Political and current affairs podcasts have evolved considerably both in quantity and quality over the last several years. The number of choices that are available is staggering, ranging from postings of long-standing radio shows to those from podders on their home computers. The problem now is not finding something interesting, but rather choosing from the myriad of great options. Depending on one's interest and available time during the week, a few offerings go particularly well together, all of which have stood the test of time.
The Economist posts a editor's highlights podcast midweek, which consists of professional readings of selected articles from the current issue, and is usually 45-60 min in length. In the sense that this magazine has been a current affairs standard bearer for decades, and these stories are some of the most pertinent within any given weekly issue, this podcast is near the top of the list for anyone who wants to keep up with what is going on globally. What it lacks is the conversational tone of panel or interview shows (can one now call a podcast a "show", or is that too retro?). (other Economist podcasts)
Other good options for global issues is one of the many options from the Financial Times newspaper, “Late Night Live” from ABC Radio National (Australia), and “the World Next Week” from the Council of Foreign Relations. For those who want a daily news offering, the BBC has five news shows (“newspod”, “global news,” “Newshour,” and “the World Tonight,” “BBC World Update; Daily Commute”), which update a different times, and not always promptly. Newshour and Daily Commute are updated every day of the week, the others only Monday through Friday. Deutsche Welle has two good news podcasts: “Newslink” and “Newslink Plus” with overlapping content; the “plus” version adds some more local news.
If there is interest in US politics, then there are five really good panel shows: Slate's political weekly podcast or “Gabfest”, KCRW's Left, Right and Center, PBS's Washington Week with Gwen Ifill, NPR's Diane Rehm Show's Friday new's roundup (there are many others), and the Young Turks daily podcast . My favorite current is Slate because the three co-hosts are very smart, have established a great online chemistry, and seem to genuinely enjoy each other's company, which allows for an engaging, conversational tone as they analyze issues from a variety of perspectives. They often disagree with each other, and things are the most fun when they do.
All these offerings are available on i-tunes or on their own websites.
Saeed Ahmed
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
A Podcast Playlist for 8 July 2011
Distillations
Chem-moo-stry
Today the Distillations team delves into the weird and wonderful world of its favorite barnyard animal: the cow. First find out why so few populations are lactose tolerant. Then take a literal peek inside the body of one of these creatures.
(review, feed)
The Economist
The News of the World's demise
Our correspondents discuss the closure of Britain's best-selling newspaper and the latest developments in the phone-hacking scandal
(review, feed)
Africa Past & Present
The Impact of US government cuts on African Studies
David Wiley, James Pritchett, Laura Mitchell, and Joshua Grace discuss huge federal government cuts to Title VI and Fulbright-Hays programs and their impact on African Studies in the United States.
(review, feed)
Chem-moo-stry
Today the Distillations team delves into the weird and wonderful world of its favorite barnyard animal: the cow. First find out why so few populations are lactose tolerant. Then take a literal peek inside the body of one of these creatures.
(review, feed)
The Economist
The News of the World's demise
Our correspondents discuss the closure of Britain's best-selling newspaper and the latest developments in the phone-hacking scandal
(review, feed)
Africa Past & Present
The Impact of US government cuts on African Studies
David Wiley, James Pritchett, Laura Mitchell, and Joshua Grace discuss huge federal government cuts to Title VI and Fulbright-Hays programs and their impact on African Studies in the United States.
(review, feed)
ITV Tour de France 2011 podcast
As every year in the summer I follow the Tour de France and go look for podcasts about this legendary sporting event. Unfortunately the supply has been steadily going down over the past years and now, in 2011 I am down to one: ITV's Tour de France podcast (feed)
Too bad there is only this one, as this years Tour is off to a promising start. In case you had expected Alberto Contador to reign as a true patron, that may still happen, but so far has has begun a minute and a half down. The predicted number two, Andy Schleck doesn't seem so strong thus far and the one old favorite I thought had left the scene, Cadel Evans, emerged as a force to reckon with. And then what about Bradley Wiggins or Robert Gesink. No, this could be a very exciting and eventful tour as it has already been in six stages so far.
Take a listen to ITV's issue about stage 5 and you will even find an unexpected dissenting opinion on the issue of rider Nicky Sorensen who was hit by a motor cycle, thrown off his bike and left deprived of his equipment as it remained stuck to the motor cycle. Every commentator unequivocally bashed the motor rider's carelessness, but ITV brought some words to his defense.
Too bad there is only this one, as this years Tour is off to a promising start. In case you had expected Alberto Contador to reign as a true patron, that may still happen, but so far has has begun a minute and a half down. The predicted number two, Andy Schleck doesn't seem so strong thus far and the one old favorite I thought had left the scene, Cadel Evans, emerged as a force to reckon with. And then what about Bradley Wiggins or Robert Gesink. No, this could be a very exciting and eventful tour as it has already been in six stages so far.Take a listen to ITV's issue about stage 5 and you will even find an unexpected dissenting opinion on the issue of rider Nicky Sorensen who was hit by a motor cycle, thrown off his bike and left deprived of his equipment as it remained stuck to the motor cycle. Every commentator unequivocally bashed the motor rider's carelessness, but ITV brought some words to his defense.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
A Podcast Playlist for 7 July 2011
Thinking Allowed
Comedy and Work
Comedy is often seen as a social leveller. But new research by Sam Friedman suggests comedic taste is linked to cultural snobbery. Also, Melissa Gregg's new book explores the the blurring of boundaries between work and home.
(review, feed)
New Books in Public Policy
Yuval Levin (editor), “National Affairs”
Public policy ideas make their way into the conversation in a variety of ways. Typically, New Books in Public Policy looks at how books influence the debate, but in this episode we talk to the founding editor of National Affairs magazine, Yuval Levin. Levin has a wealth of experience to draw on, having previously served as Executive Director of the President’s Council on Bioethics under President Bush and as an Associate Director on the White House Domestic Policy Council. Levin is also the Hertog Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.
(review, feed)
ITV Tour de France Podcast
TDF Stage 5 2011
On the day when the Manx Missile finally launched, others crashed & burned. The boys sift through the wreckage of an action-packed stage.
(review, feed)
In Our Time
The Minoans
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ancient civilisation of the Minoans. The Minoans flourished for around two thousand years, long before Ancient Greek civilisation had begun. The most famous Minoan site is the Palace of Knossos on Crete which was famously excavated by Arthur Evans in 1900 and controversially reconstructed by him. But what do we really know about the Minoans and why did they eventually disappear? Melvyn is joined by John Bennet, Professor of Aegean Archaeology at Sheffield University; Ellen Adams, Lecturer in Classical Art & Archaeology at King’s College London; and Yannis Hamilakis, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Southampton.
(review, feed)
OVT podcast
Gouden Jaren 2: Herman Brood’s muziekcursus
Maandag 11 juli 2011 is het tien jaar geleden dat popartiest en beeldend kunstenaar Herman Brood overleed. Hij maakte een einde aan zijn leven door van het dak van het Amsterdamse Hilton-hotel te springen.
In deze tweede aflevering van de nieuwe OVT zomerserie De Gouden Jaren (fragmenten uit het archief van de VPRO radio) een compilatie van zijn cursus “hoe maak je een hit”, afkomstig uit het culturele programma De Suite van 6, 13 en 20 april 1979. In drie achtereenvolgende uitzendingen van De Suite legt Herman Brood uit hoe je een hit maakt.
(review, feed)
Comedy and Work
Comedy is often seen as a social leveller. But new research by Sam Friedman suggests comedic taste is linked to cultural snobbery. Also, Melissa Gregg's new book explores the the blurring of boundaries between work and home.
(review, feed)
New Books in Public PolicyYuval Levin (editor), “National Affairs”
Public policy ideas make their way into the conversation in a variety of ways. Typically, New Books in Public Policy looks at how books influence the debate, but in this episode we talk to the founding editor of National Affairs magazine, Yuval Levin. Levin has a wealth of experience to draw on, having previously served as Executive Director of the President’s Council on Bioethics under President Bush and as an Associate Director on the White House Domestic Policy Council. Levin is also the Hertog Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.
(review, feed)
ITV Tour de France Podcast
TDF Stage 5 2011
On the day when the Manx Missile finally launched, others crashed & burned. The boys sift through the wreckage of an action-packed stage.
(review, feed)
In Our Time
The Minoans
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ancient civilisation of the Minoans. The Minoans flourished for around two thousand years, long before Ancient Greek civilisation had begun. The most famous Minoan site is the Palace of Knossos on Crete which was famously excavated by Arthur Evans in 1900 and controversially reconstructed by him. But what do we really know about the Minoans and why did they eventually disappear? Melvyn is joined by John Bennet, Professor of Aegean Archaeology at Sheffield University; Ellen Adams, Lecturer in Classical Art & Archaeology at King’s College London; and Yannis Hamilakis, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Southampton.
(review, feed)
OVT podcast
Gouden Jaren 2: Herman Brood’s muziekcursus
Maandag 11 juli 2011 is het tien jaar geleden dat popartiest en beeldend kunstenaar Herman Brood overleed. Hij maakte een einde aan zijn leven door van het dak van het Amsterdamse Hilton-hotel te springen.
In deze tweede aflevering van de nieuwe OVT zomerserie De Gouden Jaren (fragmenten uit het archief van de VPRO radio) een compilatie van zijn cursus “hoe maak je een hit”, afkomstig uit het culturele programma De Suite van 6, 13 en 20 april 1979. In drie achtereenvolgende uitzendingen van De Suite legt Herman Brood uit hoe je een hit maakt.
(review, feed)
Putney Debates - BTHP and Yale
The Putney Debates turned up in the history course about Early Modern England (Yale) I am about to finish. (feed) Previously and more extensively, they were discussed on the Binge Thinking History Podcast. (feed)
During the 17th century when the English both beheaded their king, as well as reinstated and also replaced him, the Putney Debates were a sign of the times how they were looking for a befitting constitutional order, with both a monarch and with an influential parliament. Both podcasts give great insight in this subject.
(A quick posting in order to keep up with the ideas I have and the little time available to post)
During the 17th century when the English both beheaded their king, as well as reinstated and also replaced him, the Putney Debates were a sign of the times how they were looking for a befitting constitutional order, with both a monarch and with an influential parliament. Both podcasts give great insight in this subject.
(A quick posting in order to keep up with the ideas I have and the little time available to post)
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
A Podcast Playlist for 6 July 2011
Reith Lectures 2011Aung San Suu Kyi: Dissent
Aung San Suu Kyi examines what drives people to become dissidents in the second of her 2011 Reith Lectures, entitled Dissent. The Burmese pro-democracy Leader reflects on the history of her own party, the National League for Democracy and explores the meaning of opposition and dissidence. She also explains her reasons for following the path of non-violence.
(review, feed)
SALT - Seminars About Long Term Thinking
Peter Kareiva
Conservation in the Real World - As chief scientist of one of the most highly respected conservation organizations, The Nature Conservancy, Peter Kareiva is surprisingly radical. "Look," he says, "we're in nature. The deal is how to work with it and how to help it work for us. The better we are at ensuring that people get nature's benefits, the better we'll be at doing conservation." Through his insistence on "evidence-based conservation," he finds most ecosystems far less fragile than people think and none that can be protected as pristine, because pristine doesn't exist any more. His focus is on working the human/nature interface for maximum benefit to both.
(review, feed)
The Economist
Thailand's elections
Who wins Thailand's election matters less than how the loser copes with defeat
(review, feed)
Oxford Biographies
Diana, princess of Wales
The late Diana, Princess of Wales was born Lady Diana Frances Spencer on 1 July 1961 in Norfolk. Lady Diana Spencer married The Prince of Wales at St Paul's Cathedral in London on 29 July 1981. She died on Sunday, 31 August 1997 following a car crash in Paris.
(review, feed)
The Memory Palace
episode 38
(a stretch)
(review, feed)
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