Everyone is hooked on The Daily, and it’s easy to see why. Brought to us by the flourishing New York Times, this is the gold standard of daily news podcasts: each 20+ minute episode is a deep-ish dive into just one of the stories the paper is covering.  The delightful host Michael Barbaro also peels back the curtain and shows us a little bit of how the news sausage is made.  Many episodes begin with Michael’s contacting a colleague who is busy covering the North Korean summit or a Supreme Court nomination.  You hear not only the Skype dial-tone, but also how very sleepy Peter Baker really is.  

Through chatting with reporters, editors, the key players in the stories, and other sources, Michael shows us how the story developed and gives us a reasonably good roadmap to where it might go next.  This is a lively and absorbing 20 minutes that I find essential for easing into the day  — sort of the way a few minutes of yoga or a hot shower does.  

It’s a testimony to the popularity of the podcast that Michael Barbaro’s iconic, and really very charming  “huh?” ( a vocal tic with which he conveys intrigue tempered with surprise and a little bit of disbelief) is being eagerly adopted by the twenty-something aspiring liberal elites.  Heck, I’ve found myself embracing it too.

So jump on the bandwagon. Really.  Everyone’s doing it.  

News and deep dive analysis is great, but sometimes you just need the headlines without any of the fuss or the snark or even the engaging Barbar-ian “huh?”  Like those moments when utterly unbelievable breaking news flashes on your phone.  Before you take to Twitter, its essential to check an accurate and reliable news source.  And that’s where the BBC comes in.  Fast approaching its centenary, this venerable British media holding has managed to move into the podcast era with the same elegance and excellence with which it dominated the radio era for so many decades.

I am an unapologetic evangelical fan of “the Beeb.”  I don’t think anyone does news or television quite the way they do.  They have parlayed their preeminence in radio into a marvelous range of podcasts that are a pleasure to listen to.  

The Global News Podcast comes out twice daily and gives you the news headlines curated from the BBC’s global news bureaux.  If you’ve listened to and enjoyed BBC Radio in the past, you’ll feel right at home with the podcast.  This is balanced reporting, and come on, doesn’t the news just sound better in British?  Of course, it does!  If you find you are craving more, test drive the BBC’s hour-long news podcasts Newshour, which is my primary source of news when I’m in Europe, or the forty-five minute World at One.  

What’s Great About It

Balanced news and analysis of the top stories the BBC is covering around the world.  This podcast keeps you up to date and in the know not only about what’s going on at home, but also what’s going on in other’s people’s homes.  

What’s Not So Great About It

I sometimes get the two daily podcasts confused and listen to one twice.  It’s testimony to the excellence of the program that I haven’t got completely frustrated.  

Let me use a culinary analogy:  Up First is what you would get if you trimmed all the fat from NPR’s Morning Edition, trussed it, and served it up, already sliced, on a bed of watercress at room temperature.  No extras, just the real thing, distilled down to its essence.   

Anchored in what has to be the middle of the night by NPR hosts Rachel Martin, David Greene, and Steve Inskeep, Up First gives you an efficient but effective look at the major news stories NPR is hovering around the world, checking in with the global superstars of Public Radio for commentary and analysis.  They also provide a quick snapshot of the what will be in their focus throughout the day.  This is a classic 20-30 minute podcast that packs a lot in, yet never seems rushed, serving up the essentials you need to get going informed and enlightened.  

What’s Great About It

On those days when you need to achieve greatness and don’t have the time to linger over a 2-hour morning news show, Up First helps you get where you are going. 

What’s Not So Great About It

I honestly can’t think of anything. This is NPR at its best.