5 Podcasts That Go Beyond The Headlines

Podcasts for when you want to take a deeper look at the stories passing through the news cycle. 

The news cycle can get a bit overwhelming. Brexit, Trump, we’re destroying the planet and then Brexit and Trump again, just in case we forgot about them…

It’s a lot to take in - and no-one can blame you if you just want to switch off sometimes. There is a way to get around it, though. Podcasts that keep you in the know and do so in an entertaining, and often deeper, way.

Here are five that I love and would recommend to anyone. Some of them talk about current events and others go back and dissect things that have already happened. They all have one thing in common – they go beyond the headlines and give you a lot more of the detail and backstory that you’d never get in traditional news.

1. Undone

This 7-episode series by Gimlet went back through big events and headlines in history and looked at what really happened beyond what was reported at the time. While the stories are US-centric, all of them are fascinating no matter where you’re from.

2. Slow Burn

This show from Slate is a serialised political documentary. It is gripping in a way that makes you want to instantly go into politics and be part of all the shady goings on (or maybe that’s just me... ). So far, it has only focused on American politics but there are big events that you will definitely want to find out more about. Season 1 went deep into Watergate and the second talks all about Bill Clinton’s sexual misconduct scandals. Yes, that’s scandals plural.

 3. This American Life – ep. 669 ‘Scrambling to get off the ice’

This American Life have always produced political stories, but in recent years, in the hands of producer Zoe Chace, their political reporting has reached a new level. She has inside access to many Republicans and Democrats and she is able to pull back the curtain on dull backroom processes and machinations in a way that makes them actually interesting - and funny. Episode 669 features, amongst other stories, one about the Democrats’ newfound political power and how they’re learning to use it again.

4. Criminal – Hostage

There are so many true crime podcasts - too many some might say. Criminal is different, though. The stories focus on the human aspect and are never sensationalised. The show doesn’t linger on the obvious and goes a step further to explore new and surprising sides to the stories. The episode ‘Hostage’ does that with the crime that inspired the term ‘Stockholm syndrome’ and features the people who were actually people involved.

5. Today in Focus

What The Guardian’s daily news podcast does so well is that it doesn’t give you the daily news – you can read the newspaper for that. Today in Focus dissects two topics each day that you may have missed or which need a closer look. Through its sound design and Anushka Asthana’s great voice and style, you find yourselves being interested in stories you’d never choose to read in the newspaper.

…Oh, and one more. If you’re a fan of these shows, we would love to hear what you think of Undiscovered - our podcast which tells stories that haven’t received much attention in mainstream news (but that definitely deserved it). In season one, we did a deep dive into the human experiments conducted by the Japanese army in WW2, explored all sides of the assisted dying debate and more. Give it a listen!

Hey There, Sports Fans?

9 of the Best *Sport-Adjacent* Podcasts

I love anything to do with American Football. Except watching actual American Football.

Friday Night Lights, Remember The Titans, Varsity Blues, Friday Night Lights, The Blindside, The Longest Yard, Friday Night Lights, Last Chance U  -  I can't get enough.

But, how many games have I actually sat through? Well…

You simply don't have to be a fan of the sport to be captured by the magic of it. In my case, the passion, the emotion, the way the game reflects and refracts the wider culture captured my imagination in a way I have never been able to shake.

So naturally, when I started listening to podcasts - I started looking for these types of *sport-adjacent* human-interest stories.

Whilst, there are a lot of podcasts out there for fans - for people who want to obsess over stats and rehash the latest fixture - those that focus on the human stories are harder to come by.

Screw the superstars - I want to hear about the underdogs, grafters and chancers. If that's what you're about too, here are 11 of my favourites:

1. Gladiator

An intimate investigation that goes beyond true crime tropes to comment on the systemic problems ingrained, from high-school to professional level, in the business and culture of American Football.

Football star Aaron Hernandez went from the bright lights of the Super Bowl to a convicted murderer in a few years. The Boston Globe's Spotlight Team, best known for its investigation of the sexual abuse scandal inside the Catholic Church, takes a hard look at the crisis facing football through the lens of Aaron Hernandez's life and terrible crimes.Did a brain badly damaged by football contribute to Hernandez's violent behavior?

2. 30 for 30  —  Bikram 

A six-part investigation into the culty figure behind an internationally popular yoga movement. Think Wild Wild Country but with more stretching.

In the early 1970s, a young Indian yogi named Bikram Choudhury used his Hollywood connections to launch a hot yoga empire. America's fitness obsession brought the Speedo-clad and Rolex-wearing guru wealth and fame. But the success of his yoga revolution allowed him to hide increasingly dark behavior.

3. The Season

You can't help get behind the underdogs, a college team on a 21-game losing streak, in this fly on the wall documentary from 2015.

The Season is a new weekly podcast from WNYC that will follow Columbia University's football team, the Lions, over their ten-game season. It's been two years since the Lions had a win. That's a 21-game losing streak.

4. Backstory  — Turf War

The American History Guys take us back through the origin and growth of College Sports. A very pertinent listen in the wake of the latest admissions scandal.

On this episode, Brian, Peter, and Ed unpack the origins of college sports and the ways universities originally justified athletics on campus. From the first collegiate PHYS ED program at Amherst College to the little-known story about the integration of the University of Alabama's football team - the hosts discover why college sports even exist in the first place.Learn more about your ad choices.

5. Against The Rules — Ref, You Suck!

Micheal Lewis (Moneyball, The Blind Side) kicks off a season-long exploration into the decline of referees in American life by taking listeners backstage at the American Basketball League replay center.

Rage at referees is all the rage in professional sports. Michael Lewis visits a replay center that's trying to do the impossible: adjudicate fairness.

6. On The Shoulders of Giants  —  Throughline

Another historical take, but this time using past examples of protest by black sportspeople as context by which to see the current activism of NFL players like Colin Kaepernick.

When Colin Kaepernick stopped standing for the national anthem at NFL games it sparked a nationwide conversation about patriotism and police brutality. Black athletes using their platform to protest injustice has long been a tradition in American history.

7. Desert Island Discs  —  David Beckham

A British footballing legend relives some of his greatest sporting moments, and shows us his softer side, in the 75th-anniversary edition of this BBC radio staple.

David Beckham is Kirsty Young's guest as Desert Island Discs celebrates its 75th Anniversary. As a professional footballer he's the only Englishman to win the league titles in England, Spain, the US and France.

8. This American Life  —  Those Who Can't Play

This short piece, only 6 minutes long, tells the story of an announcer who can bring audiences to tears with his commentary of football games. The twist: he's making the games up.

Listen here

9. Radiolab  —  American Football

A look at American football past and future. The conflict many Americans feel about reconciling their love of the game with its increasingly well evidenced health risks is captured perfectly by a football fanatic mother and her no-so-interested son.

Any more recommendations? Let me know, I'm always on the hunt for new listens - emily@messageheard.com

P.S. A quiet plug for our own sort-of-sports show, Benched. If you're a fan of the shows above - we’d love to know what you think 💖