On this episode of Pod, Actually, Doug, a social studies teacher in San Francisco, talks about learning Spanish, not through textbooks, but through podcasts.

His current favorite? News in Slow Spanish: a gentle, bite-sized way to stay connected to the world while building language skills.

What emerges is something deeper: a conversation about learning, identity, and the quiet ways podcasts shape how we move through the world.

Doug listens on his short commute, not to chase headlines, but to absorb language, rhythm, and culture—finding in the process a softer, more manageable way to engage with the news.

🎙 Doug’s Top 5 Podcasts:

1. Throughline

2. The Daily

3. Radiolab

4. Radio Ambulante

5. Freakonomics Radio

🔗 Links

• Read the companion piece on Substack: https://podactually.substack.com
• Support Pod, Actually on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodActually
• Follow Pod, Actually on Instagram: www.instagram.com/podactuallypodcast

📩 Tell us about the podcast you love: podactuallypodcast@gmail.com

On this episode of Pod, Actually, Trisha, a London-based current affairs writer talks about the podcast she listens to most: the BBC’s Witness History.

Each episode is just nine minutes long, yet it captures a moment from history through the memories of someone who lived it. For Trisha, the brevity is part of the appeal — but the deeper attraction is something else entirely.

In a media world built around hyper-curated playlists and endless choice, Witness History offers something rare: random discovery.

In just nine minutes a day, it offers a glimpse into the past — and a reminder that even turbulent moments eventually become history.

Trisha's top five podcasts:

1. Witness History

2. The Globalist

3. Taiwan This Week

4. The Rest Is Classified

5. Empire: World History

🔗 Links

• Learn more about Trisha here: www.trishadeborchgrave.com
• Read the companion piece on Substack: https://podactually.substack.com
• Support Pod, Actually on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodActually
• Follow Pod, Actually on Instagram: www.instagram.com/podactuallypodcast

📩 Tell us about the podcast you love: podactuallypodcast@gmail.com

In this episode of Pod, Actually, Andrew talks about his favorite podcast: Mindscape with Sean Carroll.

Andrew discovered Mindscape while trying to improve his own teaching. A deep dive into Richard Feynman’s lectures led him into quantum mechanics, Bayesian logic, and eventually to Carroll’s long-form, curiosity-driven interviews.

🔗 Links

• Read the companion piece on Substack: https://podactually.substack.com
• Support Pod, Actually on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodActually
• Follow Pod, Actually on Instagram: www.instagram.com/podactuallypodcast

📩 Tell us about the podcast you love: podactuallypodcast@gmail.com

In this episode of Pod, Actually, Jocelyn talks about her favorite podcast: Bitch Sesh, the cult-favorite show devoted to The Real Housewives franchise.

Jocelyn calls it a “guilty pleasure,” but what unfolds is something more interesting: a portrait of why we turn to “ridiculous” television, why warmth matters more than expertise, and how much we need to like the people whose voices keep us company.

Jocelyn's top five podcasts:

1. Bitch Sesh

2. Pod Save America

3. Stay Tuned

4. This American Life

5. Lovett Or Leave It

🔗 Links

• Read the companion piece on Substack: https://podactually.substack.com
• Support Pod, Actually on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodActually
• Follow Pod, Actually on Instagram: www.instagram.com/podactuallypodcast

📩 Tell us about the podcast you love: podactuallypodcast@gmail.com

In this episode of Pod, Actually, Will (an independent audio producer and documentary maker ) talks about the podcast that has shaped his thinking for two decades: On the Media.

Will calls it his “portable journalism school.” A longtime listener, he describes a deep admiration for host Brooke Gladstone, whose perceptive interviews and narrative framing continue to challenge and inspire him.

Will also talks about The Read, a very different kind of show that he finds funny, bracing, and culturally illuminating — and about his hesitation to dive into highly immersive narrative series that take over your life.

This episode is about loyalty, literacy, narrative framing, and what it means to feel part of a show’s ecosystem.

Will’s Top Five Podcasts:

1. On the Media
2. The Read
3. Heavyweight
4. Love Me
5. Goodbye to All This

🔗 Links

• Learn more about Will’s audio work here: https://aquifermedia.com/
• If you’re tying the knot, don’t miss Will's beautifully crafted wedding podcasts: https://listenwith.us/
• Read the companion piece on Substack: https://podactually.substack.com
• Support Pod, Actually on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodActually
• Follow Pod, Actually on Instagram: www.instagram.com/podactuallypodcast

📩 Tell us about the podcast you love: podactuallypodcast@gmail.com

Today on Pod, Actually, we are joined by Giorgia, a visual artist and science communication manager from London. Giorgia talks to us about the podcast she listens to “almost religiously” every morning: Today In Focus from The Guardian.

For Giorgia, In Focus isn’t background noise. It’s ritual. It’s dog-walk companion. It’s commute soundtrack. It’s how she makes sense of a relentless news cycle without drowning in it.

Giorgia also shares how listening shapes conversations with her partner and friends — and why she’d notice if the show disappeared tomorrow.

It’s a thoughtful conversation about information, identity, and the small daily habits that quietly anchor us.

Giorgia's top five podcasts:

1. Today In Focus

2. The Moth

3. Where Should We Begin: Esther Perel

4. Desert Island Discs

5. The Life Scientific

🔗 Links

• Listen to Today In Focus: https://www.theguardian.com/news/series/todayinfocus
• Read the companion piece on Substack: https://podactually.substack.com
• Learn more about Giorgia's art practice at:
  https://www.gioeucalyptus.com/
• And you can follow Giorgia on Instagram, where you can see pictures of her beloved dog, Yana: https://www.instagram.com/giorgiasiriaco
• Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodActually
• Follow Pod, Actually on Instagram: www.instagram.com/podactuallypodcast

📩 Tell us about the podcast you love: podactuallypodcast@gmail.com

Today on Pod, Actually we’re joined by Nina, who brings her curiosity, candor, and climate passion to the table as she tells us why she loves Climate One.

Climate One is a long-running public radio show that tackles the climate crisis from every angle: science, policy, business, activism—and yes, the messy human feelings underneath it all.

Nina explains what keeps her coming back:

• the calm, thoughtful tone
• the refusal to flatten complex debates
• the way the show holds space for nuance without drifting into despair

We also talk about:

• how to stay informed without burning out
• the emotional toll of following climate news
• why conversation still matters
• and what it means to engage with big, existential issues in a way that feels grounding rather than overwhelming

This episode is about finding clarity in chaos and about the podcasts that help us make sense of the world.

Nina's top five podcast sources:

1. Climate One

2. Slate

3. Shell Game

4. Tara Brach

5. Washington Post (RIP)

🔗 Links

• Listen to Climate One: https://www.climateone.org
• Read the companion piece on Substack: https://podactually.substack.com
• Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodActually
• Follow Pod, Actually on Instagram: www.instagram.com/podactuallypodcast

📩 Tell us about the podcast you love: podactuallypodcast@gmail.com

Today on Pod, Actually, Wil takes us somewhere unexpected: the cockpit.

His favorite podcast is Airline Pilot Guy, a show that blends aviation nerdery, technical deep dives, listener mail, and a whole lot of camaraderie. And yes, even if you’ve never set foot on a plane (other than 23B, middle seat), this one might surprise you.

Wil talks about:

• Why expertise is attractive (even when you don’t understand every word)
• The comfort of ritual and recurring segments
• How niche podcasts build deeply loyal communities
• And what it feels like to love a show that most of your friends have never heard of

It’s an episode about obsession, professionalism, and the quiet thrill of listening to people who really know what they’re talking about.

Because sometimes your favorite podcast isn’t the buzziest. It’s the one that feels like home at 30,000 feet.

🔗 Links

• Listen to Airline Pilot Guy: https://airlinepilotguy.com/
• Read the companion piece on Substack: https://podactually.substack.com
• Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodActually
• Follow Pod, Actually on Instagram: www.instagram.com/podactuallypodcast

📩 Tell us about the podcast you love: podactuallypodcast@gmail.com