It’s hard to believe there was a time before podcasts, but the advent of this audio medium is fairly new. Radio has been around for a long time, but Internet Talk Radio in 1993 is believed to be the first radio program that let listeners download episodes. RSS feeds came into existence in 1999, but it wasn’t until 2003 that Adam Curry and Kevin Marks figured out how to connect iTunes to RSS feeds. The first podcast, “IT Conversations by Doug Kaye,” came out that same year. According to Demand Sage, there will be 504.9 million podcast listeners around the world by 2024. There are millions of podcasts, but what are the best ones about politics? Here are 13 of the best political podcasts:
#1. The Daily
#2. Democracy Now!
#3. The Real Story
#4. Global Dispatches
#5. Pod Save The World
#6. On Shifting Ground
#7. Code Switch
#8. In the Thick
#9. Reveal
#10. Citations Needed
#11. Throughline
#12. A Tradition of Violence
#13. Drilled
#1. The Daily
A New York Times podcast, “The Daily” releases 20-minute episodes five days a week. Since its launch in 2017, the podcast has released 1,760 episodes as of February 2023. It’s hosted by Michael Barbaro and Sabrina Tavernise. Some of its recent episodes cover topics like whether Supreme Court will let President Biden cancel student debt, why the Turkey earthquake was so devastating, and why the US keeps having debt ceiling showdowns.
“The Daily” is a good choice if you don’t have time to read the newspaper every day, but like to stay updated on the most important political news. Because “The Daily” focuses on one story at a time, listeners get more depth than they would if the podcast jumped from headline to headline. The podcast is available on platforms like Spotify, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.
#2. Democracy Now!
Hosted by journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González, Democracy Now! is a daily independent news hour. It was launched in 1996 and is now available as a podcast. The show covers breaking news headlines and hosts in-depth interviews. It’s also available in Spanish. Democracy Now! doesn’t take funding from corporate advertising or the government; it’s an independent, audience-supported endeavor.
Topics covered on the show include the protests in Iran, how climate change causes economic crises, the GOP’s attack on trans people, and medical debt. The podcast is available on platforms like Spotify, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.
#3. The Real Story
“The Real Story” is a weekly radio program available as a podcast. Hosted by Carrie Gracie, it comes from the BBC World Service. Each week, the podcast explores one topic in-depth for about an hour. While based in the UK, the podcast also covers world news. Recent topics include President Erdoğan’s future, why Andrew Tate and misogyny are so popular online, and why British politics are so chaotic.
The podcast uses a panel format, which means a group of experts talk about the topic at hand. If you’re a fan of panel news shows on TV, “The Real Story” is the audio version. It’s available on platforms like Spotify, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.
#4. Global Dispatches
“Global Dispatches” is the longest-running independent international affairs podcast. It was named in The Guardian’s 2016 list of “27 Podcasts To Make You Smarter.” Host Mark Leon Goldberg is the editor of the UN and global affairs blog “UN Dispatch.” His work has been featured in publications like The New York Times, The Guardian, Foreign Policy, and others.
“Global Dispatches” focuses on news around the world, including stories that aren’t getting much attention. Recent episodes covered topics like Peru’s increasing political violence, Africa’s debt crises, and Sudan’s democratic transition. The podcast is available on platforms like Spotify, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.
#5. Pod Save The World
“Pod Save the World” explores foreign policy, international affairs, and world news. Co-hosted by Tommy Vietor and Ben Rhodes, this weekly podcast explains the most important international news and developments for non-experts. Recent episodes explored topics like the war in Ukraine, China’s Covid protests, and Brazil’s presidential election.
“Pod Save the World” is part of the Crooked Media podcast family, which includes the mega-hit “Pod Save America.” Both podcasts are available on platforms like Spotify, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.
#6. On Shifting Ground
Hosted by NPR veteran Ray Suarez, “On Shifting Ground” dives into the chaos of the modern world. It’s produced by the World Affairs Council, which is a nonprofit forum that lets the public discuss global issues with foreign policy and international affairs experts. With its host and expert guests, “On Shifting Ground” has covered topics like the Ukraine war, how the NRA mobilized with Brazilian gun advocates, and how TikTok spreads abortion misinformation.
At the time of writing, “On Shifting Ground” had 100 episodes. They vary in length from under 20 minutes to about an hour. The podcast is available on platforms like Spotify, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.
#7. Code Switch
This popular podcast from NPR began in 2013 as a blog. The podcast launched in 2016 and quickly became a hit. It focuses on how race affects every area of society, including politics. The hosts – Gene Demby, NPR Senior Correspondent Karen Grigsby Bates, B.A. Parker, and Lori Lizarraga – are journalists. Episodes cover topics like food history, race and healthcare, American Indian family separations, and much more.
While it covers serious topics, “Code Switch” adopts an empathetic, humorous tone. In 2020, the podcast was named Apple Podcasts’ first “Show of the Year.” It’s available on platforms like Spotify, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.
#8. In the Thick
“In the Thick” is presented by the Futuro Media Group. The podcast, which is hosted by award-winning journalists Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela, explores stories that are often absent from mainstream news. The hosts cover topics through the lens of race, identity, and politics.
At the time of writing, “In the Thick” had 649 episodes. Recent episodes covered the 2022 Twin Parks fire in the Bronx (which killed seventeen people), freedom of the press, American immigration policies, and California’s mass shootings. “In the Thick” is available on platforms like Spotify, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.
#9. Reveal
“Reveal” (from The Center for Investigative Reporting) is a public radio show and podcast hosted by journalist Al Letson. Its website describes it as “the country’s first weekly investigative public radio show and podcast.” Since its launch in 2013, the show has received numerous awards, including Peabody Awards for its shows on confederate monuments and the VA’s opiates problem. Other topics include why gun reform keeps failing, how white nationalists are mobilizing around the world, and Bitcoin’s climate impact.
If you like your political podcasts to be bold and deeply researched, “Reveal” is a great choice. It currently has 200 episodes, which run about an hour. The podcast is available on platforms like Spotify, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.
#10. Citations Needed
A listener-sponsored podcast, “Citations Needed” is about “the media, power, PR, and the history of bullshit.” It’s hosted by Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson, who are political commentators and media analysts. The podcast covers American and international issues with a media-focused lens. What role does the press play in protecting systems of power? What does government propaganda look like?
At the time of writing, “Citations Needed” had 247 episodes, which include main episodes and shorter “News Briefs,” which cover major news as it comes up. Recent topics include the East Palestine train derailment, the New York Times’ coverage of trans people, and how TV’s “very special episodes” about drugs were funded by the government.
#11. Throughline
Are you a fan of history? “Throughline” from NPR, which is the network’s first history podcast, explores the connection between the past and present by examining historical events. That includes civil rights history, political debates, domestic policy, and international news. It’s hosted by Ramtin Arablouei and Rund Abdelfatah. Launched in 2019, it’s since won a Peabody for its 2021 episode on the culture and history of Afghanistan.
Topics include the partition in India, the dark history of sugar, what’s waiting after Roe, and the history of nostalgia. You can find “Throughline” on platforms like Spotify, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.
#12. Drilled
Launched in 2017 and hosted by investigative journalist Amy Westervelt, “Drilled” is described as a “true-crime podcast about climate change.” In its first season, the podcast explored the origins of climate denial and how Big Oil companies hid what their own research was revealing. The second season, subtitled “Hot Water,” tells the story of a group of crab fishermen who sue Big Oil. The most recent 7th season, which was a collaboration with Earther, covered how Big Oil and climate denial affect education in the United States.
Thorough and engaging, “Drilled” covers one of the most important political and social topics in human history. It’s won awards like Best Green Podcast at the iHeart Radio Podcast Awards and the Covering Climate Now award for audio. It’s available on platforms like Spotify, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.
#13. A Tradition of Violence
In 2020, journalist Cerise Castle was shot by the LAPD with a rubber bullet. While recovering, she began a deep dive into the history of deputy gangs in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. For years, these gangs have terrorized citizens with impunity. Castle published a 15-part series for the nonprofit journalism site Knock LA.
While “A Tradition of Violence” focuses on deputy gangs in LA, the series is an important exploration of the police state and police brutality. Episodes cover the history of various gangs in the department, how TV shows about cops lionize police, and how deputy gang violence and influence are growing. The podcast is available on platforms like Spotify, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.