The Guardian today (Thursday 23 November) celebrates five years of Today in Focus, its flagship daily news podcast. One of the Guardian’s most successful podcasts to date, since launching in November 2018, the podcast has achieved a phenomenal 250 million all-time listens.
Critically acclaimed, Today in Focus has won a number of industry awards for its reporting, production and sound design. Most recently winning gold in the ‘best news and current affairs’ category and silver in the ‘best daily podcast’ category at the 2023 British Podcast awards.
Hosted by Guardian journalists Nosheen Iqbal and Michael Safi, Today in Focus’s unique offering in the daily news podcast space provides a varied collection of voices and perspectives from those often underrepresented in mainstream media.
Loyal global audience
Today in Focus has a highly engaged global audience, with almost half of the podcast’s listeners routinely tuning in daily from outside the UK. The top five continents and countries drawing in listeners are Europe, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The depth and quality of Today in Focus’s journalism has helped attract and retain a growing and loyal audience. The podcast has become an essential daily listen worldwide, with 76% of its audience listening for at least a year and 35% listening for over three years. Predominantly, those listening are 25-34 and female (52%), younger and more diverse than the typically older and male dominated UK podcast industry and listening audience.
Stories behind the headlines
Today in Focus is acclaimed for its in-depth exploration beyond the headlines, bringing unexpected and often-overlooked stories to the public’s attention. A true extension of the Guardian in audio, Today in Focus has come to be an internationally trusted and informative news source, drawing on the Guardian’s extensive journalistic expertise and well-connected global network of reporters.
The podcast’s ability to draw upon the reporting of Guardian correspondents across the world has helped produce deep and powerful coverage of global events, including the war in Ukraine and most recently the Israel-Hamas conflict. A sensitive approach has been taken in exploring personal narratives and first-hand accounts from residents and journalists in Gaza, as well as individuals who have experienced anti-semitism and islamophobia in the UK.
Investigative reporting
Distinguished for its multi-part investigative series, Today in Focus has covered a diverse array of important stories and helped change the lives of real people.
Recent popular series include:
Trafficked a two-year investigation of a Ukrainian woman who escaped modern slavery in the UK, a compelling personal account referenced in a parliamentary debate
Cost of the Crown an investigation into royal wealth and finances, which led to King Charles’ first signal for support of research into his family’s historic ties to transatlantic slavery
The Division garnered unprecedented access to expose the history of racism and prosecutorial misconduct in America’s most incarcerated city, New Orleans.
Nosheen Iqbal, host, Today in Focus, said:
“A big thank you to all our listeners, in the UK and around the world who have helped make Today in Focus what it is today. Going beyond UK scandal, everyday we aim to create the show with an international outlook but a local feel - we’ve had episodes set in the Amazon rainforest and direct from Gaza, Ukraine and the US. And rather than just recording journalists sitting in our offices in London, we have great production quality and sound design, to take our listeners closer to the action. The results have been incredible and I’m thrilled that a remarkable 250 million people, from all over the world, have joined us on this journey.”
Michael Safi, host, Today in Focus, said:
“Today in Focus is an incredible show to be a part of and to have been going for five years is a real testament to the hard work that goes into it. Reaching 250 million people is also a phenomenal milestone and evidence of the podcast’s ability to tell a detailed story that connects with listeners, rather than just chatting about what’s happening in the news. The show is made daily with our audience in mind, who they are, where they are from and what they may want to know. It’s really exciting to see that the show has become a daily listening habit for so many, all over the world. So many writers and journalists we work with tell us that their stories get much more attention and make more of an impact when they’re featured on the podcast.”
Christian Bennett, executive editor, multimedia, Guardian News & Media, said:
“At a time when we are in podcast overload, filled with many Westminster-centric double acts, Today in Focus sets out to do something very different - stepping back from the daily noise, telling one investigative and absorbing, human story each day. Centred on brilliant Guardian reporters, their expertise and sources, the hope is that listeners come away from each episode feeling that along with our hosts, they’ve learned something new that they can share with friends and contacts, whether it be about a global issue, a national scandal, or something unusual, useful and occasionally fun.”
Weekday episodes of Today in Focus can be found on theguardian.com/audio and all other podcast apps of choice.
Today in Focus is hosted by Nosheen Iqbal and Michael Safi. The show is produced by Alex Atack, Courtney Yusuf, Hannah Moore, Lucy Hough, Natalie Ktena, Sami Kent, Rose de Larrabeiti, senior producer, Elizabeth Cassin, the executive producers are Homa Khaleeli and Phil Maynard and sound design is by Rudi Zygadlo and Solomon King. The commissioning editor is Nicole Jackson, the Guardian’s head of audio.
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Notes to editors
For more information contact media.enquiries@theguardian.com.
About Guardian News & Media
Guardian News & Media (GNM) publishes theguardian.com, one of the world’s leading English-language news websites. Traffic from outside of the UK now represents around two-thirds of the Guardian’s total digital audience. In the UK, GNM publishes the Guardian newspaper six days a week, first published in 1821, and the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper, The Observer.
