9 Podcasts you need to know about
As a follow up to our blog on 12 YouTube Channels you need to know about we thought we would share with you some of our favourite podcasts. Podcasts are recorded audio or digital radio shows that you can download via your FTTH or ADSL connection to your computer or phone and listen to whenever is convenient for you. Whether that be while doing the dishes, relaxing at home, sitting in traffic or during your daily commute. There are a multitude of podcasts online that cover a wide range of topics and interests.
Here are some of our favourites:
1. Cracked
The Cracked Podcast, is a weekly comedy podcast described as an extension of the editorial team discussions that shape the articles written for Cracked. On the podcast host Jack O’Brien, the co-founder of Cracked, interviews a variety of guests on topics that dissect pop culture tropes, debunk myths and examine culture and society.
Some of our favourites from this podcast include ‘Great Ideas Nobody Uses Correctly Anymore,’ ‘America’s Secret Caste System’ and ‘Why Narcissism Is Our National Mental Disorder’.
2. The Burning Platform on Cliff Central
There is never a dull moment when it comes to South African politics and every Thursday on the Gareth Cliff Show, Gareth talks to political commentator Justice Malala about everything that’s been happening in the political arena each week.
Together they discuss the people to watch, the ‘political faux pas’ of the week and many other political questions in a light and humorous style. It is definitely one to catch if you want to keep up to date with what’s going on in South Africa.
3. Serial
Serial is an investigative journalism show that tells one story in-depth over the course of a ‘season’. The first series of the podcast follows the story of the murder of high school student Hae Min Lee and the person accused of her murder Adnan Syed, who claims he is innocent. The second series follows the story of U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl who was a prisoner of the Taliban for nearly five years after voluntarily walking out of his U.S. Army outpost in eastern Afghanistan one night.
The investigative style of part telling a story and part trying to solve a mystery makes the podcast captivating. Each week brings you the next chapter in the story, so it’s important to listen to the episodes in order. This is a hugely successful podcast with wide critical acclaim. Series one broke records as the fastest podcast ever to reach 5 million downloads at Apple’s iTunes store.
4. This American Life
This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program that is broadcast on numerous public radio stations in the United States. It is primarily considered a journalistic non-fiction program, but it also sometimes features essays, memoirs, short fiction, or a comedy routine. Each week’s show has a theme which is explored with a variety of stories on that theme. It is regarded as one of the most popular podcasts in America with over 2.5 million people downloading each episode.
5. Planet Money
Planet Money seeks to make global economics interesting to everyone. Every episode they take an interesting economic topic and unpack it for listeners in a simple and entertaining way. Some examples we love include; ‘We set up an offshore company in a tax haven’ and ‘Planet Money makes a t-shirt’.
If you like discussions about ideas around economics you can also listen to Freakonomics Radio an extension of the bestselling Freakonomics book.
6. Hello Internet
Hello Internet teams up Brady Haran with CPG Grey to create what they describe as a ‘two dudes talking’ style podcast. Originally they started by discussing what goes into being YouTube creators but it has evolved into a more general discussion about current events, their lives and the things they find interesting.
If you are a fan of CPG Grey you can also try Cortex a podcast Grey does with Myke Hurley the co-founder of Relay FM where they discuss the methods and tools they employ to be productive and creative.
7. TED Radio Hour
Based on the famous TED talks where expert speakers share insights on education, business, science, tech and creativity, the TED radio hour is a show centred on a common theme which includes excerpts from TED talks and interviews with TED speakers. Themes for the show are diverse covering such topics as the source of happiness, crowd-sourcing innovation, power shifts, inexplicable connections and other fascinating ideas.
8. HBR Ideacast
The Harvard Business Review (HBR) is one of the foremost business magazines in the world. Their mission is to improve the practice of business management by giving rigorous insights and best practices to enable professionals and organisations to be more effective and make a positive impact.
The podcast’s focus is on a variety of areas including leadership, organisational change, negotiation, strategy, marketing, finance and managing people. With topics such as ‘Getting Growth Back at Your Company’ and ‘Asking for Advice Makes People Think You’re Smarter’, this podcast is a must for anyone who wants to improve their business skills and become a better leader.
9. Welcome to Night Vale
Local radio show host Cecil brings you the community news of Night Vale, a small town in the middle of the desert in America. As you listen you realise that things in Night Vale seem a little bit strange. This is a hugely successful fictional podcast which combines elements of comedy, surrealism and sci-fi to create something truly unique.
Once you delve into the world of podcasts there are seemingly endless options to choose from. If you are still looking for even more podcasts to download you can also try Mystery Show, 99% Invisible, Moth and Call Your Girlfriend.
We hope you have enjoyed our list and found some interesting and entertaining podcasts to listen too. Let us know if there any other podcasts you recommend on Twitter with the hashtag #TopPodcast
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