5 podcasts that will keep you politically savvy during the 2020 election cycle

In order to be responsible voters during this 2020 Presidential election, you have to be informed. Here are five political podcasts that will equip you with the knowledge you need to make an educated decision on election day.

Super Tuesday is on its way! Multiple states will be voting for the Democratic presidential nominee on March 3, and this elected nominee will debate against President Trump in the national primaries. The 2020 election is one of the most important elections to vote in. In order to make an informed decision on the ballot, you have to do the research and stay up to date with the news.

Podcasts are a convenient medium to use to stay informed, and there are many news-focused and political podcasts that will be covering the 2020 election in depth.

Here is a list of five political podcasts, in no particular order, that will help keep you informed this election season.

Pod Save America

“Pod Save America” is a Crooked Media podcast that is hosted by former aides to President Obama: Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer, and Tommy Vietor. The gang has spirited, honest conversations, breaking down the current news of the week with some humor. Be warned: These guys are not objective reporters; they share their frustration over the government and the President freely.

There have already been several episodes that talk about the Democratic debates, and they shared their opinions, with some data to back them up, about the likelihood of a candidate winning and what they would need to do to win. Their knowledge of how the Iowa and New Hampshire caucuses operate and how they count the votes gives context to the recent news about those two events. New episodes come out every Monday and Thursday, and they are about one hour to one hour and 30 minutes long.

The Daily

“The Daily” is a New York Times podcast that releases 30-minute or less episodes each day to discuss the current news. The host is Michael Barbaro, and he brings on different New York Times reporters as guests, like national correspondent Alexandra Burns and White House correspondent Peter Baker. These short episodes focus on important topics of the day and objectively analyze the importance of each one. “The Daily” is perfect to listen to during morning and evening commutes, as well as when you’re cleaning or working out.

One interesting episode “The Daily” released is “The Lessons of 2016,” during which Barbaro interviews his boss, Dean Baquet, executive editor of The New York Times, to discuss how the publication approaches reporting elections. Banquet learned to not put out too many stories that would emphasize presidential nominee as a likely winner. He also said he would include more stories on religion and the internet’s influence on elections.

Another great episode was “Mitt Romney’s Lonely Vote.” Barbaro had Mark Leibovich, the Washington-based chief national correspondent for The New York Times, on the episode to talk about this interview with Mitt Romney, who was figuring out his stance on Trump’s impeachment. Stories like this are common on “The Daily.”

Today Explained,Vox

“Today Explained” is a 30-minute news podcast that comes out daily. Another short podcast that makes staying informed easy, it focuses on national politics, technology, world news, and more. It’s hosted by Vox reporter Sean Rameswaran, and in each episode, he brings on another Vox reporter to help him cover the news of the day.

Some episodes that cover the 2020 Presidential election, as well as political events that are relevant to follow for this election cycle, include “Between a Stone and a Hard Place,” which explores how Roger Stone’s sentencing has affected the United States Department of Justice; “Bernie Bro,” which looks into Bernie Sanders’ popularity early in the primaries; and “Impeachment Trial 1 and 2,” which covers all the things you need to know about Trump’s Impeachment trial.

The NPR Politics Podcast

“The NPR Politics Podcast” covers only national politics. Each episode has a different group of NPR reporters covering the news of the day, and the main goal is to clearly explain what happened and understand the importance of it. Some of these reporters include White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political reporter Juana Summers, and political correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

Episodes come out every afternoon, and “The Weekly Round-Up” installments tackle all the essential news of the week. Their discussions and analysis of political motivations keep the average American in the know about what politicians are thinking. Some episodes that already covered the 2020 election include “Bloomberg Faces Voters After Debate; Trump Ally Roger Stone Sentenced,” “ Candidates Vie fro Support of Black Voters; Bloomberg Remarks Cause Controversy,” and “Buttigieg and Sanders Locked in Tight Race After Partial Results Released.”

NPR’s Up First

NPR’s “Up First” is a daily podcast that is, at most, 15-18 minutes long. The goal is to give listeners news that will help them start their day, making this a great podcast to listen to during breakfast. “Up First” covers the three biggest stories of the day, so listeners can determine which news is the priority without sifting through less-relevant stories.

Episodes come out on weekdays at 6 a.m. ET, and the podcast’s hosts are Rachel Martin, Noel King, David Greene, and Steve Inskeep. They also come out on Saturdays at 8 a.m. ET with hosts Lulu Garcia-Navarro and Scott Simon. The hosts bring on experts and reporters who can answer questions and give perspective on the current news of the day.

What are your favorite political podcasts to listen to? Tell us in the comments below!