In the world of Twitter, Snapchat, and Facebook, young adults are consuming their news through social media now more than ever. When it comes to millennials, 69 percent of us are consuming news on a daily basis, according to a new study by the American Press Institute. But it's hard for high school and college students to sit down and watch CNN analysts scream at each other, because 1) we just don't have the time, and 2) it can be depressing as hell.
That's where "Pod Save America" comes in.
"Pod Save America" is a political podcast hosted by Jon Favreau, Tommy Vietor, Jon Lovett, and Dan Pfeiffer, all former staffers for President Obama. Vietor was Obama's National Security Spokesman, Pfeiffer was Senior Advisor to Obama, and Favreau and Lovett were both speechwriters.
Last year, they hosted another podcast called "Keepin' It 1600", where they followed the 2016 presidential race, fully expecting for Hillary Clinton to become the first female president, and well, we all know how that turned out.
When Donald Trump became president-elect, they launched "Pod Save America", as well as their media company, cheekily named Crooked Media.
Even though the company was launched less than two months ago, it has grown exponentially. Vietor, who's specialty is foreign policy, now hosts "Pod Save the World", and Ana Marie Cox, the senior political analyst for MTV, hosts "With Friends Like These".
According to Crooked Media's mission statement, they are committed to creating content that "informs, entertains, and inspires action." And that's exactly why you should be tuning in twice a week.
However, "Pod Save America" and the entire Crooked Media team goes beyond exasperated tweets and screaming into a microphone, (The latter is mostly Lovett, by the way).
The Crooked Media team gives its listeners tools to get politically involved beyond voting for president every four years. On the Do Something page on their website, they outline many ways of getting involved, from organizing town halls to learning how to win down-ballot races. They even have a running list of actions you can take as an activist in the Trump presidency.
But can a podcast really save America? Or are all the listeners, including myself, just kidding ourselves into thinking putting this on at the gym is, in some demented way, the answer to our problems?
Well, if this pod doesn't save us, it sure can do a lot to educate us.
"Pod Save America" isn't just a podcast; it's a way for anyone to have access to people actually knowing what they're talking about.
These aren't pundits on CNN or MSNBC. They're real people who have worked in the highest levels of government and know how things really work. There is no speculation how the inner workings of the government is run, because the hosts know how the government is run. And the best part is, they talk like real people. Anyone can listen to this podcast and walk away actually feeling informed.
That being said, the hosts' commentary on the political action of the week does not come without bias. Remember, all four of the hosts worked for the Obama administration. Jon Lovett was even part of the Hillary campaign.
But the liberal tinge of Pod Save America should not turn any conservative off from listening. The founders of Crooked Media are very self-aware of their viewpoints, but are also very open to others. In fact, they had their first conservative guest, Nicolle Wallace, appear on the show last week to discuss the future of the Republican Party.
This podcast is already gaining traction. Bill De Blasio, the mayor of New York City, and Katie Couric have already been guests. In fact, "Pod Save America" is where Former President Obama did the last interview of his term. So yeah, this podcast is a pretty big deal.
In today's political climate, it seems as though everyone is arguing. President Trump is on a seemingly constant Twitter rampage, Republicans are split on their new healthcare plan, and Democrats are running around like chickens with their heads cut off. So if you're looking for a no-nonsense way to be politically informed without wanting to tear your hair out, "Pod Save America" is worth a listen.
