Pod Save the World - Podcast Rankings and reviews

Honestly not sure what I’d do without this podcast! Both the hosts are not only absolutely hilarious, but keep me in the loop on both domestic and current international affairs. They keep topics concise, while also thoroughly explaining key background information and timelines to quickly catch you up. I listen to this religiously every week and you should too!

This may be the most important podcast I listen to every week. The rundown of world events with insights from Ben and Tommy is difficult to find in one place in any newscast or journal or other podcast. Their guest interviews offer diversity and depth to a world in constant flux. Five stars every time from me.

My go to pod for keeping up on current world events. Tommy Vietor and Ben Rhodes bring thoughtful and progressive views to whatever is happening on our ever busy planet. Their guests are not your standard experts and pundits but unique and diverse voices from outside the US and the US media bubble. I always come away with something new and exciting to consider. It’s one of my must listen to every week podcasts.

I depend on Pod Save the World to keep me informed about important developments in countries around the world every week. The hosts are well-informed and reasoned - their experience and network make for thoughtful analysis. The weekly interviews with activists and journalists from around the world provide insights that we don’t get from US-centric journalists. Highly recommend.

Tommy and Ben lean much further left than I do personally. I don’t usually have an issue with it as they still provide valuable insight and a lot of knowledge from years in foreign policy. They also offer access to high level current and former officials which separates them from the pack, making this one of the best foreign policy podcasts out there. With that being said, their most recent guest Alex Wagner was absolutely insufferable and painful to listen to. I shouldn’t be surprised given the MSNBC affiliation (both Ben and Alex are contributors) but this was the first episode in which I had to stop listening halfway through. If I wanted a smorgasbord of snide remarks and insults thrown at non-progressives I’d make my way over to Twitter. I want to continue listening but my suggestion is to pick more guests from across the political spectrum. Picking analysts that have nearly identical views doesn’t add to the podcast the way guests are suppose to and weakens progressive points when you don’t have anyone to oppose or debate them. You’re ostracizing a large portion of potential listeners because of the lack of diverse opinions. I’m not suggesting Mike Pompeo as a guest but perhaps more moderate or rightward leaning. Hopefully, this will change in the future and I can continue to look forward to this podcast every Wednesday.

Ben Rhodes is a standout great, insightful host. Tommy is a little too juvenile in his commentary. Also, as a Salvadoran-American who has been personally impacted by decades of violence in my home country, their take on the president of El Salvador is very one-dimensional and quite frankly, removed from the opinions of actual Salvadorans on the ground. I would urge them to seek an opposing viewpoint to bring on as an expert to provide some context for their listeners.