You may know from my blog post about Self-Care After the 2016 Election that I am a liberal Democrat. That being said, I grew up in a family with a high concentration of Republicans and in a city where Democrats only make up 21.7% of the voting age population. I marched in the Women's March in support of women's rights, and remain politically engaged in the name of progressive politics. I also consciously seek to engage with people who have different opinions than me, including intentionally building bipartisan relationships (shout out to Millennial Action Project which is specifically working to harness the power of millennials for a post-partisan future). On a daily basis I read The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, BBC, Fox News, Mic, Al Jazeera English and Irin News. I also read coverage from The Economist and The Wall Street Journal. On an average day I receive 10+ breaking news stories. As news is rarely focused on positive media (unless you are reading Upworthy), it is easy to feel hopeless and overwhelmed. What is dangerous is when that hopelessness turns into political apathy. I addressed this in my post on Tackling Hopelessness in the 24/7 News Cycle.
Despite a media market that is fairly saturated with political news, there is still a significant amount of misinformation. It seems the only thing people can agree on at this point is that people are angry . As of February 26th, the President's approval rate was at 41% according to Gallup. Congress currently has a 21.9% approval rate. From the divisive battle over cabinet picks to the refusal of some members of Congress to hold town halls in-district during recess, many constituents are left with one clear feeling:
There is only one way to respond to the current political landscape:
The next four years are going to require a commitment to staying informed about what is happening on Capitol Hill and in the White House. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, whether you read about politics every day or only hear about politics on your Facebook newsfeed, the decisions that are made every single day in Washington, DC will impact your life. Whether health care, immigration, LGBT policy, women's issues, campaign finance reform, or environmental policy, each of these issues do play a role in your life.
In the past, I have discussed my recommendations for podcasts primarily as a form of entertainment. This week, I am providing you my top recommendations for podcasts that will make you a more informed citizen during the Donald Trump era. Have 15 minutes on your lunch break? Listen to a podcast. Need something to fill your 45-minute commute to work every morning? Keep yourself informed with one of the below recommendations:
1. The Daily
The Daily launched on February 1st of this year and comes from The New York Times. Monday through Friday The Daily releases an episode covering the previous day's news coverage. Averaging approximately 20 minutes, this podcast is accessible to anyone, even those who don't have an extensive background on politics. The Daily usually dives into 1 or 2 stories in depth by bringing on a guest with expertise in that knowledge area. All of the stories are discussed in laymen's terms, making them easily digestible and a great way to process top-line what the biggest political news stories were of the previous day. While mainstream news often operates by a "receptacle model" of seeking to fill the vessel with knowledge, The Daily manages to make the viewer feel like they are an active participant in the conversation. Read this piece about the Daily in order to understand a bit more about why it was launched and how they cover the news.
2. Global Dispatches- Conversations on Foreign Policy and World Affairs
Mark Leon Goldberg, editor of UN Dispatch, is the host of this biweekly podcast about global affairs. Goldberg's regularly interviews some of the top foreign policy officials and visionaries, including former UN Ambassadors, American diplomats, and human rights activists. While it is critical to stay informed about U.S. foreign policy (Goldberg has pledged to help his viewers make sense of foreign policy in the Trump Administration), Global Dispatches is the perfect podcast to keep you informed about what else is happening in the world, including crimes against humanity in Burma, a famine in South Sudan, the "global gag rule," and more.
3. Pod Save America & Pod Save the World
Hosted by former President Obama staffers Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer and Tommy Vietor, Pod Save America premiered in January in association with Crooked Media. According to its website, Crooked Media promises "a no-bullshit conversation about politics where you can laugh, cry, scream, ridicule us daily, share your ideas, and hopefully decide that you want to help fix this mess too.That goes for Democrats who want to learn from our party’s mistakes (which is hard because things are so perfect), Republicans ready to hold Trump accountable (fingers crossed on that one!), and everybody, everywhere who’s been asking the same question: What do we do now?" Pod Save America is a hilarious and brutally honest look at what is happening in politics right now, and what you can do to fix it. It airs biweekly, with episodes coming out every Monday and Thursday. In addition to Pod Save America, download its sister podcast Pod Save the World, which is hosted by Tommy Vietor, President Obama’s National Security Spokesman, specifically about foreign policy. Pod Save the World airs every Wednesday. That is 3 Crooked Media podcasts per week! Also launched from Crooked Media is the podcast With Friends Like These.
4. Left, Right & Center
Left, Right & Center is the best of political debate. By bringing in leading voices for all sides of the political spectrum and having them respectfully debate on-air, not only are you able to hear perspectives you may disagree with, but you can hear all of the different perspectives articulated respectfully and with fact-checked sources. Left, Right & Center is my 'happy place' when it comes to politics, and I recommend it for anyone who wants to break out of the echo chamber of their own political silo. LRC airs every Friday and covers the previous week's major political events.
5. The Axe Files with David Axelrod
In The Axe Files, David Axelrod, interviews key political figures across the political spectrum. Axelrod brings 40 years of experience in the political sphere, including as Senior Political Correspondent for CNN, Founder and Director of the University of Chicago Institute of Politics, Senior Advisor to President Obama, and Chief Strategist for President Obama's election campaigns. One of the things I appreciate most about The Axe Files is that I hear from guests outside of my political perspective. For example, the past two episodes included Corey Lewandowski, former campaign manger for Donald Trump's primary campaign, and Bill Kristoff, a neoconservative political commentator. From speechwriters to President Obama himself, David Axelrod brings on an array of different guests that provide much needed insight into the all the different cogs in the political landscape. This biweekly political podcast is available every Monday and Thursday and has been running since 2015.
6. Katie Couric
Katie Couric is well-known for her work as a 60 Minutes Correspondent, co-host of the today show, as Yahoo! News Global Anchor. She is known for interviewing some of the top political names in the country include President Obama, President Bush, Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Sarah Palin. In July of this year, Katie Couric started a new project and launched a podcast with Brian Goldsmith to discuss what is big in politics and pop culture. As the website states, "Candid, unscripted conversations that go beyond the soundbites to reveal how we got here and what’s really going on. Unexpected. Unconventional. Un-buttoned up." Two recent episodes of her podcast include Bill Browder, Russia's former largest foreign investor turned Kremlin critic, and interviews with an intersex activist in preparation of her upcoming documentary Gender Revolution: A Journey With Katie Couric.
7. Decode DC
To help the average person understand what the hell is happening in Washington, DC, and how it impacts their life: That is the mission of Decode DC. From discussing what lobbyists actually do (from Erik Krupke, a reformed lobbyist), to interviewing parents who are desperate to get their children access to medical marijuana as it is the only thing that treats their seizures, Decode DC is the perfect window into finding what what the heck is really going on. Decode DC airs once a week on every Thursday.
8. The United States of Anxiety
The United States of Anxiety aired during the run-up to the 2016 Presidential Election. I will admit, after the election I felt hurt and betrayed. The United States of Anxiety helped me get through that. The United States of Anxiety interviewed Trump supporters (as well as a few liberals) in the lead up to the election and discussed the reasons that people were voting for Donald Trump. From concerns about the loss of their jobs to foreign labor to the opioid epidemic, hearing the stories of people who voted from Donald Trump was a critical step in developing empathy around this election. It is easy to demonize those who make decisions we disagree with if you don't know them personally. This podcast stepped in to fill that void. Per their website, The United States of Anxiety helps to know the "voices of people trying to hold on to their piece of the American Dream and others who are looking to build one."
Right now, politics looks a lot like this:
One of my favorite things about the above podcasts is that during each of these podcasts I have heard perspectives I disagree with. While I may not have had my opinion changed, I have been able to open my mind up to different perspectives and at least develop an understanding of where the other side is coming from. Every week, I loose approximately 8 hours to the Los Angeles freeway system. Other weeks, I will spend upwards of 15 hours stuck on the freeway. Podcasts have allowed me to turn that wasted time into an act of defiance, to turn seemingly endless hours on the 10 freeway into opportunities for me to be a more informed citizen.
Have you tried any of the above podcasts? What is your favorite podcast for keeping yourself informed? Let me know in the comments!
Featured image can be found here. No edits have been made to the feature image.