From time to time, an industry or subject inspires us to create a best-of list. In case you’ve missed some of these, you can find them here. These are a few Hispanic news podcasts that produce out-of-this-world coverage in a crowded arena. If you think your site or podcast should be considered, give us a holler and tell us why.
News podcasts have exploded in popularity in recent years. According to a report late last year from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, news shows make up 30% of the top podcasts in the U.S.
As more and more Americans turn to podcasts to catch up, start their mornings, or go in-depth with the day's current events, the landscape has become increasingly diverse.
From September 15 through October 15, the U.S. will be honoring the Latino communities that enrich our nation by celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. To commemorate, we are presenting 10 of the top Hispanic news podcasts providing insights on politics, culture, business, and current events in U.S. Latino communities and throughout Latin America.
1. Radio Ambulante
Radio Ambulante presents insightful long-form storytelling from around the Americas. It is similar in style to public radio’s This American Life, and in 2016, it became the first Spanish-language show on NPR’s roster. The show won a Gabriel García Marquez Prize for Innovation in Journalism in 2014.
Peruvian-American novelist Daniel Alarcón hosts. Each episode explores a single story covering news, culture, history, society, or politics.
Episodes are in Spanish with full transcriptions and English translations are available on the website.
Episode to listen to right now:
- Spanish: Berta y el río
- English translation: Berta and the River – Translation
2. Latino USA
Latino USA is a production of journalist Maria Hinojosa’s Futuro Media Group.
According to its site, the show is “committed to telling stories often overlooked by mainstream media by expanding narratives as we report on issues where we see a lack of racial equity.”
The podcast offers comprehensive coverage of immigration through the stories of people on both sides of the border. Politics, culture, and the arts are other frequent topics, and the fascinating How I Made It series highlights Latino creators discussing their work and careers.
Episodes are in English.
Episodes to listen to right now: How I Made It: El Peso Hero and Mezcal: From Farms To Bars.
3. La Brega
A Spanish-English dictionary may translate la brega as "the struggle," but in Puerto Rican culture it means much more. The podcast of the same name attempts to encompass all the word’s meanings and its significance to current politics.
La Brega is engrossing storytelling by and about Puerto Ricans living on the island and on the mainland.
Each episode is available in both Spanish and English.
Episode to listen to right now:
- English: What Is La Brega?
- Spanish: ¿Qué es la brega?
4. El Hilo
El Hilo is a weekly news show in Spanish that aims to go in-depth on a single story in each episode. A co-production of Radio Ambulante Estudios and Vice News, the show tells stories from all over Latin America and the U.S.
Launched in 2020 at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the show has had robust coverage of the effect of the crisis throughout the Americas.
Episode to listen to right now: La epidemia interior.
5. El Washington Post
El Washington Post is a news recap in Spanish posting four times a week. Each episode is presented by three hosts in different locations: Juan Carlos Iragorri from Madrid, Dori Toribio from Washington, D.C., and Jorge Espinosa from Bogota.
The show provides interviews and analysis on the top stories of the day around the world with a focus on the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. The podcast also presents occasional specials focusing on cultural topics.
Episodes to listen to right now: El 11 de septiembre, veinte años después and Despenalizado el aborto en México. Bolsonaro y el poder judicial. El "bitcoin" en El Salvador.
Check out our past Hispanic Heritage Month roundups of top Hispanic and Latino news sites, influencers, and journalists.
6. Latino Rebels Radio
Latino Rebels Radio is another production of Futuro Media. In addition to the news site which features politics, culture, and opinion, the podcast hosted by Julio Ricardo Varela offers insightful conversations with journalists, activists, and academics about identity and history.
Employing the same straightforwardness as the Latino Rebels website, the podcast gets to the heart of issues in challenging and thought-provoking ways.
Episodes are mainly in English with occasional special presentations and interviews in Spanish.
Episode to listen to right now: A Chilean Awakening.
7. Edición Semanaria
Radio Bilingüe’s Edición Semanaria is a fourteen-minute news capsule in Spanish covering top stories in the U.S. and Latin America. The coverage of U.S. politics is particularly strong with interviews of leaders and pundits. Other frequent topics are immigration, arts, culture, and music, and the environment.
Episode to listen to right now: 10 September, 2021.
8. Contrapoder
Univision news anchor and media icon Jorge Ramos interviews journalists, thinkers, artists, activists, and others who can shed light on the most important topics of the day. The show covers a broad range of stories, including politics, culture, literature, music, entertainment, and even sports.
Episodes are in Spanish.
Episode to listen to right now: Hispano, latino o latinx: ¿Cómo debemos identificarnos?
9. In the Thick
Another entry from Futuro Media’s fabulous lineup, In the Thick is described as “a political podcast from the perspective of journalists of color.” Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela host a broad conversation encompassing communities of color in the U.S. and around the Americas.
Episodes to listen to right now: Right to a Quality Education and America’s Farmworkers.
10. Latina to Latina
Journalist and MSNBC anchor Alicia Menendez interviews Latina business leaders from many different sectors about their paths to success. The show focuses on empowerment and inspiration.
Episodes are in English with full transcripts available on the site.
Episodes to listen to right now: Why Designer Jen Zeano Is Building a Queer Lifestyle Brand in South Texas and Unstuck: What Media Mogul Nely Galán Can Teach Us About the Art of Reinvention.
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