Rephonic
Artwork for Background Briefing

Background Briefing with Ian Masters

Ian Masters
Donald Trump
Iran
Trump Administration
Venezuela
Ukraine
United States
Russia
Trump
Israel
Democratic Party
ICE
American Democracy
Supreme Court
Government Shutdown
Jeffrey Epstein
Gaza
Republican Party
Stephen Miller
Voting Rights Act
Oil

Background Briefing goes far beyond the headlines and deep under the radar to bring forward truths unheard elsewhere in American media. Background Briefing features international and national news, expert guests, policymakers, and critics offering analysis and insight on national security, foreign and domestic policy, political, cultural, and social issues. backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.co... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes606Founded12 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
News

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Background Briefing

Latest Episodes

Vance Unloads on Israel in an Obvious Warning Not to Spoil the White House Deal With Iran | How to Stop an Autocrat From Rigging Another Election | Efforts to Stop the Paramount-Warner Merger and Its Impact on Jobs, News and Culture backgroundbriefin... more

Even if Trump Has Given Away the Store, Diplomacy is Better Than Continuing to Fight a Lost War | The Price the U.S. Will Pay for Trump's Hubris, Hegseth's Incompetence and Netanyahu's Mendacity | In Shelving His New DNI and FISA Deal, Trump Makes Cl... more

A Deal to Make a Deal Has Hawks on All Sides Terrified it Will Succeed | G-7 Leaders Bring Trump and Zelensky Together to Change the U.S. Role From Messenger Between Ukraine and Russia to Mediator That Makes Peace | The Iran War and the Future of Ame... more

Iran Will Sign a Deal on Friday as the Winner, But Will the War Be Over? | As Texas Republicans Target Talarico's Masculinity, the White House Puts on a Display of Toxic Masculinity and Cheesy Patriotism | Is the World's First Trilllionaire Elon Musk... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Harrison Mann
Associate Director for Campaigns and Policy at Win Without War
Win Without War
Episode: June 14, 2026 - Harrison Mann | Aslı Bâli | Aaron Regunberg
Aslı Bâli
Professor of Law at Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Episode: June 14, 2026 - Harrison Mann | Aslı Bâli | Aaron Regunberg
Aaron Regunberg
Climate lawyer and progressive organizer; co-host of Fighting Fascism podcast
New Republic / Public Citizen
Episode: June 14, 2026 - Harrison Mann | Aslı Bâli | Aaron Regunberg
Ira Shapiro
Lawyer, longtime Senate staffer, former US trade official
Senate, author
Episode: June 10, 2026 - Paul Pillar | Ira Shapiro
Mitchell Prothero
Journalist and analyst on international crime, terrorism, and security
The Nation; Vice World News; BuzzFeed News
Episode: June 9, 2026 - Ben Burgis | Mitchell Prothero | Lisa Graves
Ben Freeman
Director of the Democratizing Foreign Policy Program
Quincy Institute
Episode: June 8, 2026 - Hussein Banai | Ben Freeman | James Risen
Stephen Harper
Professor at Northwestern University; author and contributor
Northwestern University
Episode: June 7, 2026 - David Hearst | Robert Kuttner | Steven Harper
Amy Fried
Professor Emerita, University of Maine
University of Maine
Episode: June 4, 2026 - James Zirin | Amy Fried | Michael Kimmage
Chris Whipple
Producer, author of The Gatekeepers and The Spy Masters
CBS 60 Minutes; ABC's Primetime; author
Episode: June 2, 2026 - Thanassis Cambanis | Anne Nelson | Chris Whipple

Host

Ian Masters
Host focused on international news, national security, and policy analysis.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 784 ratings
  • The only podcast I seek out consistently

    The discussion with Prof. Sean Wilentz on 10/26/25 distills perfectly the monstrosity we are dealing with in very clear terms and the more people who understand it, the better we will be able to overcome this moment in history.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    mettaminx
    United States8 months ago
  • Appreciate you and your guests

    Please can you speak to the US accepting Afrikaners

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Melissa J83
    United Statesa year ago
  • Ian Masters's Background Briefing: A show that stands apart from any other.

    As essential as any other number one news and analysis resource, this program remains at the very top of my list. A part of my daily routine, I credit Mr Masters with providing us with a detailed picture of our current affairs through a, almost daily, series of wildly diverse and highly credentialed guest interviews. I could never thank the staff of Background Briefing enough for taking me through this very difficult decade. If I ever hit the jackpot, you will know it. thank you for all of your ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    The Railer
    United Statesa year ago
  • Often the guests have very on point analysis and commentary. This can't be said of all guests. Some seem as clueless as the relatively uninformed may be. Many are also cagey, unwilling to state ugly realities, unlike Ian.

    This is definitely a podcast for the left leaning given Ian's tendency to insert his own left leaning opinions into discussion. So some right wingers and "centrists" may not like it. However, Ian still has excellent editorial standards (like keeping to the facts) nonetheless.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    mindful86
    a year ago
  • Good guests, I wish Ian did more interviewing and less pushing his own thesis.

    Podcast Addict
    4
    curmudgeon
    a year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Many praise the host for bringing highly credentialed experts and challenging perspectives.
Some critics feel occasional guests are overly academic or polarized; overall sentiment is highly positive.
Listeners appreciate the depth and breadth of guests, noting rigorous, policy-forward discussions.

Top News Podcasts

The Daily
The DailyThe New York Times
Pod Save America
Pod Save AmericaPod Save America
Serial
SerialSerial Productions & The New York Times
The Ben Shapiro Show
The Ben Shapiro ShowThe Daily Wire
Candace
CandaceCandace Owens
The Tucker Carlson Show
The Tucker Carlson ShowTucker Carlson Network
The Dan Bongino Show
The Dan Bongino ShowCumulus Podcast Network | Dan Bongino

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

June 14, 2026 - Harrison Mann | Aslı Bâli | Aaron Regunberg
Q: What role does fossil fuel industry play in shaping policy and public perception regarding the Gulf crisis?
The oil industry shaped public perception and policy through long-standing lobbying, misinformation, and subsidies that hinder the transition to cleaner energy, while profits continue to rise as geopolitical events influence oil prices and energy security debates.
June 14, 2026 - Harrison Mann | Aslı Bâli | Aaron Regunberg
Q: What would be required for a broader, durable regional stability in the Gulf?
A durable stability would require a reordering of incentives where coercive measures are complemented by credible diplomacy, regional security guarantees, and a move away from an exclusive US-Israel security paradigm toward more inclusive regional resilience and economic integration.
June 14, 2026 - Harrison Mann | Aslı Bâli | Aaron Regunberg
Q: How close is the 60-day MOU to becoming a real peace deal, and what are the bottlenecks?
The 60-day MOU is seen as a framework rather than a peace deal, with major bottlenecks including whether Trump will restrain Israel and how far sanctions relief and Strait of Hormuz arrangements can be negotiated without triggering domestic backlash.
June 11, 2026 - Robert Pape | Elizabeth Goitein | Moira Donegan
Q: How does Moira Donegan view the California voting discourse and Trump's claims?
She frames it as a partisan contest where election administration and the credibility of mail-in voting are at stake, noting that messaging and policy moves can influence turnout and public trust regardless of factual fraud claims.
June 11, 2026 - Robert Pape | Elizabeth Goitein | Moira Donegan
Q: What are the main reforms Elizabeth Goitein advocates for Section 702?
She emphasizes the need for a warrant requirement to access Americans' communications, stronger minimization of incidental collection, and greater transparency around surveillance to prevent abuses.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Background Briefing

What is Background Briefing about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A deep-dive current events program that blends geopolitical analysis with domestic policy and political ethics. Episodes regularly feature a rotating panel of scholars, former policymakers, journalists, and policy critics who dissect energy security, U.S. foreign policy, elections, and governance. Noteworthy is the willingness to tackle controversial topics with sharp critique and historical context, often tying global events to domestic consequences. Potential listeners will find rigorous, evidence-grounded discussion, provocative takes, and a broad array of perspectives from academia, think tanks, media, and policy circles.

Where can I find podcast stats for Background Briefing?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Background Briefing. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Background Briefing and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Background Briefing get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Background Briefing, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Background Briefing?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Background Briefing, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Background Briefing have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Background Briefing has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Background Briefing?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Background Briefing:

1. Ralph Nader Radio Hour
2. The Hartmann Report
3. The Chris Hedges Report
4. The David Frum Show
5. Democracy Now! Audio

How many episodes of Background Briefing are there?

Background Briefing launched 12 years ago and published 606 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Background Briefing?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Background Briefing?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Background Briefing from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Background Briefing?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Background Briefing. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Background Briefing?

Recent guests on Background Briefing include:

1. Harrison Mann
2. Aslı Bâli
3. Aaron Regunberg
4. Ira Shapiro
5. Mitchell Prothero
6. Ben Freeman
7. Stephen Harper
8. Amy Fried

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days