Okay, hear me out: podcasts 100% deserve the hype. If you’re a seasoned podcast-listener, you’ll agree with me on that. But, if you’re new to the world of podcasts, it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start. Cue: this article. Consider this my personal guide to podcasts from a plethora of genres. Hopefully, this gets you just as addicted to podcasts as I am.
Daily News:
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“The Journal”: this podcast is a co-production from The Wall Street Journal. It has short episodes (think 15-20 minutes) about some of the top stories from around the world.
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“The Daily”: similar to The Journal, The Daily is produced by The New York Times and hosted by Michael Barbaro. The episodes are a bit longer, usually around 30-40 minutes.
Business/Entrepreneurship:
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“How I Built This”: this might take the cake as my favorite podcast. Hosted by Guy Raz, this podcast contains interviews with the entrepreneurs behind some of the world’s most well-known companies. Examples include Lululemon, Ben and Jerry’s and Shake Shack, just to name a few.
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“Redefining Ambition”: this podcast is produced by The Women’s Network, which is a networking organization originally introduced at Syracuse University, but now has expanded to 23 different college campuses (including UW-Madison). This podcast interviews leaders and entrepreneurs, and gives attention to the gender related issues women face in the workforce.
Chit Chat:
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“Happy Hour with Gretchen Geraghty”: as implied by the name, Grechen’s episodes are all around an hour in length, and it truly feels like you’re just chatting with an old friend. Topics range from her current favorites, health and wellness, to advice about college and life in general. I love to listen to this podcast on walks or bike rides. Overall, it’s very relaxing.
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“Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain”: this podcast is one of the funniest I’ve ever listened to. Similar to Happy Hour, Emma just has a way of making you feel like her old friend. She’s very transparent about everything, ranging from lighthearted episodes like advice sessions and funny stories, to how she’s dealt with anxiety and fear of failure.
Mystery/Crime:
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“The Catch and Kill”: this podcast is structured into nine episodes. The host, Ronan Farrow, is a journalist who started investigating Harvey Weinstein. That investigation led him to numerous other stories he knew he had to bring to light. Seeing as he is a journalist, it is very interesting to me how this podcast is structured. Ronan talks a lot about how the media seems to “protect” these powerful people.
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“Crime Junkie”: this podcast was recommended to me by a good friend. Each episode is around 40 minutes to an hour long and tells a different true crime story. It’s basically like listening to an episode of Dateline and is very interesting.
