Best Storytelling
S-Town is a compelling narrative podcast examining the life of John B. McLemore, an Alabama resident known for his unusual stories and perspectives. The series unfolds as a long-form investigation into McLemore’s claims and ultimately reveals unexpected connections within a small town. It's notable...
The Magnus Archives is a British audio drama podcast exploring horror through a unique format. It presents a collection of fictional “fear statements” detailing unsettling events, meticulously woven together into an overarching narrative. Created by Rusty Quill, the series offers a compelling and at...
“Dolly Parton’s America” is a WNYC podcast exploring themes of American culture through the life and work of country music icon Dolly Parton. Hosted by Jad Abumrad, the series investigates diverse communities and experiences across the United States, revealing surprising connections to Parton's stor...
Slow Burn is a Slate narrative podcast exploring significant moments in American history through detailed investigation and analysis. Originally focusing on the Watergate scandal, the series investigates complex political events like the Iran-Contra affair and the rise of Donald Trump. It’s designed...
Homecoming revolutionized the audio drama landscape with its innovative blend of scripted narrative and documentary-style elements. The series, initially focused on a mysterious facility and a soldier's fragmented memories, captivated audiences with its unsettling atmosphere and exceptional perform...
Ear Hustle is a critically acclaimed podcast originating from within San Quentin State Prison. It provides unique nonfiction storytelling through recordings made by inmates and staff, documenting their experiences of prison life. Launched in 2017, the series offers an intimate perspective on incarce...
The Heavyweight podcast explores deeply personal stories of regret, missed opportunities, and unresolved situations. Hosted by Jonathan Goldstein, each episode features an individual recounting a significant moment they wish to revisit. Listeners interested in human experience, emotional vulnerabili...
Maintenance Phase is a podcast examining the history of wellness trends and their impact on health and society. Hosted by Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes, it utilizes extensive research—including historical documents and scientific studies—to critically analyze popular narratives surrounding diet c...
Bear Brook is a New Hampshire Public Radio investigative podcast exploring the unsettling case of unidentified bodies found in barrels at Bear Brook State Park. The series utilized groundbreaking genetic genealogy techniques to positively identify four victims, offering closure after decades of myst...
Wayang Kulit is an Indonesian art form employing shadow puppets made from meticulously crafted leather. These puppets are manipulated behind a backlit screen while gamelan music accompanies the performance. It’s notable for its rich storytelling tradition, primarily featuring Hindu epics such as the...
American Experience is a PBS series offering extensive explorations of American history through long-form documentary films. It examines pivotal moments, influential individuals, and transformative periods within the nation’s past. These productions provide detailed narratives for anyone interested...
Believed is an investigative podcast series from Michigan Radio exploring the systemic failures surrounding Larry Nassar’s abuse. The project meticulously documents the years survivors faced disbelief and resistance before seeking justice. It highlights the crucial role of persistent reporting and c...
Esther Perel’s “Where Should We Begin?” presents recorded psychotherapy sessions with couples seeking guidance. The podcast offers a unique window into complex relational issues including infidelity, desire, and communication challenges. It's notable for its raw honesty and exploration of nuanced em...
99% Invisible is a podcast exploring the stories behind the designs we encounter daily. Hosted by Roman Mars, it investigates how seemingly small design choices shape our culture and experiences. The show examines architecture, urban spaces, product design, and branding through narrative storytellin...
The Adventure Zone is a popular podcast featuring the McElroy brothers – Justin, Travis, and Griffin – and their father, Clint. It’s an actual-play tabletop roleplaying game show based on Dungeons & Dragons. The series has gained significant recognition for its comedic storytelling and engaging fami...
Welcome to Night Vale is a surrealist fiction podcast launched in 2012 by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor under the Night Vale Presents network. The series is presented as community updates from a fictional, supernatural desert town and is narrated by a radio host named Cecil Palmer. It quickly becam...
The Moth Radio Hour is a Peabody Award-winning storytelling program distributed by PRX, featuring true personal stories told live by their original authors without the use of scripts or notes. The nonprofit organization was founded in 1997 by poet George Dawes Green, who named it after the moths tha...
Wolf 359 is a serialized science-fiction audio drama created by Gabriel Urbina and released from 2014 to 2017. It follows the crew of the U.S.S. Hephaestus, a space station orbiting the red dwarf star Wolf 359, as an isolated research assignment develops into a larger mystery. The podcast blends com...
"Ologies with Alie Ward" is an educational science podcast hosted by American journalist and science communicator Alie Ward, which launched in 2017. Each episode features Ward interviewing an expert or researcher about a specific branch of study, typically one ending in the suffix "-ology," ranging...
"Friends at the Table" is an actual-play tabletop role-playing game podcast created and hosted by journalist Austin Walker, which debuted in 2014. The show is distinguished by its strong emphasis on critical worldbuilding, literary narrative structures, and deep character development over traditiona...
"Stolen: Surviving St. Michael's" is a Canadian investigative podcast produced by the CBC. Hosted by Falen Johnson, the series examines the history and legacy of the St. Michael's Indian Residential School located in Duck Lake, Saskatchewan. The podcast features interviews with Indigenous survivors...
"Your Own Backyard" is an investigative true crime podcast created by Chris Lambert that examines the 1996 disappearance of California Polytechnic State University student Kristin Smart. The serialized audio documentary revisits the decades-old case by interviewing witnesses and mapping the timeline...
"Someone Knows Something" is a Canadian investigative true crime podcast produced by the CBC and hosted by filmmaker David Ridgen. Debuting in 2016, the show dedicates each season to deep-dive investigations of unsolved homicides and missing persons cases, predominantly within Canada. Ridgen collabo...
TED Talks are video recordings of presentations from the TED conference, a global media organization founded to disseminate "Ideas Worth Spreading" across technology, entertainment, and design. Speakers, ranging from scientific experts to public figures, deliver concise presentations strictly limite...
The Atavist Magazine is a digital publication founded in 2011 by Evan Ratliff that focuses exclusively on long-form, immersive narrative nonfiction. Originally launched as a platform for a single, heavily reported story each month, it pioneered the integration of multimedia storytelling elements—suc...
Radiotopia is an independent podcast network created by the Public Radio Exchange (PRX) and officially launched in 2014 to support independent audio producers. The network curates a collective of story-driven, documentary-style shows, most notably including "99% Invisible," and operates with a missi...
"You're Wrong About" is an American history and pop culture podcast launched in 2018, originally co-hosted by journalists Michael Hobbes and Sarah Marshall. The series methodically reexamines widely misunderstood or heavily sensationalized events from the late 20th and early 21st centuries, such as...
Humans of New York (HONY) is a photoblog and book series created by photographer Brandon Stanton in 2010. The project features street portraits of strangers paired with brief excerpts from interviews about their lives, capturing personal anecdotes, struggles, and philosophical reflections. While it...
StoryCorps is an American non-profit organization founded by David Isay in 2003 dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing oral history interviews. Participants conduct 40-minute interviews with friends or family members in quiet recording environments, typically facilitated by a trained StoryC...
The National Storytelling Festival is an annual storytelling event held in Jonesborough, Tennessee, founded in 1973 by Jimmy Neil Smith. Recognized as one of the oldest events of its kind in the United States, the festival operates entirely under large outdoor tents and features professional storyte...
