2017 Podcast Highlights

Podcasts are a cultural phenomenon that cover everything from pop culture to business practices. 2017 has been a great year for Podcasts, especially in the human interest and culture verticals. These are some of the highlights for content this year.

S-Town

From American Public Media, who produced Serial, S-Town is a complex human story about an Alabama town and the people living in it. S-Town explores John B McLemore’s claims of corruption, murder and other unpredictable problems in the community. The podcast is a wild and impactful story that feels like a mix of true-crime and human interest.

Sincerely, X

TED Talks are universally known for inspiring audiences, but there are topics that have value to listeners that are sometimes better kept anonymous; whether they may be damaging to the speaker or too sensitive to share with an identity attached. Sincerely, X by TED and Audible allows the speakers to share stories that range from costly burnout for a doctor, PTSD, and other often delicate confessions.

LaVar Burton Reads

LeVar Burton, famous for his roles in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Roots and PBS show Reading Rainbow made dreams come true for many adults with the debut of his podcast LaVar Burton Reads, which to many brings back the feeling of watching Reading Rainbow. Burton, who reads with a focused and measured tone, shares short stories that he has hand-picked to share with listeners. With a five-star review on iTunes, this podcast is dynamic, funny and heartwarming to the nostalgic fans of Reading Rainbow.

Missing Richard Simmons

Fitness and pop culture icon Richard Simmons disappeared suddenly from the limelight in 2015. This disappearance triggered a response that brought us Dan Taberski’s Missing Richard Simmons, a weekly real-time report of the progress in the search for answers. The ethics of the show were questioned, but still became a topic of mass interest, a phenomenon for many in the age of defining the nature of celebrity.

Which Podcasts have you enjoyed this last year?

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