CULTURE CORNER

SPRING 2020

IF YOU HAVE NEVER LISTENED TO A PODCAST, it’s probably only a matter of time. According to the latest surveys, 90 million Americans listen to at least one per month. Not bad for a format that didn’t exist two decades ago.

During social distancing, a podcast can also be a great way to connect with family and friends. You can listen together while preparing meals, or set a time to chat with a friend about a podcast you’re both listening to.

But with some 750,000 podcasts out there, the hunt for a really good one can seem daunting. We asked Catholic podcast producer Maggi Van Dorn (host of America Media’s Deliver Us, a deep dive into the Church’s sexual abuse crisis), to suggest a few that are well-produced, thought-provoking and oriented toward strong faith values.

ON BEING
Long before the explosion of podcasts, On Being was presenting in-depth radio interviews with great thinkers of our day, from poets to scientists to religious luminaries. Host Krista Tippett combines a background in journalism and religious studies with a thorough immersion in the work of her guests. Each episode is an intimate, deeply personal and intellectually rich conversation about the human experience and our relationship to the cosmos. To sort through a catalogue of interviews by subject area, visit onbeing.org.

HEAVYWEIGHT (GIMLET)
A podcast that will make you laugh and possibly cry in the same episode. Comedy writer Jonathan Goldstein talks to ordinary people about “the moment everything changed.” Usually this involves the guest revisiting a conflict, separation or unresolved question with the help and hilarious commentary of the comedian host. It’s surprisingly poignant, expertly crafted and a must-listen.

KIND WORLD (WBUR)
If you’re looking to dip your toes in some heart-warming, day-brightening, short-form podcasts, look no further than Kind World. These are short stories of human kindness that can make you cry (in a good way) in 10 minutes or less.

THIS AMERICAN LIFE (WBEZ CHICAGO / PRX)
The gold standard of narrative reporting in the radio/podcast space, This American Life has taken home pretty much every broadcasting award. Each hour-long show elaborates on a unifying theme through a series of true stories — a highly literary form of journalism with fascinating characters and a well-developed plot.

THE DAILY (NEW YORK TIMES)
The top news stories explained by New York Times journalists in conversation with host Michael Barbaro. The result is 20 minutes of super-focused yet accessible storytelling about the biggest events and issues of the day — a remarkable feat of audio journalism and my favorite way to hear the news.

AMERICA MEDIA
The digital media arm of America magazine produces an array of podcasts, including Plague, a narrative-driven series that tells the complicated story of AIDS and the Catholic Church in the 1980s and ‘90s; Inside the Vatican, a weekly roundup of news and analysis from Rome; Jesuitical, which offers a smart, young take on faith and culture; and Deliver Us, my own podcast about the Church’s sexual-abuse crisis, seeking hope in darkness by facing the issue head-on.

For more podcast ideas, check out the podcast networks Radiotopia, WNYC and Gimlet. If you find a show you like, chances are you’ll find podcasts of similar style and production value on the same network.