Global Situation Room Expands News Podcast Production with Situation Room Studios

The Global Situation Room, Inc. (GSR) is significantly scaling its production of news podcasts with the creation of a new division of the firm called Situation Room Studios. Led by former Bloomberg Executive Producer Christine Baratta, the Studios will build on GSR’s past success in creating award-winning, top-ranked policy shows with the backing of companies, foundations, and organizations that care deeply about engaging on the most important stories of our time.

“In our experience, the podcasts that often make the most news and reach the largest audiences are not being made by news outlets,” said GSR Founder and President Brett Bruen. “Instead, it’s those that tell the most authentic stories and uplift trusted voices that unearth new insights while truly beginning to drive conversations forward.”

According to a recent Pew Research report just one-in-five listeners say they listen to a podcast that’s connected to a news organization. Yet, over the last two years Global Situation Room has produced some of the top news podcasts on the planet, including the critically acclaimed Pod is a Woman and the number one show on international affairs One Decision. The former was ranked by TIME and Cosmopolitan magazines as among the best political podcasts, while the latter has broken news covered by major media around the globe, from the New York Times and Wall Street Journal to the Guardian and the BBC. The creation of Situation Room Studios will allow the firm to significantly expand its output and comes following the hire of Baratta and RJ Bee who has run the podcast company Osiris Media.

The next production from Situation Room Studios, Press Advance with Johanna Maska will examine American politics ahead of the 2024 elections offering a fresh look at how we make political progress. Season 1 launching the week of May 22 takes a deep dive into the potential Republican 2024 presidential candidates. Maska, who is GSR’s CEO and a NewsNation contributor, served in President Obama’s administration and talks to leaders in the Republican Party, including Governor Larry Hogan, the popular Maryland Republican Governor who won over independents and Democrats, Alyssa Farah Griffin, who served with President Trump and broke with him on January 6, Morgan Ortagus, who served as State Department Spokesman in the Trump administration, Kristin Davison, who is supporting the independent super PAC backing a potential 2024 run by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

“So many are tired of the media environment that divides without information. What we strive to do with Press Advance is deliver real substance with humor and grace, in a way that respects the audience and lets them decide what they think with the information they deserve,” said Maska. “With Press Advance we’ll be candid, and forthright with the problems we face and the solutions we can drive forward.”

Additional shows are currently in development and will be released in the coming months.