What Are 2018’s Three Essential Podcasts?

There is certainly no shortage of podcasts today that can make you smarter while you commute, run, do the dishes, pretend to work, sit in church, etc. But there are also a ton that can make you dumber. So which disembodied voice do you want chattering into your ear all day? We’ve narrowed it down for you.

For News:

THE DAILY

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You probably have a subscription to the New York Times. But if you don’t have time to read it, host Michael Barbaro distills the world’s biggest news on The Daily — complete with analysis — into a slim 20 minutes. Better yet? It’s ready by the time you sip your morning coffee.

For All Things Internet:

REPLY ALL

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Digital literacy never sounded this fun. P.J. Vogt and Alex Goldman’s podcast isn’t about the latest and greatest tech, but rather, what it means. Is Facebook listening to us? Who started the Pizza Rat meme? Find your answers here.

For Storytelling:

HEAVYWEIGHT

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We knew WireTap’s Jonathan Goldstein was funny, but on Heavyweight, he gets profound. Whether confronting his first girlfriend or solving others’ mysteries — Why was I kicked out of my sorority? What would’ve happened if I’d become a rabbi? — Goldstein’s nostalgia converts the mundane into magic.