly an intimate experience. Last time I was there I saw Dave Chappelle. For every podcast analyst talking about how podcasts are the ultimate intimate content medium, this venue didn’t support that. Pod Save America started at 7pm and Lovett or Leave It started at 10:30pm in the same venue therefore everything was regimented and not free-flowing as you might expect.

I’ll also say the “seams” were visible throughout the podcast. It wasn’t hard to see how choreographed and outlined their conversation was. With five co-hosts on stage at the same time, combined with rigid time limits, I get why their conversation had to be so structured. In order to discuss everything they wanted to, play games, take audience Q&A, and interview their guest, it HAD to be pre-ordained. However, for a podcast — any podcast really — that’s successful because of the hosts natural conversation and chemistry, I think this dampered the experience.

Host Jon Favreau was the conductor. Armed with an iPad on his lap, he dictated the prompts and what I imagine are the talking points, to the front monitor for the rest of the hosts to play off of. He also played the role of moderator, often calling on specific hosts to answer or chime in on specific questions. The added technology is also likely crucial for them as a political podcast to self fact-check before speaking to the audience. Either way, to a cynical audience member (read: me), it wasn’t hard to picture them meeting like a pre-game professional wrestling match. “First you say this, then I’ll come back and say this, then you’ll chime in and say that.”

The real MVP of the night was Jon Lovett, the unquestionable comedian of the group. Without his ad-libbed quips and witty banter to bring the talking points into a comprehensive conversation, I wonder if the live podcast would receive more criticism.

My favorite part of the night is when Congressman Beto O’Rourke joined Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer on stage for an interview. O’Rouke had just won the Democratic Senate primary that week and will now face Ted Cruz for a Texas Senate seat. In liberal-leaning Austin, he was immediately a fan favorite. This was the only time of the night I felt like the conversation was natural and not predetermined. O’Rourke was insightful, sympathetic, charming, and articulate in every way you’d want and expect from a rising politician. He also wasn’t afraid to joke around and poke fun at himself and his opponents.

Overall, it was an entertaining experience — both unexpected and not surprising at the same time.  

The Bill Simmons Podcast

Seeing the Bill Simmons Podcast was an entirely different experience for numerous reasons. For starters, Simmons held his podcast at the Vox-hosted SXSW party, The Deep End, a free weekend-long party. You didn’t even need to have a SXSW badge. What this amounted to is likely familiar to anyone who’s attended SXSW in the past: a very long line.

In order to ensure I could get a good spot, I arrived to the party around 2:30pm for the expected podcast start time of 4:00pm. Simmons didn’t start until 4:45pm. So yes, I waited over two hours to watch two people sit around and talk to each other.

Despite the long lines and wait time, the setting was more ideal for a podcast. Showing up early ended up being the right call, the podcast lounge (inside the party) only held around 75 people or so. The open bar didn’t hurt either. Not worried by time limit, obviously, combined with the increased flexibility of a two-person podcast (one of whom happens to be Bill Hader) allowed the podcast to be much more free-flowing and conversational. Which, in my opinion, resulted in a more enjoyable experience. Also, Bill Hader is a national treasure.

Listening to a Live Podcast

Opposed to podcast trailers, I actually listen to live podcast episodes …. but I don’t want to. It turns out the investments you make on quality podcast mics and a studio, combined with the countless hours you spend mixing and editing the podcast make it better. Who knew?

I will add the caveat that I think maybe one out of every ten or so live studio albums is good. This could be a personal problem.

Adjectives I’ve heard complimenting live podcast episodes include “raw”, “real”, “unscripted”, and “authentic.” I’d argue “raw” isn’t necessarily a good thing for all the reasons I outlined in the previous paragraph. I’d also say if you’re describing a particular live podcast as “real” or “authentic”, does this mean the inverse is also true? The non-live episode isn’t real or authentic? If so, maybe you should reevaluate that specific podcast. And lastly, I think “unscripted” is debatable. From my (admittedly) limited experience seeing live podcasts, my hunch is that they are no more or no less scripted live than they would be in a studio. Also, for podcasts with a regimented time schedule like my experience with Pod Save America, they might be even more scripted than usual.

To make sure I wasn’t alone I conducted a perfectly scientific Twitter poll to temperature gauge how others felt as well. In hindsight, I should have phrased the question differently. Instead of asking whether you listen or not, I should have asked about preferences.

Do you listen to live podcast recordings?

— Discover Pods (@Discover_Pods) March 11, 2018

Only 41% of those polled said they enjoy listening to live podcast episodes. So what does this mean? Where do we go from here? In an industry starved for additional revenue routes, I’m surely not advocating podcasters stop going on tour. That said, I do think there needs some proactive thoughts and measures to the far greater chunk of their audience who’s unable to attend live. Ensure quality sound and spend time editing like you would for any other episode.

The post Do People Like Live Podcasts? appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

Lately, I’ve written a bunch about political podcasts including Intercepted, Can He Do That?, and FiveThirtyEight Politics. We’re in an interesting time where politics are very much top of mind, and unsurprisingly, there’s a slew of political-focused podcasts.

“I’m not running against crooked Hillary. I’m running against the crooked media.” Candidate Trump said this on the campaign trail. At the time, a group of former aides to President Obama met on a podcast called Keepin’ It 1600, where they discussed how and why Hillary should be the next president. After the election, they were devastated and confused, so they went on hiatus while they created a new plan of action. They left their position at The Ringer, a network owned by Bill Simmons, to start their own podcast network, and in January 2017, Crooked Media was born.

On Crooked Media’s website, they state their mission: “We’re not journalists, we’re not unbiased, we’re not always serious and we’re certainly not always right. But we promise a no-bullshit conversation about politics where you can laugh, cry, scream, ridicule us daily, share your ideas, and hopefully decide that you want to help fix this mess too. That goes for Democrats who want to learn from our party’s mistakes, Republicans ready to hold Trump accountable, and everybody, everywhere who’s been asking the same question: What do we do now?”

What do we do now? This is the question that dominates many of the political podcasts that go beyond reporting the headlines, the question that keeps the hosts up at night.

Crooked Media’s answer? Activism!

We’ll start with their first and biggest show, Pod Save America. This podcast is the most dedicated to the mission of activism. Pod Save America is a panel show with rotating hosts Jon Favreau, Dan Pfeiffer, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor discussing the news and scandals of the week. This crew won’t try to tell you they’re unbiased or down the middle. They are liberal about proud of it, openly mocking many Republican leaders for their hypocrisy, missteps, and outright lies.

In February 2017, Katie Couric was a guest and it’s hard to tell at times who’s interviewing whom, but that’s part of what makes this podcast great; the hosts facilitate thoughtful and engaging political discussions rather than preach to their podchoir…. Other guests include Trevor Noah from The Daily Show, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Kamala Harris, and President Barack Obama.

Pod Save America answers, “What do we do now?” with discussions between the hosts, and interviews with politicians, reporters, and more, so you are more informed and equipped to get out and make a difference. At the end of almost every episode, there is a call to action. Is there a big protest coming up? Here’s where to find more info. Are Republicans trying to abolish health care in secret? Here are the senators that can be swayed. Through their passion for human rights, activism, and transparency, Pod Save America is becoming a staple for news and information on the left. Pod Save America is 60-90 minutes and typically comes out on Mondays and Thursdays.

The second show that Crooked Media created is Pod Save The World, an effort to understand all the foreign policy actions and missteps of the current administration.

Tommy Vietor hosts the pod and interviews one expert in foreign policy, or a previous colleague from his time in the White House under Obama. Some of these experienced guests include Ben Rhodes, Obama’s Deputy National Security Advisor, Mike McFaul, former US Ambassador to Russia, and Tim Kaine, current Senator for Virginia.

These experts put the news of the week in context and provide their opinions of what would be best going forward. One of my favorite episodes includes an interview with Lisa Monaco, Obama’s Homeland Security Advisor and Chief Counterterrorism Advisor, who helps relieve some of the stress about foreign powers gaining nuclear capabilities. Pod Save The World is 45 minutes and drops most Wednesdays.

With Friends Like These is the next podcast in the Crooked Media lineup. Anna Marie Cox, novelist and contributor to The Daily Beast, is the host facilitating discussions across the aisle, whether that aisle is politics, race, feminism, disabilities, or other divisions in our culture.

Anna and her guests share values and discuss an issue in detail to find some lesson or moral for the audience to walk away with, but this show really shines in the episodes where she converses with someone who has different views or perspectives that open the discussion to another level. These episodes often turn emotional, uncomfortable, and fascinating. It’s through these discussions that I question my habits, actions, morals, and the respect I show to my fellow humans.

Culture critic Ira Madison III was on the episode “Discomfort Is the Tool of Oppression” to talk about race and what it’s like to be the “black friend”. This caused many feels for me and I had to question my position on race. It’s not just enough to think of others as equal, but one must also interact, make mistakes, and learn to be a true advocate. With Friends Like These is 60-90 minutes and drops most Fridays.

On the topic of race relations, the last interview show is Pod Save The People with host DeRay Mckesson, a Black Lives Matter activist known for his participation in protests including Ferguson and Baltimore.

He facilitates a discussion with Brittney Packnett and Sam Sinyangwe, co-founders of Campaign Zero for police reform and OurStates.org, a visual resource to see where your state stands in the fight to preserve or achieve immigration, reproductive, voting, and economic justice.

After the panel discussion with Brittney and Sam on recent news and upcoming activism, DeRay will interview a guest about race, social justice, and politics. Recent guests include Congressman Keith Ellison and NYU professor David Kamin, but also musicians John Legend and Katy Perry.

The conversation that has stuck with me the most is DeRay interviewing Edward Snowden about cyber security, the relationship of race and surveillance, and the prospect of Snowden ever returning to the United States. Pod Save The People is a 90 minute show dropping on Tuesdays.

The last show of the current Crooked Media lineup is Lovett Or Leave It, a game show of sorts hosted by Jon Lovett live in front of an audience with three political or comedian guests to rant and mock the week’s news. Breaking slightly from the drumbeat of activism, it’s the chaser to sweeten the palate after a week of heavy stories.

Jon will typically give a short monologue and then bring out the guests. Different segments are rotated including Ok Stop! where the panelists watch a news segment and yell “Ok Stop!” to interrupt and fulminate when the pundits or politicians say something ridiculous. They also feature a Rant Wheel that virtually spins and lands on one of the guests’ half-dozen pre-arranged topics, anything from S-Town’s popularity and backlash to Steve Bannon in the White House to Wonder Woman.

Another segment is Too Stupid To Be True, where an audience member plays a guessing game to win a sponsored Parachute Sheets gift card, but Jon has a reputation of not playing by his own rules… Lovett Or Leave It comes out between Friday and Saturday, and is just over an hour.

I realize that it is a big time commitment to listen to all of the Crooked Media empire, so if you only have time for one of the five shows I would start with Pod Save America. In addition to being the most well-rounded show, they invite the hosts of the other shows to talk about their guests and conversations, so you can get a sample of the whole network. You can find more about these podcasts at GetCrookedMedia.com.

In the spirit of activism, I encourage you to check out democracy.io, a website with a simple form to contact your senators and representatives and share your support or opposition of their actions. By making an effort on the local level, you can make an impact on the national level. I used this form to reach to my Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and Representative Earl Blumenauer, to thank them for promoting Oregon values of equality and compassion in Congress, and they all responded to my message with appreciation that I reached out.

The post Crooked Media and Pod Save America are the official voices of the “Resistance” appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

If you’re one of the later, or simply have some time to kill over the holiday, we’ve compiled a great list of American podcasts that’ll help you celebrate the 4th of July in a podcast sorta way. We’ve broken down the podcast subjects to the basic tenets (in our opinion, don’t @ me) of America: history, politics, sports, food, and alcohol.

History:

Looking to learn more about our forefathers, US history, or simply learn something new from the past? Here’s our list for you.

Stuff You Missed in History Class

Stuff You Missed in History Class is one of the longest-running and most popular of all the history podcasts.

Produced by the parent company, HowStuffWorks, SYMiHC is hosted by Tracy Wilson and Holly Frey and regularly tackles all aspects of history, not only US history. That said, recent US-centric episodes include The Eastland Disaster, which tells the story of one of the most deadly boating accidents in US history largely caused by inadequate safety regulations and procedures. Other episodes include the Philadelphia MOVE bombing, history of the Kentucky Derby, and Walt Whitman.

Listen: iTunes | Stitcher

New York Public Library Podcast

The New York Public Library Podcast is fairly straightforward: a high-quality production that utilizes their vast history records and research to provide analysis and insights from the past with experts from their respective fields.

This interview focused podcast often gets guests ranging from A-list celebrities, to world renown authors, to activists, to politicians, and everything in between.

Listen: iTunes | Stitcher

Backstory

Backstory fits perfectly into some of my favorite genre of podcasts, deep-diving analysis of some subject you likely haven’t spent much time on previously. Think what 99PI is for design, 20 Thousand Hertz is to sound, 30 for 30 is for sports, Backstory is that for history.

Recent episodes include the history of the iPhone on its 10th birthday, the history of hair in America, battle for Confederate monuments, enlistment, satire, opioid use and several other subjects. If you’re looking to learn something new when you listen to a podcast, give Backstory a chance.

Listen: iTunes | Stitcher

Related reading: 11 Podcasts Guaranteed to Make You Think

Politics:

Liberal: Pod Save America

Listen: iTunes | Stitcher

Conservative: The Ben Shapiro Show

Listen: iTunes | Stitcher

At Discover Pods we strive to be non-partisan in our advocacy, but rather presents options for both party affiliations. So whether you’d prefer to listen to something more left-leaning, try out Pod Save America. PSA is hosted by previously White House staffers during the Obama presidency, who combined with coveted guests give an excellent analysis of current affairs with insider knowledge.

If you’d prefer something more Republican-focused, check out The Ben Shapiro Show. You likely already know Ben Shapiro, conservative columnist, author, political pundit, and more recently as founder and Editor in Chief of The Daily Wire.

Sports:

30 for 30 Podcasts

ESPN’s critically-acclaimed documentary series, 30 for 30, detailing sports events from the past 30 years, is now in podcast form. In its debut episode, 30 for 30 Podcasts details the massive Olympic marketing bust that was Dan and Dave. Reebok had been promoting Dan O’Brien and Dave Johnson as headline competitors and elite Olympic decathletes for months leading up to the 1992 Summer Olympics, only to have Dan fail to qualify for the games.

Future episodes are about the Yankees, North Pole expedition, baccarat schemes, and an incarcerated boxer.

Listen: iTunes

Related Reading: Our Favorite Podcasts of 2017, So Far. 

The Bill Simmons Podcast

A staple of mine for years (RIP Grantland), Bill Simmons is one of the premiere sports personalities today. Combined with his humor, pop culture references, and amazing guests, his podcast is a must-listen for every sports fan (and non fans). The Bill Simmons Podcast recently had guests such as Judd Apatow, Kevin Durant, Malcolm Gladwell, and Will Ferrell.

Listen: iTunes | Stitcher

Food:

Gravy

Gravy is yet another podcast that aims to teach you something new by going deep into a subject you’ve never thought to spend that much time with before. This time with food, mostly southern.

Recent episodes explore how southern coffee shops are increasingly being used as Church propaganda, how pork products and bacon are becoming increasingly popular in Israel, and how a special Texas grapevine helped save French wine.

Listen: iTunes | Stitcher

The Slow Melt

Unlike our current political climate, you know what’s universally agreed upon? Chocolate is great.

The Slow Melt knows this and caters to our favorite sweet-tooth desires. This podcast literally covers everything and anything related to chocolate including global farming, the economics of chocolate, various uses, and artesian bakeries.

Listen: iTunes | Stitcher

Alcohol:

The Speakeasy

The Speakeasy appeals to another popular subject, libations. Interested in cocktails, craft beer, or wine? How about non-alcoholic drinks like coffee and tea? The Speakeasy covers them all. The podcasts typically have a new guest ranging from brewmasters, to bartenders, to famous fans.

If you’re interested in the history of some of your favorite drinks, special techniques used, or why things are the way they are, give it a listen.

Listen: iTunes | Stitcher

Good Beer Hunting

Apart from having a great name (always a sucker for puns), Good Beer Hunting is my favorite beer-themed podcast out there.

Interested in the stories behind some of your favorite beers? Good Beer Hunting speaks with brewmasters, founders, and beer experts around the world to discuss brewing techniques, reviews, trends, and basically anything else beer related.

Listen: iTunes | Stitcher

The post The 10 Best Patriotic American Podcasts for Fourth of July appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

Well, here’s your chance to give another podcast a try.

In talking with several people about their favorite podcasts, unsurprisingly there were a few podcasts that kept popping up: Serial, S-Town, 99 Percent Invisible, The Moth, Pod Save America, Stuff You Should Know, and several others. So, if you like these, what other podcasts might you enjoy?

If you love S-Town and Serial, you’ll enjoy Untold

Serial and S-Town popularized mainstream true crime podcasts, and some can even say they’re responsible for the latest surge in podcasts overall.

Untold tells the story behind the murder of Daniel Morgan that involves both police and political corrupt that lays the foundation for the “most investigated murder in British history.”

If you’re into the true crime genre, and enjoy British accents (who doesn’t?), this is a podcast for you.

Listen: iTunes | Stitcher

Honorable mention(s): They Walk Among Us

If you love 99% Invisible, you’ll enjoy Twenty Thousand Hertz

99PI is one of those great podcasts if you want to learn something new or gain a new perspective on things you encounter on a daily basis. It’s on my short-list for top podcasts available.

Twenty Thousand Hertz tells stories in a similar fashion, however, they’ve narrowed their focus on all things sound and sound design. Ever wonder about the story of the sounds behind the NBC Chimes, Siri, or car engines? This is a podcast for you — I promise you’ll learn something new.

Listen: iTunes | Stitcher

Honorable mention(s): The Memory Palace, Gravy

If you love Pod Save America, you’ll enjoy Grab Them By The Pod

Political podcasts are taking over talk radio (see Podcasts: The New Talk Radio?). Right now, nobody does it better nor is more popular than the folks at Crooked Media who host Pod Save America, Pod Save the World, Lovett or Leave It, and With Friends Like These.

What makes Pod Save America so popular is the combination of the hosts’ intellect, insider knowledge, and humor. If you agree, then Grab Them By The Pod should be your next listen. A former lobbyist and staffer by trade, Jesse was compelled to start a podcast following the latest election. Plus, if the name gives any indication, this podcast is riddled with humor.

Related reading: Podcast Spotlight: Grab Them By The Pod

Listen: iTunes | Stitcher

Honorable mention(s): On The Media, Pod Save the World, Lovett or Leave It, With Friends Like These

If you love Stuff You Should Know, you’ll enjoy No Such Thing As Fish

A lot of people tune into podcasts simply to learn about something new, there’s no shame in that. Stuff You Should Know provides these listeners with vital trivia and backstories to satiate this yearning.

No Such Thing as Fish is a podcast from the Quite Interesting crew. It’s part bar trivia, part Jeopardy, and part stand-up comedy. If you’re one of those people who looks towards their podcasts to learn something new and expand their trivia knowledge base, add this to your list.

Listen: iTunes | Stitcher

Honorable mention(s): We Have Concerns

If you love The Moth, you’ll enjoy Risk!

The Moth has become renown for telling compelling true stories. Recent episodes tell personal experiences with the Berlin Wall and another tells of his encounters with Laurence Fishburne.

Risk! is a hilarious podcast on a similar note. It’s similar to The Moth in that it’s people telling their personal stories, however, Risk! focuses on stories people never thought they’d share in public. It’s also featured some of the most popular names in comedy including Sarah Silverman, Marc Maron, Lisa Lampanelli, and several others.

Listen: iTunes | Stitcher

Honorable mention(s): 2nd Story, True Story, The Monti, Snap Judgment, Story Collider

Special thanks to the Reddit Podcasts community

The post If You Love That, You’ll Enjoy This (Podcast Recommendations) appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

What’s interesting about the Newsweek feature, among other anecdotes, was their comparison of podcasts in today’s millennial and media-driven society to that of the older talk radio generation.

The same medium that propelled more conservative-focused pundits like Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and countless others has undergone a digital transformation and now favors the more liberal-focused personalities. Why?

Age and technical adoption have to the first, and most apparent reasons. The I-want-it-now early technical adopters tend to be both young and left-leaning. Podcasts serve on-demand content for digital natives on nearly any device, through a variety of mediums, whenever they want. The current top 15 iTunes podcasts in the News & Politics categories has at least 7 podcasts you could describe as liberal, including all four from the Crooked Media folks. However, only one is a traditional conservative outlet — #15, The Ben Shapiro Show.

Is this same trend transcending the political realm as well? Are we seeing a shift from sports talk radio to podcasts? How about local morning news? My hunch is we’re not seeing the change because other talk radio shows are centered on hyper-regional activities (a specific sports team, local news/happenings, etc.).

It’s hard to find evidence supporting the trend, but that’s mainly due to how the chart system works (related: The Podcast Discoverability Problem) and the challenges of regional audiences. For instance, it’s not surprising a Minnesota Twins-focused podcast doesn’t make it on the top 50 sports podcasts. A quick iTunes search brings up random Minnesota sports podcasts, but on initial inspection only one is centered on the Twins (and it’s hosted by ESPN).

I suspect the hyper-regional podcasts are steadily growing, but may take some time before we see them start to displace regional talk radio. As podcast listeners, we all know and understand the benefits compared to radio, however some of the podcast laggards may take some time to change their inculcated habits.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

The post Podcasts: The New Talk Radio? appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.