The 19th News and Wonder Media Network launch new podcast, The Amendment

The 19th and Wonder Media Network (WMN) are pleased to announce their new weekly podcast The Amendment. The 19th’s debut audio series will premiere on February 14, 2024. Hosted by award-winning journalist and The 19th’s Editor-at-Large Errin Haines, The Amendment will cut past punditry and give a voice to the new electorate, most specifically the marginalized folks who depend on a functioning democracy.

Each episode will feature a conversation between Haines and a prominent guest to discuss the state of American democracy and power structures through the lens of race and gender; initial episodes feature Nikole Hannah-Jones of the 1619 Project and writer Tressie McMillan Cottom.

The Amendment will represent a crucial extension of The 19th’s work as it captures untold parts of the American story. “Every day The 19th aims to explore democracy’s unfinished business. We want to center and empower women and LGBTQ+ Americans, especially those who are underrepresented in our politics,” said Julia B. Chan, The 19th’s editor in chief. “In a major election year, this mission is more important than ever.”

Haines will end each episode with an asterisk — a few minutes dedicated to acknowledging a particular instance where the lens of gender or race have been ignored. The asterisk in The 19th’s logo is meant to signal that the work of its namesake amendment — which granted women a right to vote, a right that was often denied to women of color — is unfinished.

The Amendment joins WMN’s slate of more than a dozen original programs that elevate underrepresented voices. WMN’s podcasts — including the award-winning Womanica, Teaching Texas, and I Was Never There — challenge existing power structures and center underrepresented voices. “WMN is thrilled to partner with The 19th, another women-founded, mission-driven company,” said Jenny Kaplan, CEO of Wonder Media Network. “This show is a natural extension of our existing portfolio, offering essential perspectives that will shape the political coverage of this election cycle.”

The 19th News will kick off its first-ever live recording of The Amendment on SXSW EDU’s podcast stage the morning of March 7. The 2024 SXSW EDU Podcast Stage, presented by GitLab Foundation, brings together 14 leading podcasts, sitting at the intersection of culture and learning, to cover issues ranging from technology trends to the future of leadership to the impact of politics on learning.

Errin Haines is a co-founder of The 19th. She was previously a national writer on race at the Associated Press and also reported for the Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post. She is also a contributor to MSNBC and has been recognized for her coverage of political and social issues, particularly how they disproportionately impact women of color.