Podcasts

These shows used to be listed in random order because there weren't so many of them. But the list has grown a lot since, so I've sorted them into three categories: top - shows I always listen to (and honestly look forward to new episodes); recommended - shows I try to keep up with; and defunct - shows that discontinued production. Most of these shows are hosted on several platforms. I used to use [evil-Swedish-audio-streaming-giant] for all of them, though I now switch between Anytime Player on Android and the aforementioned Swedish browser client on PC.

Top

Jacobin

I first learned about The Jacobin Show on YouTube in 2019, after I read this article about why crowdfunding sucks. I was instantly hooked on their work, because it was the first time I found an active media outlet that took positions I agreed with. A few years later, I find myself disagreeing with some hosts' positions, and no longer listen to every show uploaded there. But Jacobin is still far more palatable than mainstream media outlets, which present news through a neoliberal lens identical to virtually every other popular outlet.

Economic Update

One of my favourite economists is Richard D. Wolff because he explains economic ideas and contemporary economic issues in plain language. (Incidentally, that's how most things should be presented.) Like a lot of other podcasts here, I disovered Economic Update after hearing Wolff's interviews on The Jacobin Show.

Class Unity

Class Unity is a group and podcast centered around class politics. What the group represents is best explained on their website, https://classunity.org. I especially like this podcast, however infrequent they post, because they represent politics I align with most, perhaps even moreso than Jacobin's.

Recommended

This Is Revolution

TIR has three episode "types": the main show features Jason Myles interviewing guests on a variety of contemporary issues, such as love/dating, identity politics, and sometimes just making fun of the culture wars. I'm not into the other stuff on the podcast, like the Champagne Room (post-show banter) and the philosophy episodes (I already listen to Ben Burgis on his own show).

Give Them An Argument

Ben Burgis takes a mostly academic and sometimes philosophical approach to current political affairs in the U.S. It sometimes feels repetitive, but I also understand that that's the point of the show. Right wing media rarely produces anything novel, though they do make some wonderful blunders and mistakes, which are ripe for lampooning.

American Prestige

Derek Davison and Daniel Bessner's sarcasm is the only way I can keep up with current events around the world without being bored. Their interviews can get very academic depending on their guests, so I mostly pay attention to their weekly news updates. It's depressing, despite their best efforts to joke as much as possible, but they're also just describing the exact type of world we live in.

Ones and Tooze

Adam Tooze is one of today's greatest living intellectuals. I don't always agree with his or his co-host's perspectives, but I think they're enlightening to listen to nonetheless. The only appeal of the show for me is the topic variety, like the economics of love, fireworks, or the Tour de France, to give some examples. The show itself covers two topics each week, almost always related to business or economics. It's palatable, but sometimes annoyingly technocratic.

Bungacast

This one's a bit strange because I like the work of the people involved with Bungacast's affiliate, Damage magazine, more than I like the podcast itself. Catherine Liu, Amber A'Lee Frost, Ben Fong, and Leigh Phillips are among my favourite guests and writers outside of the podcast. One particular highlight for me is episode 430, "Welcome to the Tourist Age", featuring Marco d'Eramo.

Defunct

A World To Win

Grace Blakely is an intellectual force of nature. She mostly covered UK events and interviews guests from Europe. Sadly, I think the show ended, and without any announcement, too! If you don't mind old episodes about the UK, Europe, and sometimes beyond, the recordings are all still available.

Cargo Cult

I first learned about these hosts on an episode of GTAA (another show listed below). Cargo Cult is a tech podcast that broaches things affecting the tech world in a casual and sardonic way. While the show may have ended, some of the issues they discussed are still ongoing, such as Neom, and the continued development of AI.

Disclaimer

Podcasts ultimately range from switch-your-brain-off entertainment to genuinely valuable edutainment. I wouldn't recommend listening to any of these shows without doing something else on the side. If you really want to dive into something, better to read about it, or watch a video. I usually have to occupy myself with cleaning, cooking, or hobbies to maintain my attention, at the cost of information retention.