EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK: Quarterly Review of Podcasts
Economics, Church Leadership, and (of course) Music
Editor’s Note: Most Saturdays we will feature this “Editor’s Notebook” column. MinistryWatch President Warren Smith will offer his opinion on stories in the week’s news or, sometimes, offer a behind-the-scenes look at how and why we do what we do. This week we feature his quarterly podcast recommendations. To see last quarter’s recommendations, click here. 
In 2013, the percentage of Americans who had listened to podcasts in a given week was about 7 percent. By 2023 that number had grown to 31 percent. If you include less regular users, the number is even more impressive. More than 42 percent of Americans ages 12 and older have listened to a podcast in the past month.
Media shape our worldview, and podcasts are increasingly becoming the medium of choice for tens of million of Americans. That’s one reason I do this quarterly column of what I’m listening to. It is both guidance for those who want to expand their podcast diet, and – truth be told – a confession, a moment of self-disclosure, for those of you who want to evaluate whether I am trustworthy or not. For those who look askance at some of these suggestions, I offer only this weak defense: I don’t believe everything I hear, and neither should you.
That said, here’s what I’ve been listening to lately:
The Economics of Everyday Things. If you’ve ever read the famous essay “I, Pencil,” you already have an idea of what this podcast is all about. (If you haven’t read that essay, I recommend it. You can find it here.). Most episodes take an everyday product or service and explain how it contributes to the overall economy. A recent episode, for example, explained title insurance and why the economy might just grind to a halt without it. In a world where cause and effect, ideas and their consequences, are often disconnected, this podcast helps us connect the dots. Another recent episode unpacked Little League baseball and how travel and club teams have almost killed that important institution of civil society.
The ChurchLeaders Podcast. If Rolodexes were still a thing, we could say that Ed Stetzer has the biggest Rolodex in all of Evangelicalism. That wide network is on display in this podcast. He interviews leaders that range from Andy Stanley to D.A. Carson. The conversations are often lively and they usually tackle a big question or big idea. Max Lucado talks about the “one thing that helped me more than any other” as a preacher. Lysa TerKeurst unpacks her story on “how to respond when your trust is broken.”
Inside the Hive. I often find host Brian Stelter annoying. He is decidedly liberal, but what bugs me is not his liberalism but his smugness. That said, I keep returning to this podcast because of his guests. This truly is an insider’s look at politics. Recent guests include James Carville and Nate Silver. Part of Vanity Fair’s publishing empire.
Slow Burn. This podcast takes an interesting historical event and unpacks it chronologically. Now in its 10th season, it looks at the rise of Fox News as a major media force. It’s produced by Slate, so – again – you might find (as I do) its liberal bias on display and its smarminess at times a bit off-putting, but its expertly produced and usually features articulate and not always well-known experts to tell its stories.
Broken Record with Rick Rubin. If you are a music fan, this podcast is a must. Rick Rubin is arguably the most influential record producer of all time. And this show is part of Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin family of podcasts. So it has a storied pedigree. That said, Gladwell and Rubin now rarely do the interviews. Still, the musical guests on this podcast are uniformly fascinating. Also, things live forever on the Interwebs, so dig into the archives and hear the Rubin and Gladwell hosted interviews.
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