Podcasts have nowadays exceeded the image of a guy-next-door, attempting to be funny rather than actually informing you on the topics. Listening to background stories on politically relevant topics from a different perspective is a refreshing way of informing yourself on the latest developments in the news, more specifically the political landscape.
We have selected 5 of the best political podcasts out there. All of the podcasts mentioned below have their specific qualities, may it be their exclusive analytical insights or their focus on women and leadership.
The Guardian
Most political podcasts are US centred. However, our British neighbours on the other side of the canal have their own interesting political battles happening right now. The Guardian offers both a special podcast dedicated to Brexit, keeping you abreast and providing clarity on the complicated issues surrounding Brexit. There is also a more general podcast presenting a weekly overview of the news. Even though the Brexit and the Weekly Overview podcast may be overlapping each other a bit, it’s still worth a few minutes of your time.
Up First
In contrast to the other podcasts, Up First is more newsflash style rather than providing background stories to recent developments. Every morning Up First delivers a ten minute daily podcasts discussing, rather than just stating the news. Up First is always up-to-date and critical without being overly lengthy. If you are looking for something more than the regular morning news radio, Up First is definitely something for you to listen to while commuting to work or university
Can he do that
Trump’s presidency has often raised the question: “But can he do that?” The title of this podcast may initially sound funny but don’t be fooled. This high-quality podcast is focussed on answering this question based on the latest developments surrounding Donald Trump. Can he do that discusses both the limitations as well as the power of the US president.
Women Rule
As The Guardian argues: “podcasting can be even more pale, male and stale than conventional political journalism”. Women Rule challenges this notion by presenting women, promoting female leadership with a powerful stance on current day issues. Are you interested in topics such as background stories on black women in politics, debates on maternity leave and how the World Bank and women are related, then you might want to check this podcast out.
The Daily
This podcast dives deeper into the latest news. Both analytical insights on the relevant news issues as well as more general ongoing issues such as the renewed attention for the Rohingya people in Myanmar or the abuse in the Catholic Church are discussed. One disadvantage of this podcast is maybe its obvious political orientation. The Daily podcast is an initiative fromThe New York Times, a news outlet known for its longstanding support for the Democratic Party. This is sometimes quite obviously reflected in the way they choose and present their topics; either too one-sided or too biased against Republicans.
De Dag
For all the Dutchies out here or those trying the master the language. NOS has its own interesting podcasts, presented by Jurgen van den Berg, a well-known figure in Dutch journalism. De Dag is easy to comprehend and mainly focussed on domestic affairs.
10 of the Best Political Podcast – October 13th, 2018 – www.theguardian.com
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