News & Media

Three podcasts with a keen interest in inner lives captured the attention of critic Nick Quah this year. His picks for the best of 2021? S***hole Country, Storytime with Seth Rogen and Aack Cast.

Culkin plays one of three siblings vying for control of a media empire. The character, he says, "doesn't really know what [it] means to suffer consequences." Originally broadcast Dec. 6, 2021.

Tate's whirlwind writing, which appeared in The Village Voice and Rolling Stone, often referenced pop culture, literary theory and the latest slang. He died Dec. 7. Originally broadcast in 1992.

Atlantic journalist Bart Gellman says the Republican party is increasingly unwilling to accept defeat and, in fact, is "prepared to win by sacrificing the essential elements of democracy."

Journalist Dawn Turner revisits her own past, and tells the story of her sister, who died at 24 from chronic alcoholism, and her childhood best friend, who served 20 years in prison for murder.

Journalist Art Cullen discusses the battle to keep print news alive in small-town America. Cullen runs Iowa's Storm Lake Times, along with his brother. Originally broadcast Sept. 16, 2021.

Critic Nick Quah says the streaming giant's foray into the music podcast field has been pleasantly experimental, with casual, compelling shows that sound lo-fi and intimate.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Linda Greenhouse says the new Court has given conservatives less than they'd hoped for, though critical cases on abortion and other issues are still pending.

In her new memoir, Going There, Couric reflects on her evolution as a journalist and the successes and setbacks she experienced during her 40 years in a male-dominated media industry.

Greg Miller of The Washington Post is part of the team that sifted through millions of documents to reveal how dictators, oligarchs, drug dealers and others hide assets in secret accounts.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Art Cullen discusses the battle to keep print news alive in small-town America. Cullen runs Iowa's Storm Lake Times, along with his brother, the paper's publisher.

Galloway, who died Aug. 18, was the only civilian to be awarded the medal of valor in the Vietnam War. He later co-authored We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young. Originally broadcast in 1992 and 2003.

Journalist CLARISSA WARD is CNN’s Chief International Correspondent. She recently reported from the streets of Kabul as thousands of people tried to get into the secure part of the airport, fly out of the country, and escape the rule of the Taliban. She flew out of Afghanistan on Saturday with her crew.

Gallagher was court martialed for shooting at civilians from a sniper's post and murdering a defenseless captive in Iraq. New York Times correspondent David Philipps chronicles the case in Alpha.

Afghanistan deserved better, says New Yorker staff writer Steve Coll. "We're a democracy," he says. "We decided to go over there and do this — and look what we've got."

Conan, who died Aug. 10, worked at NPR for 36 years, as a reporter, executive producer of All Things Considered and host of Talk of the Nation. Originally broadcast in 2002.

Popeil, who died July 28, was an infomercial pioneer whose products included the Chop-O-Matic, the Veg-O-Matic, the smokeless ashtray and many other household gadgets. Originally broadcast in 1996.

Lesley M.M. Blume's book tells the story of John Hersey, whose on-the-ground reporting in Hiroshima, Japan, exposed the world to the devastation of nuclear weapons. Originally broadcast Aug. 19, 2020.

Journalist JANE MAYER is The New Yorker’s chief Washington Correspondent. Her new article in the magazine is The Big Money Behind the Big Lie and is about the money behind efforts to restrict voting, and challenge Joe Biden’s victory. MAYER is the author of a number of books including Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right.

Washington Post reporter Craig Timberg explains how military-grade spyware licensed to governments and police departments has infiltrated the iPhones of journalists, activists and others.