This American Life

“This American Life” is a weekly public radio show hosted by Ira Glass. Uploaded every Sunday, this podcast features interesting personal stories, such as  a man who got abandoned on island 20 minutes from New York City or a man who saved people from committing suicide. Every week provides a new story that provides a new and unique perspective on our world.  “This American Life” is food for thought, providing listeners with dinner-table discussions every weekend.

Serial

This podcast is from the same creators as “This American Life,”  but focuses on investigating controversial cases. As of now, there are  only two stories/seasons, both of which span multiple episodes. The first season goes in-depth on the case of Adnan Syed, a man convicted of the murder of his then-ex-girlfriend. Syed swears he didn’t commit the murder, which makes the story all the more compelling . Sarah Koenig follows the court’s case against Adnan to ponder  whether  he actually committed the crime he’s been charged with. The second season follows Bowe Bergdahl, a former soldier, and his reasoning for leaving his base in June of 2009 where he was later held captive by the taliban. Ultimately, “Serial” is an intriguing show that makes listeners question what they think they know.

Dirty John

Dirty John is a podcast that follows John Meehan, sharing the  crimes he has committed against the women he has encountered. More specifically, the podcast  follows  the marriage of John Meehan and Debra Newell, an interior designer in Southern California, exploring the horrors committed against Newell by Meehan. This podcast evokes a bone-chilling feeling, and intrigues listeners with its horror. This is not a podcast for the light-hearted.