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New Statesman launches long reads podcast following record-breaking audio growth

A new weekly podcast, Audio Long Reads, brings our world-class long-form journalism to life in audio.

By New Statesman

The New Statesman has launched a new podcast, Audio Long Reads, featuring the best of its reported features, profiles and essays read aloud by the authors and professional voice actors.

Five episodes are available to listen now via podcast apps or on newstatesman.com, with a new release every Saturday.

Audio Long Reads builds on record-breaking audience growth for the New Statesman’s existing shows – the New Statesman Podcast and World Review – which have doubled their listenership since the creation of an in-house audio team in 2021.

It follows the release of a second series of podcasts with the renowned satirist Armando Iannucci. Westminster Reimagined will run in the New Statesman Podcast feed, and explores how Britain’s broken politics could be improved. The Times gave the first series a four-star review, saying “it works brilliantly. The show’s intimidatingly smart young team… adapt well to Iannucci’s star power and humour.”


Chris Stone, the executive producer for podcasts and video at the New Statesman, said: “the podcast market in the UK is maturing rapidly, and the demand for quality journalism in audio is growing all the time. It’s vital for publishers like the New Statesman to introduce new audiences to our exceptional reporting via podcasts. Audio Long Reads does exactly that – and also rewards our loyal subscribers with new ways to engage with our best writing.”

Melissa Denes, the New Statesman’s features editor, said: “as an avid consumer of audio, I’m excited to be bringing the New Statesman’s narrative features and reported long-form work to life in this way. From our brilliant staff writers to guest contributors, we’ll be drawing on new stories and highlights from the archive – one big listen, or read, every weekend.”

The New Statesman’s podcasts are shortlisted for four categories in the forthcoming Publisher Podcast Awards including Best News Podcast and Best Political Podcast – which the NS podcast also won in 2021, with judges calling it “a must-listen for political animals of all stripes”.

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How to listen to Audio Long Reads

1. In podcast apps

Audio Long Reads is available to listen on all major podcast players, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube and more.

Either click the links above to open in your preferred player, or open the podcast app on your device and search for “Audio Long Reads”.

Follow or subscribe in your podcast app to receive new episodes as soon as they publish.

2. On the New Statesman website

The podcast is also available to listen right here on the New Statesman website. Bookmark https://www.newstatesman.com/podcasts/audio-long-reads, where we will publish new episodes every Saturday morning.

3. On your smart speaker

If you have an Amazon Echo, Google Home or Apple HomePod, ask it to “play the latest episode of Audio Long Reads from the New Statesman”.

The command will also work on other smart devices equipped with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri.

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