Podcasting: A Brave New World
I have embraced Podcasting as one of my primary “news” and “information” sources. I believe the medium has staying power. It is not a passing fad. The menu of listening options is endless and the quality and production values have improved substantially. There are an estimated 800,000 active podcasts and 120 million regular listeners in the United States. The range of subject matter is impressive: news, politics, travel, history, food, wine, art, music, culture, economics, law, technology, climate change and race relations. The abundance of choices presents selection challenges. The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Economist post podcast recommendations frequently and you should use them as a guidance resource. I have done a rather rigorous review of the available offerings in my “niche” areas of interest and am pleased to share my suggestions. My criteria is predictable- podcasts that are fun, entertaining, educational, provocative and challenging. Selecting your “go to” podcasts is a process and experimentation is cool. The winners will become a default part of your day- dedicated podcast time for all! ENJOY!
For the novice, some definitions and history are useful. Podcasting is a recent phenomena, emerging as a media platform option in 2004-2005. The term podcast is blend of “iPod” and broadcast. The technology is straightforward- allowing listeners to automatically download and listen to content on their personal portable devices. Apple added podcasts to iTunes in 2005 which inspired a period of steady growth in podcast creation. By 2015, podcasting had experienced meteoric progress- evidenced by major investments from streaming platforms, professionalisation of production tools and astounding diversification in topics and content. Leading public figures and “influencers” bought into podcasting as a key component of their communication strategy. Podcasting is now an integral part of the contemporary landscape, joining Facebook, Twitter(X), What’s App, Instagram, and Tik Tok. It has probably surpassed blogging in terms of popularity.
For me, the primary attraction is convenience and accessibility. Podcasts can be downloaded anywhere and anytime. They are a wonderful multi-tasking tool. I frequently listen to great podcasts while watching sports on TV with the TV sound off. You can’t beat on demand consumption and the best podcasts excel at doing deep dives on tough topics- far superior to your experiences with TV, radio, newspapers or magazines. A comfortable and comforting audio format, when done properly, fosters a sense of intimacy and rapport between the host and the audience. A bonus is high quality podcasts nurture a sharp mind because they require active, rather than passive listening.
Podcasting as an audio technology is a clear descendant of radio broadcasting. Radio developed the storytelling techniques now regularly employed by podcasters. Interviews, serial episode shows and audience call in formats are regular features of podcasts today. Audio cassettes, talk radio, books on tape, academic classes and lectures on audio are also predecessors of modern podcasting. Podcasting didn’t invent audio formats and programming, but it removed the technological and economic barriers that had historically limited who could create and distribute audio content. The low barrier to entry for podcasts makes it a very democratic medium and guarantees exposure to alternative and politically incorrect perspectives that would never see the light of day in traditional media. This is healthy. Issues and political podcasts follow in the footsteps of radio giants: FDR’S Fireside Chats, Edward Murrow’s broadcast from wartime London, the notorious Father Charles Coughlin (30 million listeners), the Studs Terkel interviews and the Rush Limbaugh era. The most successful podcasters adopt the same techniques. They are personality driven programs characterised by symbiotic relationships between the podcaster and his or her audience. I also submit that it is very encouraging that we are still willing to learn and grow without the need for pretty pictures and visuals. The best podcasts are a healthy tonic for an Attention Deficit Disorder type world.
Without further pontification from moi- let’s look at my favourite podcasts. I will provide detail on 1-10 and simply identify 11-20.
1. THE REST IS HISTORY: A wonderful and engaging podcast hosted by Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook. They are legitimate historians who have developed a great chemistry as co- hosts. This is the highest rated history podcast on Spotify and Apple with 11 million downloads a month, 45,000 paying subscribers and an audience where 70% of the listeners are under 40. Breezy style with a moveable feast of topics- some famous and some obscure. In the last month they have done multi episode reviews of the Norman invasion of England in 1066, the French Revolution, Belgian colonialism in the Congo, the early Emperors of Rome and one offs on Aguirre and the Wrath of God in the Amazon and the 1944 assassination attempt on Hitler. 750 episodes and going strong. Each is 45 minutes to an hour. THE BEST- serious, thought provoking and easy on the ears.
2. THE BILL SIMMONS PODCAST: For my money, the best sports related podcast. Simmons is very well connected with great sources and is super knowledgeable and aggressively opinionated. Very focused on the NBA and the NFL. He has been a sportswriter and was early pioneer of digital sports writing. Author of The Book of Basketball which is encyclopedic on the NBA's best players and teams. Created the “30 for 30” documentaries for ESPN. Very Boston and east coast centric, but he knows his stuff. Has an “everyman- guy on the street” persona. His episodes are long, averaging around 2 hours and he has a regular list of journalists and sports gurus who he integrates effectively into the program. Highly recommend, although the online sports gambling advertisements are genuinely irritating.
3. CONVERSATIONS WITH TYLER: Tyler Cowen is the host and he features in depth interviews of wildly interesting people. He is a polymath- a true Renaissance man. An economist by training, the world is his oyster. His conversations with the deepest thinkers out there are free flowing and rapid fire. Cowen knows economics, food, travel, music, politics, history, philosophy, literature, religion, tech and artificial intelligence. He is so smart that one of the leading developers of Artificial General Intelligence has said they define success as when their AI platform is smarter than Tyler Cowen. High praised and well deserved. His topics can be rather dry from a distance, but he makes his guests comfortable and is good at making the complex simple. His episodes usually run 60 to 75 minutes, but you need to focus when downloading Tyler. He is refreshingly dismissive of conventional wisdom, but seems to have true friendships with people from all walks of life and all points on the political and ideological spectrum. He is quirky and nerdy, but fascinating.
4. MAKING SENSE: Sam Harris is the podcaster here. A true public intellectual and author of the award winning THE END OF FAITH. Born Jewish, but an agnostic or atheist depending on your definition. Most of his programs are interviews with other heavy hitters, but he will occasionally just share his personal views in brilliant lectures. He hates political correctness and cancel culture. He is a strong supporter of Israel and an outspoken critic of jihadist Islam. He despises Donald Trump. He is a neuro scientist and an advocate of meditation. Unbeatable in terms of raw intellectual depth. His broadcasts are approximately 75 to 90 minutes.
5. ECON TALKS: Russ Roberts is the host. He is well credentialed economist, a biographer of Adam Smith, an admirer of free markets and currently the President of Shelem University in Jerusalem. Economics is his sweet spot and he attracts all the heavy hitters, but his strength is his wide range of topics- many having nothing to do with the dismal science. Recent podcasts include hospitality, Israeli democracy, education and the evolution of birds. You get the picture. The full title is “CONVERSATIONS FOR THE CURIOUS.” Finally, he projects kindness and decency. He treats his guests with respect and can disagree without being disagreeable. He would be a wonderful dinner companion. His episodes run from 60 to 90 minutes.
6. THE EZRA KLEIN SHOW: A member of the New York Times family of podcasts. Klein is journalist and author. He is a blogger. His interest is politics and governance- all the time. He is blogger, founder of VOX and former editor of The American Prospect. He is thoughtful and fair- a very good interviewer. He is a progressive democrat and is very happy to share his point of view. He is also generous with his advice. His guests, however, come from all elements of the political universe. He enjoys conversing with serious people who disagree with him. Refreshing and an appropriate talent for a successful podcaster. A good guy.
7. DISHCAST WITH ANDREW SULLIVAN. Mr Sullivan is proudly gay- an Oxford man of Irish descent- who loves the United States. He was a Buckley protege who became the Editor of the New Republic. He may be the most opinionated man I have ever encountered. He is super smart and very well aware of his intellectual prowess. Not shy, but very respected and his views can be unpredictable. He is a classic conservative who fought for gay marriage, supported Obama and hates the current left wing cancel culture and identity politics. He is a marvelous teacher. His only weakness in this format is his tendency to interrupt or talk over this guests. He ends up with more air time than the interviewee. You need to subscribe to access his long form interviews.
8. HONESTLY: Bari Weiss is the intellectual force behind this Free Press podcast. A former liberal democrat who is openly disenchanted with the recent direction of the party. Hates DEI. Hates Ivy league universities who have sold their should to the far left. She is a challenging and provocative interviewer and commentator. She was previously the Book Review Editor at the Wall Street Journal and the Cultural Page Editor at The New York Times- a blue chip journalist with a great network of sources and possible guests. She is gay, married to a woman and previously was in a relationship with Kate McKinnon of Saturday Nite Live. She is a strong supporter of Israel, despises left wing intolerance and right wing conspiracy theories and is a provocateur. Entertaining as well. She can be a little shrill (am I being sexist?), and I am more comfortable with this program in small doses- it can become repetitive when she is super focused on a particular public outrage.
8. ON WITH KARA SWISHER: Kara is the original techie journalist. She has covered Zuckerberg, Bezos, Musk, the Google and Apple fellows and recently published a tell all- Burn Book: A Tech Love Story. She is confident- a firebrand who does not suffer fools gladly. She has worked for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. She is a feminist and a lesbian. She is very good on artificial intelligence, Silicon Valley and the foibles of the new plutocracy. Her career gives her a unique vantage point which makes her interviews interesting and thought provoking.
9. THE ECONOMIST PODCASTS: They have several and I highly recommend Checks and Balances, The Intelligence, Money Talks and Babbage. The podcasts reflect the classic style of The Economist. Crisp, well written humorous, witty and civilised. They have always possessed the most nuanced views on America- blessed by the safety of an ocean between them and Washington.
10. The NYT BOOK REVIEW PODCAST: This is my go-to podcast for book reviews and recommendations. Multiple editors and critics participate and you get a fast paced and informative discussion of hot new fiction and non fiction. They also search for emerging authors and unconventional subject matter. I do not find them to be predictable, but I do find them to be reliable and thoughtful. I love reading and they LOVE books so it is healthy relationship.
11. POD SAVE AMERICA.
12. PLANET MONEY.
13. FREAKONOMICS.
14. CAPITAL ISNT.
15. MEN IN BLAZERS.
16. ACQUIRED.
17. AGAINST THE RULES.
18. CRITICS AT LARGE.
19. WINE ENTHUSIAST PODCAST.
20. FLAVOR OF ITALY.
Experiment with the podcast medium- I think you will learn to love the experiences. A wonderful vehicle for lifelong learning.
