How News Podcasts Covered U.S. Bombing Iran. Or Didn't.
The Saturday night attack by the United States took many by surprise. I listened to top News shows on Apple Podcasts and here's what I found.
I woke up Sunday morning and went to my favorite podcast category - News.
I was hoping to get updates on the United States bombing Iran. Unfortunately my choices were limited at 10 a.m. Eastern Sunday.
Top Ten Coverage:
Charlie Kirk Show - The conservative host went live Saturday night on YouTube for more than two hours. He raced into his Phoenix studio and admitted he was out-of-pocket because he turned his phone off for Shabbat. His sidekicks Blake and Andrew tap-danced until Charlie arrived.
Up First - It took a few hours, but NPR finally published a bonus episode Sunday morning, turning to reporters from Washington to Tel Aviv.
MeidasTouch Podcast - The liberal show published a ten-minute update Saturday night on the U.S. entering the war against Iran.
NPR News Now - The hourly update from NPR had its usually well-crafted radio newscasts with fresh details and reaction.
Global News Podcast - The BBC dropped two episodes, put its international resources to work, and included reaction from Iran and the BBC’s Persian Service.
Honorable Mentions Outside the Top Ten:
Start Here - ABC News correspondent Steven Portnoy popped into the feed with an update and then tossed to ABC television coverage with anchor David Muir.
FOX News Hourly Update - This radio update had the very latest, relying heavily on FOX television correspondents.
Breaking Points - Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti went live Saturday night on their YouTube channel, and Saagar even wore his usual suit and tie.
Bloomberg - Morning host Tom Keene (Bloomberg Surveillance) and afternoon host Joe Mathieu (Balance of Power) teamed up and went live on Bloomberg’s YouTube channel first thing Sunday morning.
I enjoyed watching podcasters activate their YouTube channels during one of America’s most important military strikes in years.
I’ve been urging podcasters to embrace YouTube for more than four years now and develop a YouTube strategy. A big benefit? The ability to go live on your channel, reach beyond your on-demand audience, and engage with fans during historic moments like this.
MY RECOMMENDATIONS Is your podcast ready for the Smart TV Age? If not, go read my column on the subject here. I offer advice on how to prepare since 216 million Americans now own Smart TVs. Hoping to up your YouTube game? You should check out YouTube’s channel for Creators or the channel produced by VidIQ.
John Wordock runs his own podcast and media consulting firm John Wordock Media. He served as Executive Editor and SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024, helping build Cumulus Podcast Network into a top ten network and top channel on Apple. He also served as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He started podcasting back in 2006. Wanna talk? Email John@JohnWordockMedia.com.