Updated: 1/30/17
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Additions:
Terrible, Thanks For Asking
Big Time Dicks
DTR
Esquire Classic
The New Yorker Radio Hour
Past Present
Reply All
Removals:
HowSound
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99% Invisible – Design and architecture we don’t notice in everyday life
The Axe Files with David Axelrod – One of the better political interview shows
Big Time Dicks – A new politics podcast from Jezebel. Just started up so I’m still reserving thoughts
The Black Tapes – I’ve found serialized mockumentaries are a mixed bag, this one breaks the mold
Chapo Trap House – If you’ve heard of it, you’ve probably already rendered your opinion. It’s worth a listen regardless
The Commentary Magazine Podcast – I noticed I had less of a right/left balance on my podcast list than in other media forms. One of the better ones coming from the right.
Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History – Some of the best historical storytelling I’ve ever heard
The Dead Prussian Podcast – Exploring war and warfare through interviews
DTR – Gimlet + Tinder. It’s more open about its corporate sponsor than others, but some interesting episodes so far
Embedded – Deep investigative dives into the stories behind the headlines
Esquire Classic – New and old Esquire longform stories with great readers and interviews of the writers
The Ezra Klein Show – Another great, bit more diverse, political interview show
Face the Nation on the Radio – For when I miss the Sunday public affairs shows
FiveThirtyEight Elections – Largely data-driven reporting on the 2016 election
Fresh Air – A classic on current events and culture
HowSound – Series on how radio stories are made
Imaginary Worlds – A great podcast on science fiction/fantasy and their creation
Intelligence Squared Debates – Great minds debating tough issues
Invisibilia – Deep, oftentimes scientific, dives into human behavior
KCRW’s Here Be Monsters – “Stories about the unknown”
Kill Fee – Series on freelance reporting
Longform – Great discussions with authors and writers
Lore – Best. Storytelling Podcast. Focusing on true-life mysteries and scary stories
Love + Radio – Pretty diverse story-based subjects. Somewhere between Invisibilia and Here Be Monsters
MuggleCast: The Harry Potter Podcast – Yes, I am a child of the Harry Potter generation and will remain as such
New Yorker Radio Hour – Pretty much exactly what you’d expect. Remnick hosts a mix of interviews, fiction, and reporting
No One Knows Anything – BuzzFeed’s politics podcast. More diverse stories than your average show of the same ilk
On the Media – Fairly examining the media is one of the most important things we can do. No one does it better than OTM
Past Present – Connecting the past and this week’s headlines with three history professors
The Pen and the Sword – Yes, this is self-promotion. I do actually listen to them in order to hear the great things guests have said
Radiolab – Another classic. Centered on accessible, science-based stories
Radiolab Presents: More Perfect – Some of the best in the biz take on the Supreme Court and the stories behind some of its largest cases
Rational Security – Shane Harris + the Witteses talking national security
Reply All – One of Gimlet’s classics. Technically, it’s about tech/internet stories, but it goes much beyond that
Reveal – From the Center for Investigative Reporting. Not dissimilar from Embedded, but longer running
Slate’ Political Gabfest – One of my inspirations in designing Pen and the Sword. Great, conversational politics
Slate’s Live at Politics and Prose – Live discussions at a great bookstore with great authors
TANIS – Same producers as The Black Tapes. This one with sci-fi, mystery tint
Terrible, Thanks For Asking – Stories about grief, mourning, etc. A pretty incredible, moving show
War on the Rocks – Interviews with leading military and defense thinkers
War Stories – More self-promo (sorry). Angry Staff Officer and my narrative series on warfare’s turning points