WEBVTT 00:00:00.500 --> 00:00:04.640 From our free daily newsletter, the latest from podnews.net with 00:00:04.640 --> 00:00:05.460 co-host. 00:00:05.460 --> 00:00:10.220 About 300 employees at The Washington Post are without a job 00:00:10.220 --> 00:00:10.880 tonight 00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:13.700 after sweeping layoffs rattled the newsroom at one of the 00:00:13.700 --> 00:00:15.820 country's most esteemed journalism outlets. 00:00:15.820 --> 00:00:18.920 The Washington Post cut more than a third of its employees, 00:00:18.920 --> 00:00:22.660 including more than 300 of its 800 newsroom staff. 00:00:22.660 --> 00:00:26.320 We gather that their audio department has been, quotes, all but 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:27.280 eliminated. 00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:31.060 The flagship podcast, Post Reports, is cancelled and didn't 00:00:31.060 --> 00:00:32.500 publish yesterday. 00:00:32.500 --> 00:00:35.620 The show reached almost half a million people a month, according 00:00:35.620 --> 00:00:36.500 to Pudscribe. 00:00:36.500 --> 00:00:39.680 The host of the show, Martine Powers, is one of those affected. 00:00:39.680 --> 00:00:43.380 There are reports that the company has laid off all but two 00:00:43.380 --> 00:00:45.340 staffers in their audio team, 00:00:45.340 --> 00:00:47.400 willing to some of those affected today. 00:00:47.400 --> 00:00:51.200 That audio team won two Peabody Awards in 2024, 00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:55.770 but in December, the newspaper made AI-generated podcasts that 00:00:55.770 --> 00:00:57.320 were riddled with errors 00:00:57.320 --> 00:01:00.430 but were reportedly launched, even knowing they were a bad 00:01:00.430 --> 00:01:01.300 experience. 00:01:01.300 --> 00:01:04.970 The newspaper, which broke the Watergate scandal, was purchased 00:01:04.970 --> 00:01:06.020 by Jeff Bezos, 00:01:06.020 --> 00:01:09.020 an online bookseller, in 2013. 00:01:09.020 --> 00:01:14.290 And Podnews' jobs board is free for everybody, podnews.net slash 00:01:14.290 --> 00:01:14.980 jobs. 00:01:14.980 --> 00:01:19.680 A new weekly news podcast in the Netherlands is to be entirely 00:01:19.680 --> 00:01:24.060 written, researched and fact-checked by AI. 00:01:24.060 --> 00:01:29.240 High Profile, a podcast made by Airborne Network, is human-hosted, 00:01:29.240 --> 00:01:30.440 at least for now, 00:01:30.440 --> 00:01:34.320 but the company says that the engaging show provides depth and 00:01:34.320 --> 00:01:35.600 context to news. 00:01:35.760 --> 00:01:39.720 Today's episode tells the story of Ayatollah Khomeini and the 00:01:39.720 --> 00:01:42.320 tensions within and around Iran. 00:01:42.320 --> 00:01:46.100 Are you in the podcast or audio industry in the UK? 00:01:46.100 --> 00:01:49.620 Audio UK is helping the Department of Culture, Media and Sport 00:01:49.620 --> 00:01:50.720 with a new project, 00:01:50.720 --> 00:01:54.650 examining the size and scale of the UK's podcasting and audio 00:01:54.650 --> 00:01:55.560 industry. 00:01:55.560 --> 00:01:58.440 There's a short confidential survey for you to fill in by 00:01:58.440 --> 00:01:59.860 Tuesday, if you wouldn't mind. 00:01:59.860 --> 00:02:01.300 We've linked to that today. 00:02:01.780 --> 00:02:06.350 Malcolm Gladwell is to release a new book, Exploring the Gun Epidemic 00:02:06.350 --> 00:02:07.220 in the US. 00:02:07.220 --> 00:02:11.240 The audiobook will feature original reporting and interviews, 00:02:11.240 --> 00:02:13.420 archival tape and sound design. 00:02:13.420 --> 00:02:17.520 Podcast One has renewed a number of shows and signed a new show, 00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:19.120 For Your Amusement. 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:22.810 Combined, the shows represent 30 million downloads across the 00:02:22.810 --> 00:02:23.520 network. 00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:27.830 And Jay and Miles explain The X-Men has announced that the show 00:02:27.830 --> 00:02:29.840 is to end later this year. 00:02:29.840 --> 00:02:33.520 The show is 12 years old, including live recordings made at the 00:02:33.520 --> 00:02:34.880 Library of Congress. 00:02:35.440 --> 00:02:39.320 And the creators say, we hope we've not only taught you about X-Men 00:02:39.320 --> 00:02:41.880 continuity and the perils of time travel, 00:02:41.880 --> 00:02:45.190 but helped you build the tools that'll let you engage critically 00:02:45.190 --> 00:02:49.680 with the stories you love and find joy, even in the ones you don't. 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:54.680 And in podcast news, in its latest episode, heavyweight Jonathan 00:02:54.680 --> 00:02:56.720 Goldstein reports from Minneapolis, 00:02:56.720 --> 00:02:59.740 with first-hand accounts and reporting of ongoing ICE 00:02:59.740 --> 00:03:02.740 enforcement and heightened federal activity on immigrant 00:03:02.740 --> 00:03:04.380 communities across the state. 00:03:04.380 --> 00:03:07.880 He speaks to families affected by the action, some forced into 00:03:07.880 --> 00:03:08.520 hiding. 00:03:09.080 --> 00:03:12.910 In today's edition of Pablo Torre finds out, Torre sits with 00:03:12.910 --> 00:03:15.840 Charles Flores on Texas' death row. 00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:20.210 Flores will be watching the Super Bowl from behind bars, as he's 00:03:20.210 --> 00:03:22.380 done for over 25 years, 00:03:22.380 --> 00:03:25.810 after he was imprisoned by evidence from a witness that was 00:03:25.810 --> 00:03:26.780 hypnotized. 00:03:26.780 --> 00:03:29.360 Evidence which is now against the law. 00:03:29.540 --> 00:03:31.140 He maintains his innocence. 00:03:31.140 --> 00:03:35.660 Dead Dads is a new podcast launched today, tackling grief and 00:03:35.660 --> 00:03:37.620 all the messiness that comes with it. 00:03:37.620 --> 00:03:40.780 From Roger Nairn and Scott Cunningham, each episode blends 00:03:40.780 --> 00:03:43.960 uncomfortable humor with honest reflection on loss, 00:03:43.960 --> 00:03:47.980 juggling family life, memory and the strange moments no one 00:03:47.980 --> 00:03:49.480 prepares guys for. 00:03:50.180 --> 00:03:52.600 And in the Pod News Weekly Review this week... 00:03:52.600 --> 00:03:54.780 I think one of the things that Mercury can do really well is it 00:03:54.780 --> 00:03:59.320 can give a bit more creative autonomy to independent creators. 00:03:59.320 --> 00:04:02.670 That's Liam Heffernan, the founder of the Mercury Podcast 00:04:02.670 --> 00:04:03.380 Network. 00:04:03.380 --> 00:04:07.740 James and Sam also have views on AI and other things. 00:04:07.740 --> 00:04:10.880 And I'm James, in case you hadn't worked it out. 00:04:10.880 --> 00:04:13.760 And this podcast is sponsored by Co-host. 00:04:13.760 --> 00:04:17.400 If you're looking for better podcast insights, then Co-host 00:04:17.400 --> 00:04:20.800 combines hosting, analytics and audience insights. 00:04:20.800 --> 00:04:24.220 So now you can finally measure podcast performance with 00:04:24.220 --> 00:04:25.200 confidence. 00:04:25.200 --> 00:04:26.880 You can learn more about Co-host. 00:04:26.880 --> 00:04:28.660 There's a link in our show notes. 00:04:28.660 --> 00:04:29.360 Go click it. 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:31.340 And that's the latest from our newsletter. 00:04:31.340 --> 00:04:35.220 To read all the stories and subscribe for free, we're at podnews.net. 00:04:35.220 --> 00:04:36.100 Keep listening.