A profusion of podcasts
/I was fortunate to stumble upon podcasts relatively early in the game as they are absolutely delightful. What could be described as a well-produced radio show curated for specific audiences, one can most certainly find people and communities discussing almost any topic of which one can imagine. I cannot think of a more major shift in my media/content consumption habits other than my introduction to the Internet many years ago. Due to being a fierce advocate for the medium, I am often asked for podcast recommendations, and here I have compiled a list of my favourites for your listening pleasure.
First and foremost
Firstly, one must have a platform on which to consume podcasts, and I recommend Pocket Casts. Initially I was quite the Luddite with my listening habits, having RSS feeds and manually transferring content to my phone, and then listening through my file explorer. Needless to say, an app which synchonises across platforms and is built for purpose is immeasurably better.
News & Journalism
Background Briefing
Background Briefing is daring narrative journalism — Australian investigations with impact. Our award-winning reporters forensically uncover the hidden stories at the heart of the country's biggest issues.
The Documentary
Download the latest documentaries Investigating global developments, issues and affairs.
Common Sense
Loud, fast-talking and deceptively funny, this politically-independent "forward-thinking pragmatist" looks at the events shaping our world through a uniquely American lens. It's smarter than you think, and faster than you expect.
Rear Vision
Rear Vision puts contemporary events in their historical context, answering the question, 'How did it come to this?'
Par Jupiter !
Par Jupiter ! Les irréductibles de l’équipe « Si tu écoutes, j’annule tout » n’annulent rien et reprennent du service pour secouer de l'info. L'actualité n'a qu'à bien se tenir !
Long form investigative journalism
Crimetown
Welcome to Crimetown, a series produced by Marc Smerling and Zac Stuart-Pontier in partnership with Gimlet Media. Each season, we investigate the culture of crime in a different city
S-Town
S-Town is a new podcast from Serial and This American Life, hosted by Brian Reed, about a man named John who despises his Alabama town and decides to do something about it.
Serial
Serial is a podcast from the creators of This American Life, hosted by Sarah Koenig. Serial unfolds one story - a true story - over the course of a whole season. The show follows the plot and characters wherever they lead, through many surprising twists and turns
Slow Burn
You think you know the story, or maybe you don’t
History & Philosophy
Hardcore History and Hardcore History: Addendum
In "Hardcore History" journalist and broadcaster Dan Carlin takes his "Martian", unorthodox way of thinking and applies it to the past. Was Alexander the Great as bad a person as Adolf Hitler? What would Apaches with modern weapons be like? Will our modern civilization ever fall like civilizations from past eras? This isn't academic history (and Carlin isn't a historian) but the podcast's unique blend of high drama, masterful narration and Twilight Zone-style twists has entertained millions of listeners.
The Minefield
In a world marked by wicked social problems, The Minefield helps you negotiate the ethical dilemmas, contradictory claims and unacknowledged complicities of modern life.
Making Sense
Join neuroscientist, philosopher, and best-selling author Sam Harris as he explores important and controversial questions about the human mind, society, and current events.
Storytelling & Interviews
Heavyweight
Maybe you’ve laid awake imagining how it could have been, how it might yet be, but the moment to act was never right. Well, the moment is here and the podcast making it happen is Heavyweight. Join Jonathan Goldstein for road trips, thorny reunions, and difficult conversations as he backpedals his way into the past like a therapist with a time machine.
Conversations
Spend an hour in someone else's life. Conversations draws you deeper into the life story of someone you may have heard about, but never met.
The Anthropocene Reviewed
John Green reviews facets of the human-centered planet on a five-star scale.
Risk
Take a walk on the wild side with the RISK! podcast, an on demand version of selections from the RISK! live sessions where everyone from comedians to regular folks divulge true stories they had always thought they'd keep to themselves.
Les Pieds sur terre
Inspirés par la célébrissime émission de radio américaine This American Life, "Les Pieds sur Terre" s’organisent désormais autour de récits, d’histoires vraies, une, deux ou trois par émission, qui tournent autour d’un même thème. Ces histoires sont racontées à la première personne et nourries d’éléments de reportage.