The news right now is nothing short of crazy. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, switching on world news is like jumping into a portal to what seems like a parallel universe. A universe in which corruption rules, it’s dangerous to even go outside, and people live in fear for their lives. It’s not an easy pill to swallow, but keeping up with current events is vital, though it’s hard. Especially for African Americans right now, it seems the world has not progressed too far. Taking it all in can be tough, but closing your eyes to our reality is the worst thing you could do.
In our modern world, there are so many different ways to stay up to date. Some people still read what are now considered old-fashioned broadsheet newspapers; others watch the news on TV; some just use social media to find their stories. Possibly the newest way to ingest news media, though, is through podcasts.
Especially in quarantine, podcasts will be your best friend. You can listen to them absolutely anywhere, and learn from experts about what’s going on in our world – without being yelled at by typical TV news anchors. Instead of snippets of information like you’ll see on the news, you get an in-depth, broad analysis of current affairs. Instead of being bombarded by clickbait, you get an intelligent reading of what’s going on. This is not only better for your mental wellbeing, it allows you to form an educated opinion about the state of the world.
As of 2020, there are over 850,000 active podcasts available to stream on official platforms. So, which ones are the best? Luckily, there are whole sites dedicated to ranking the best podcasts about certain subjects. For example, Chapo Trap House, an American political podcast, is rated highly on various platforms, so you can get an idea of where it stands in the podcast world. These podcasts are rated by listeners alone, so you know you’re getting an honest read! You can also weigh in and form your own opinion about these podcasts, helping others to decide whether it’s right for them. Once you become a podcast connoisseur, your friends and family will be constantly asking you for your top recommendations!
Then, there are ratings by the number of listeners. You can find the most-listened-to podcasts on any streaming platform – Spotify, Apple, the Podcast app and more. These allow you to find the ones everyone’s talking about because of course, all podcasts, even news podcasts, are different. Depending on your taste, you can find news podcasts that focus on politics; others on pop culture news; and more still on world health and science. Whatever your taste and preferred style, you can find the most-listened-to podcasts simply by visiting these platforms and seeing what they suggest.
Opening yourself up to the world of podcast listening will broaden your knowledge and deepen your understanding of our current world. Increasing your knowledge and awareness will only help you connect with society as a whole!