Background Briefing with Ian Masters
Ian MastersBackground 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
| Publishes | Daily | Episodes | 606 | Founded | 12 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Category | News | |||
Listen to this Podcast
Latest Episodes
Trump Threatens to Blow Up Oman as Qatar and Bahrain Secretly Pay Bribes to Iran Not to Bomb Them | Trump Sells Out NATO to Putin Just as Ukraine Turns the Battlefield Against Russia | How a Democratic Socialist Beat Machine Politics and Even Won Ove... more
In Spite of the "Art of the Deal," Trump Keeps Getting Rolled in Negotiations | Paxton and the Moral Decay and Collapse of Decency and Discourse in the Trump Era | How and Why Oligarchs Dominate Our Democracy backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com... more
Another US Senator Assaulted by Trump and Stephen Miller's ICE and DHS Thugs | The California Crackup That Could Have Republican Reality TV Gadflys Elected in the Bluest State | The Rise of Progressive Populism in the Heartland as the Con of Trump's ... more
On Memorial Day a Pentagon Run by a Racist Incompetent Whose Number Two is a Defense Contractor Entrenching the Military Industrial Complex | Trump Will Try to Spin a Defeat as a Victory Over Iran Then Maybe Invade Cuba as a Distraction | Asymmetrica... more
Key Facts
Similar Podcasts
People also subscribe to these shows.
Recent Guests
Host
Reviews
- 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 Podcasts5mettaminx
United States7 months ago - Appreciate you and your guests
Please can you speak to the US accepting Afrikaners
Apple Podcasts5Melissa J83United 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 Podcasts5The RailerUnited 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 Addict5a year agomindful86Good guests, I wish Ian did more interviewing and less pushing his own thesis.
Podcast Addict4a year agocurmudgeon
Listeners Say
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
Chart Rankings
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #145 |  United Arab Emirates/News |
Talking Points
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
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?
Background Briefing offers in-depth, high-signal interviews with policy experts, journalists, and former officials to dissect complex national security, foreign policy, and domestic political issues. Recent episodes skew toward US foreign policy in the Middle East and Eurasia, with on-the-ground reporting from Iran and rigorous geopolitical analysis from scholars and former officials. A standout trait is the willingness to host a broad range of perspectives—from academic policy analysis to frontline reporting and insider security briefings—often probing the practical implications of leadership decisions and the costs of ongoing conflict. Listeners can expect thoughtful, data-driven conversations that aim to illuminate undercovered angles be... more
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 Nation Podcasts
3. The Hartmann Report
4. The DSR Network
5. Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff
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. Jeff Colgan
2. Edward McCaffery
3. Adam Hanieh
4. Kent Harrington
5. William LeoGrande
6. AJA Woods
7. Victor Shih
8. Noam Schieber
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.