Top Documentary Podcasts

Bedrock, USA is a podcast about political extremism, small town life and the fight for democracy, hosted by Laura Bliss, a reporter at Bloomberg CityLab. 

In a super-divided, pandemic-era America awash in conspiracies and misinformation, it’s about a group of people who didn’t like what they saw happening in their local governments, and decided to get involved - whether that meant holding a rally, running for office, recalling an official or storming their government with bullhorns and threats. 

Their stories show how far-right ideologies enter into local politics - sometimes quietly, other times at full volume - and what it takes for regular people to fight back. They show the beauty as well as the risks, struggles and pitfalls of being an active participant in democracy today. And together they create a human-level portrait of a democracy that is fracturing, and the role that extremist ideologies are playing. (And they’re not going away.)

Where do their stories point us as a country? 

From Santos, Brazil to Queens New York; from Lagos, Nigeria to Adelaide, Australia, we take you inside the lives of dreamers – of women’s soccer players willing to risk everything for a game. These are stories of far-flung adventures, of heartbreak, endurance, and joy – in unequal doses. HUSTLE RULE is about finding something you love and doing whatever it takes to keep it – no matter what. Hosted by Hannah Waddingham. Based on the book Under the Lights and in the Dark, by Gwendolyn Oxenham.

Memory Wars is a six-part series about how Germany has confronted its horrific past and whether America could ever do the same. Public radio reporter Mallory Noe-Payne spent years covering policy and politics in Richmond, Virginia — the former capital of the Confederacy. Then she went to Germany.

Through a year of in-depth reporting featuring a wide range of characters, Noe-Payne reveals the struggles it takes for a society to change its narrative, face up to an uncomfortable past, and pave the way for atonement. Featuring conversations with Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Michael Paul Williams, Memory Wars explores the lessons in German history for American society today as we reckon with our own horrific past.

A production of RADIO IQ, distributed by PRX. You can show your appreciation for innovative projects like this by donating to this Virginia-based public radio station. Donating through this link helps support the podcast.

Credits:

Hosts Mallory Noe-Payne, Michael Paul Williams

Story Editing by Oluwakemi Aladesuyi, Additional Editing from Caitlin Pierce

Music by Sun Rain, sound design and mixing by Chad Skinner and Dani Ramez of Half Moon Audio.

Logo design by Ruth Tam

After 20 years of war, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan ended in chaos at an airfield in Kabul. Thousands of Afghans who worked with the American soldiers as translators, interpreters and partners made it onto U.S. military planes. But despite the decades-long efforts of veterans, lawmakers and senior leaders in the military, even more were left behind. Now they live in hiding from the Taliban. 

From Lawfare and Goat Rodeo, this is Allies. A podcast about America’s eyes and ears over 20 years of war in Afghanistan. This show will take you from the frontlines of the war to the halls of Congress to find out: How did this happen?

For anyone needing help or advice relating to relocation and resettlement from Afghanistan, the independent Evacuate Our Allies Coalition staffs a operations center 7 days a week that can be reached at:

Email: evacuateourallies@gmail.com

Phone: +1 (213) 358-7953 (live Monday - Friday, 7am - 7pm PT; Saturday & Sunday 9am - 5pm PT)

More information on the Coalition is available at http://www.evacuateourallies.org.

Lawfare and Goat Rodeo are not part of the Coalition and cannot provide legal advice or referrals.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Podcast featuring real-life cases of cryptids, paranormal horrors, and other monster mysteries.

In the 1940s, a group of Mormon dreamers started a town in the Mexican desert. But what began as a utopian vision quickly turned sour when the founding family’s son, Ervil LeBaron, struggled for control of the community and unleashed a multi-generational crimewave – the ripples of which are still being felt today.

From bank robbery to drug smuggling, auto theft rings to multiple murders, a deadly cult evolved into a sophisticated organized crime family. In Deliver Us From Ervil, journalist Jesse Hyde tells the story of Ervil LeBaron and the unlikely ensemble of reporters, cops, survivors and family insiders trying to halt his bloody legacy.

Deliver Us From Ervil is produced by Novel for iHeartRadio.

Welcome to BEING Studios Audio Reality®: reality TV for your ears. This season, it’s BEING Trans. Over the course of the season, you’ll meet Jeffrey, a transgender man and standup comic navigating a relationship with his partner, Emma. You’ll meet Mariana, a trans woman from Guatemala who is tackling tough issues at a local LGBTQ center along with her coworker Kadence. You’ll meet Chloe, who’s new to Los Angeles, and new to dating as a trans woman. And you’ll meet Sy, who’s figuring out their relationship and family dynamics with their husband Robert since coming out as non-binary trans. Over the season, you’ll get to experience what it’s like BEING trans. 

Also available now: All episodes of BEING Golden, another audio reality production of BEING Studios.

Source: BEING Studios Audio Reality®

We are facing a crisis. With the continuing pandemic, stress over climate change and natural disasters, and socio-economic uncertainty it’s not hard to understand why millions of Americans say they don’t feel OK. But there is a growing amount of proof in a simple treatment available to everyone: just stepping outside.

On Human/Nature, host Marcos Trinidad, a nature expert with roots in North East L.A., will inspire you to go out and explore and connect with nature in your city. 

This podcast will empower you to reclaim your attention. Spending time in nature isn’t just good for our minds — in this tech obsessed culture — it’s the ultimate form of resistance. 

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Out of the Shadows is a podcast about America's tangled history of immigration hosted by award-winning New York Times writer Erick Galindo and entrepreneur and best-selling author Patty Rodriguez.

Season 2: Dreamers
Last season, we tackled Ronald Regan’s 1986 amnesty act, Season 2 will trace the origins of DACA or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a contentious executive order to protect undocumented young people from being deported. Issued by former President Barack Obama in 2012, DACA was meant to be a temporary stop gap on a broken immigration system. Welcome to Season 2 of Out of the Shadows - Dreamers.

Season 1: Children of 86
Immigrants and their children have long lived in the shadows of America, their destinies aren't just shaped by where they come from but by their particular place in history.

In 1986, the lives of millions of immigrants and their children were changed by one lucky stroke of a pen by an unlikely ally, President Ronald Reagan. This podcast will examine the ripple effects the bill had on first-generation kids of immigrants who are navigating intergenerational mobility and transforming the cultural landscape. 

This is an untold story of luck, timing, triumph, opportunity, survival, and of course, hope. 

When darkness falls over Seattle, a masked crusader emerges from the shadows. His name? Phoenix Jones - a charismatic cage fighter, hell-bent on ridding the streets of criminals. 

Welcome to the world of real life superheroes - ordinary people who put on outrageous costumes and head out to fight crime.

Phoenix’s team of superhero sidekicks have all turned against him. They say he’s no hero and in 2020, it’s Phoenix who finds himself on the wrong side of the law. 

So is Phoenix a model citizen fighting for a better world? Or is he a fraudster who used a superhero identity to disguise his own crimes? Journalist David Weinberg sets out on a wild journey to find out.

The Superhero Complex is produced by Novel for iHeartRadio

For more from Novel visit Novel.audio

The world is a dumpster fire. Work wives, best friends, and TV writers/producers Amy Aniobi and Grace Edwards want to help. In response to the madness in the news, they share the culture that lights them up and activities that bring them joy, plus strategies they use to cope with these wild times. They also invite inspiring special guests to share their own self-care strategies. And since Grace and Amy are comedy writers, they bring a level of casual, edgy fun to it all. During these trying times we all need a show that focuses on joy. This is The Antidote.

Heroes Behind the Headlines: a new podcast featuring an explosive new story every episode. First-hand accounts of adventures and events which have shaped our world . The real stories behind the headlines you know, told by the heroes you don’t. Hosted by NYT and international bestselling author Ralph Pezzullo.

Season 3

Crumbs is a podcast about the things we settle for, and the bits of ourselves that make us who we are. In season three, Emmy takes you through her journey of addiction and recovery. It’s a story she’ll tell in twelve steps, from the first step, Honesty, to the twelfth, Service. And all the in between: the darkness of blackouts in the depths of addiction, the bright hope of change, the relapses, and the major life changes that come with true sobriety. Tune in to season 3 to find out what it felt like to travel from one to twelve.

Season 2

A show about the things we settle for and the bits of ourselves that make us who we are. Crumbs is an audio memoir exploring the intersection of family trauma, addiction, identity, and the pursuit of love. Through raw and honest conversations with her mother, Emmy Olea journeys to unpack her family’s storied past. Though a lot of it sounds straight out of a telenovela -- it’s all true. And it speaks to the questions we all have about who we are.

Season 1

Dating is hard. It’s even harder when you’re a trans woman recovering from alcoholism whose mom was a coyote and your abuelita ran drugs for the Tijuana cartel. Nonetheless, Emmy Olea is looking for true love and trying her best not to settle for Crumbs in the process.