The Newsworthy: Daily news in just the right dose
The Premise (from Apple Podcasts):
The day’s news made fast, fair and fun – in less than 10 minutes. Erica Mandy is like a trusted friend who always ‘gets’ both sides. She’s a veteran journalist who was tired of talking heads, alarmist headlines and monotone voices, so she created something different. The NewsWorthy is packed with politics, tech, business and entertainment from a variety of sources -- brought together in one, convenient place (and with a fun twist). Join the thousands of people already listening each weekday!
Series or standalone:
Standalone
Begin listening to:
The most recent episode for the most recent news!
Format:
Quick reporting about the top news stories
Host(s):
Erica Mandy, independent journalist
Sound/production quality:
Excellent
Rating/age suitability:
Appeal-wise, best for adults. However, it could work well with high school students as well to get them up to speed on news stories in an unbiased way.
Approximate length of episodes:
10 minutes
Curricular ties:
This could work well in history or even homeroom/advisory settings. The beautiful thing is that it's unbiased, so the episodes themselves are unlikely to ruffle feathers and present both sides of contentious issues. Episodes might even work well as a launchpad to a discussion or debate of current events. Erica is engaging and energetic, so students will likely find it easier to get into than regular broadcast news.
Similar recommended pods:
There are plenty of other daily news podcasts, like The Daily,but this one stands out for being balanced and fair.
Podcast Librarian’s Review:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The short daily news genre of podcast is a recent phenomenon with many available options. My preferred one is The Newsworthy because it is unbiased and has a global approach. Erica has a great voice for podcasts (not surprising since she is a former TV reporter), and it’s the kind of voice that puts a little pep in my step when I listen. During the school year, listening to this pod as part of my daily routine; I wake up and put it on to listen to as I feed my cat and brush my teeth. With episodes under 10 minutes, I get the headlines with just enough explanation to make me feel informed. Erica covers politics, natural disasters, pop culture, and just about everything else going on; happily, there’s usually a fun or happy human interest story included to make things less gloomy. She cites her sources in the show notes (which makes my librarian heart sing) and extends the episode on Thing to Know Thursday with a deeper dive into a news story or topic. The Newsworthy is an essential part of my morning ritual, and you may want to add it to yours!
