I’ve been listening to Citations Needed since the first pandemic lockdown, during which I’d walk my dogs late at night to avoid crowded sidewalks and listen to Nima and Adam (+guests) help make sense of all the icky bad in the world. I listened to the entire backlog of episodes in spring 2020 during those late night strolls. I’ve been a listener (and when finances could afford, a Patron on Patreon — would highly recommend for access to some incredible content) for four years now and am so thankful that Citations Needed continues to be explicit about the state of the world, refusing to mince words when it comes to condemning genocide and state violence. If you feel like you’re going crazy because everything is bad but no one is talking about how everything feels bad, you need this podcast.

When there’s no class analysis.

Most of the bad reviews seem to fail to realize the hosts often are, at the onset of the episode, open and honest about their political persuasion. Well made and hard hitting podcast with amazing guests and timely topics.

This podcast does not mince words or waste time. They are on track and to-the-point. Very illuminating.

Their analysis and guests are top notch. It’s particularly helpful in peeling back layers of media that are thrown at us more frequently and across more mediums than ever before. The “data driven” and (continued) war on drug episodes are what drew me in. Stayed for the NYT slander. Keep it up guys!

If you pride yourself on being well-informed and unbiased, you should already be listening to this podcast. So, what’s the problem here?

I was listening to their podcast on effective altruism and I thought their critique was goof but their discussion of figures like Bentham and Peter Singer were frankly very shallow and showed they hadn’t actually engaged with them as thinkers.

Propagandistic echo chamber, not “journalism.” Opinions are one-sided, shallow, and based on that politically correct far left theoretical framework which has been way too fashionable in the 21st century. What these two dudes describe is not how the real world works. Not insightful. Skip.

Invaluable

Opinion masquerading as news. Thumbs down

One of the best media critique podcasts out there. Very well researched and featuring great, knowledgeable guests. I come away from each episode feeling a touch smarter for listening.

You will either really like this podcast or hate it. If you listen to, read, or watch a lot of traditional media, you might be pretty shocked by what you hear. Buckle up.

Had high hopes for this podcast but everything that’s discussed isn’t nuanced at all and frankly these guys don’t seem especially smart and don’t have the credentials to be experts on… anything. So many points are treated as being very straightforward but they’re simplistic because they’re the hosts’ opinion. They view everything as having no complications because there’s only one way to see it… that’s rarely the case in reality.

Thought provoking. Helpful in an age where media and journalism is more constant than ever. I appreciate the critical lense to understand reporting from big publications in the context of current events. It helps keep me informed

Consistently quality research and analysis. I really appreciate the first half is an explainer or breakdown of the topic and the second is an interview with a subject matter expert. They provide clear reasons and arguments which I find incredibly helpful. Glad they are listener funded.

Citations Needed has really been slapping lately. Keep it up.

Terrorist apologists might be the wrong phrase but its close enough. Their discussion of what is going on in the middle east is disgusting. This should not be on Apple.

It would seem that if it draws attention to oneself, regardless of the way the moral compass points, you are more than willing to wallow in it.

The most one-sided podcast you could possibly find.

This is an incredible show. Love the analysis and way it helps me understand things.

It’s not hyperbole to say that this podcast has refined my way of thinking, sharpened my critical thinking skills, and ruined so many things I thought I loved because I wasn’t thinking about them too hard. Can a podcast make you a more deliberate, compassionate person? I think so. Love the serious episodes about heady topics but the occasional sprinkle of Hallmark holiday movie industrial complex is so good. This is the #1 podcast I recommend to others.

Easily the podcast I recommend to people more than any other. Nima and Adam analyze our culture and narratives in more sharply and critically than I can fund anywhere else. Anytime the issues of the day are brought in conversation, I know that there’s a meticulously cited episode breaking how the common narratives of the day manipulate our understanding of our world, how things work, how it might be harming us through a structural critique and offering different perspectives to challenge our idea of what’s possible. A fantastic and under appreciated pod.

I like how some of the reviews have people crying about you guys being dismissive to party lines, or calling you biased, but I really appreciate the leftist perspective. And of course the deep dives into the dark world of modern media. It’s mostly unbiased fact checking anyway, don’t see what their issue is. Love the show, thank you so much.

It also probably gives you enough tools to analyze my use of essential as a review title. Incredible toolbox for staying sane in a truly ridiculous modern media environment

While I like the content, I could do without the smarminess and arrogant dismissal of everything that doesn’t conform to their views. I don’t see how tacitly telling me how to think via voice inflections and laughter is much different than the news media telling me how to think via their reporting.

So informative & engaging - highly recommend

Excellent. Critiques supported by thorough research. Honest and incredibly informative.

One of my favourites

Goes beyond merely fact-checking the mainstream media landscape and delves into how the news eco-system is influenced by dark money, policy institutes, institutional bias, and failures in reporting. Each episode targets a different, often decades-old trope, like unemployment or the war on drugs, and uncovers how questions in newspapers, magazines, and on television are framed to create a false narrative that makes the public believe there are only certain rational choices.

Recently, the voice of the show is representative of liberal bubble thinking. It admonishes moderate voters and uses holier than thou tones to deliver its view point. Vaguely references academic papers, etc without actually discussing the contents of such references, and presumes all academic output is valid, reproducible and without agenda, and cites them as if produced by flawed humans with uncertainty in results. It’s illustrative of the type of far left communication style that turns off more voters than it reaches. Instead of adding to electoral victories for anyone left of Mitt Romney, communication methods like this will instead alienate voters and send them to embrace the Right, exactly the opposite of the goal of these hosts. I cannot recommend this show to anyone.

This podcast is important, if any podcast can be. Nima and Adam are sharp, likable, and principled critics of mainstream (primarily US) culture, especially political and journalistic culture. Casual in tone, their analyses and interviews are nonetheless incredibly accessible, rigorous, clear-eyed, and timely. They come from an unapologetically left perspective but I think almost anyone could get something valuable out of this podcast.

Always an interesting episode and I always come away informed. Like the work so much I even support these guys on patreon.

They admit being left leaning but also claim they look at things objectively. They don’t. Another liberal podcast trying to claim they aren’t.

Avoid this at all costs. Adam and Nima have changed from being earnest researchers to dishonest, partisan hacks who selectively quote and misquote data points to promote the Democratic Party narrative at all costs. They’re a part of the military-industrial complex now, providing token critique firmly within acceptable limits. I gave this podcast a 5-star review once, and they deserved it several years ago. This is now one of the most atrocious, offensive false claims to investigative journalism I know of among podcasts.

An unabashed, intellectually honest, well researched and argued critique of media failure to challenge entrenched power.

There are many great podcasts, but none better than this one.

I’m a windows user and took the time to make an Apple ID for the sole reason of leaving this 5 star review. Citations Needed helps sift out the important issues facing our nation. Nima and Adam intelligently and objectively dissect the latest political and PR narratives with tact, facts and qualified guests, all with the right amount of humor to make hard truths digestible. If you’re a critical thinker looking for like minded individuals who aren’t trapped in an echo chamber, this podcast is for you. Citations needed has helped me to stay sane in today’s age of mind numbing nonsense and delusion. Support them on PATREON!

Excellent podcast. Well researched and presented. Its always great to go deeper into the issues and ideas of our current times. This one delivers!

I suppose one indicator of the quality here is that nary a show goes by without me saving the episode, the episode description, following the guest on Twitter or whatever and going down an entire rabbit hole there. Maybe 2-3% of the things Adam and Nima say I have skepticism about but it’s difficult to do so because they’re so incredibly painstaking with research and critical analysis. It is also nice that there are plenty of times to laugh because after all idiots do exist to be made fun of. In that vein, would enjoy Adam talking about his fun interactions on Twitter more often.

This show has been absolutely indispensable to my media diet. I started listening a year ago, and since then, I feel like I can more easily articulate the reasons why certain media tropes, language, and talking points are cultivating narratives that serve corporate interests. My roommates and I spend a lot of time talking through the propaganda that we encounter and have much sharper discussions about media narratives in pop culture and in traditional reporting. It’s now in my top 5 favorite podcasts.

Essential listening for people consuming lots of news, Adam and Nima provide great insight and interviews on the issues du jour

Great podcast, keep it up!

Important and insightful analysis, with excellent guests.

I’ve never bothered to leave a review for any podcast before. But man…the work these guys are doing at Citations Needed is astounding. It’s a breath of fresh air in a landscape crowded with tag lines, buzz words, agendas, and out of context clips. These guys put in the WORK required to investigate and explain the nuances, implications, and history of basically any contemporary political issue. Each episode is dense with knowledge and analysis of motivations and in depth reporting into what’s really going on behind the scenes. I don’t have a lot of time for podcasts anymore, but these guys have quickly been placed to the top of my queue. Their effort is incredible, and it shows.

One of my fav podcasts of all time

Nima and Adam, hosts of the Citations Needed podcast, highlight all aspects of media, PR, how they intersect and more in this can’t miss podcast! The hosts and expert guests offer insightful advice and information that is helpful to anyone that listens!

Amazing podcast to listen to while on the job!

When reading, it wouldn’t hurt to slow down a little. There are times when your words run together, because you’re reading so fast. Makes it hard to follow.

A Christmas Blimp sounds like a magical and wonderful Christmas movie! I loved this episode! You guys were so funny! Love the show. I would more episodes like this looking at cultural nuance, like country music and hallmark movies. Look into other strange American things! How about big, stupid cars? Or strip malls that all look the same!

Probably one of best podcasts out there for hard hitting critical analysis of important political issues. The hosts are sharp, witty, thoughtful, and good natured. And it’s clear they make great effort to bring on guests who are principled and dedicated activists, organizers, and intellectuals. If you are trying to make sense of our world, and especially if you are trying to change it, this podcast is for you.