Best News & Politics Podcasts (2026)
There is no shortage of news podcasts, but most of them are forgettable. These ten actually earn their place in your feed — sharp daily briefings, proper political analysis, and international perspectives you won't get from doomscrolling Twitter.
Waking up with a podcast on iOS
Podcast Alarm is a fully featured podcast player and alarm. You can set up queues of your favourite episodes and listen to them whenever you like. Why not subscribe to your favourite podcast and have the latest episode wake you up every weekday morning. There are lots of screenshots and videos in our "How to set a podcast as an alarm on iphone?" blog post.
1. The Daily
Michael Barbaro and the New York Times team take one story per day and give it the depth it deserves in about 25 minutes. The reporting is consistently excellent, and the format works because it forces focus instead of trying to cover everything. Over 20 million listeners per month for a reason.
2. The Rest Is Politics
Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart sit on opposite sides of UK politics, but their genuine friendship makes every episode feel like a real conversation rather than a debate. They cover Westminster, international affairs, and the messy reality of how government actually works. The chemistry between them is what makes it special.
3. Global News Podcast
The BBC World Service delivers two episodes a day covering international news with reporters on the ground in places most outlets have abandoned. If you only listen to one news podcast for genuinely global coverage, this is it. Each episode runs about 30 minutes and drops at 7am and 6pm GMT.
4. The News Agents
Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel, and Lewis Goodall left the BBC to do something sharper and more opinionated. Daily episodes break down the biggest UK and global stories with the kind of candid analysis they could never do under BBC impartiality rules. The weekend long-form episodes are particularly strong.
5. Pod Save America
Former Obama staffers Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer, and Tommy Vietor cover American politics from a progressive perspective. They are upfront about where they stand, which is refreshing — you always know the lens. The episodes are energetic, well-researched, and drop multiple times a week.
6. Today in Focus
The Guardian's daily news podcast takes one story and goes deep with the journalist who reported it. Host Michael Safi keeps things focused and accessible, and the production quality is excellent. Episodes run about 25 minutes — perfect for a commute or a morning routine.
7. The Intelligence
The Economist's daily podcast packs three stories into about 20 minutes with the same analytical rigour as the magazine. It covers a genuinely international range — you'll hear about elections in Indonesia alongside US economic policy. If you want global perspective without the hot takes, this is your show.
8. Political Currency
Ed Balls, George Osborne, and Baroness Warsi bring experience from the very top of UK politics. Two former chancellors and a former cabinet minister discussing what is actually happening behind the headlines is uniquely valuable. The insider anecdotes alone make it worth subscribing to.
9. The Ezra Klein Show
Ezra Klein does long-form interviews with policymakers, academics, and thinkers that go well beyond the news cycle. His preparation is meticulous — guests regularly say it's the best interview they've done. If you want to understand the ideas shaping politics rather than just the headlines, this is essential.
10. Americast
The BBC's US politics podcast features Justin Webb, Sarah Smith, and a rotating cast of correspondents explaining American politics for a British audience — and vice versa. The transatlantic perspective is genuinely useful, and they manage to make complex topics like the filibuster or the Electoral College accessible without dumbing them down.
Start informed every morning
Set a news podcast as your alarm and wake up knowing what happened overnight. Download Podcast Alarm and replace doomscrolling with something better.
Waking up with a podcast on iOS
Podcast Alarm is a fully featured podcast player and alarm. You can set up queues of your favourite episodes and listen to them whenever you like. Why not subscribe to your favourite podcast and have the latest episode wake you up every weekday morning. There are lots of screenshots and videos in our "How to set a podcast as an alarm on iphone?" blog post.
