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Artwork for Fresh Air

Fresh Air

NPR
Donald Trump
United States
Iran
Artificial Intelligence
Music
Raphael Saadiq
Syria
Fela Kuti
Nuclear Weapons
Syrian Civil War
Middle East
Oscar
Consciousness
Robert Duvall
Al-Assad Regime
Interracial Marriage
Jared Kushner
Billie Eilish
Phineas O'connell
Hit Me Hard and Soft

Fresh Air from WHYY, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs. Hosted by Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including weekly bonus episodes and curated ... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes1680Founded20 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
BooksArtsTV & Film

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Artwork for Fresh Air

Latest Episodes

Michael Douglas is one of the most recognizable actors of our time, but in 1987, many still knew him as Kirk Douglas's son. That year, he starred in Fatal Attraction and Wall Street, and his role as Gordon Gekko won him the Oscar for Best Actor. "Whe... more

Kyle MacLachlan was just 23 when he auditioned for Lynch's adaptation of Dune. The two would go on to work together on the cult classics Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks. “The worlds that [Lynch] creates are real in his mind — they exist,” he tells Terry G... more

Often called one of the fathers of minimalist music, Reich created a vocabulary that has influenced nearly every form of music: Classical, electronic, jazz, and pop. To commemorate his 90th birthday, there are worldwide performances and festivals in ... more

The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter has a new album, Pick You Up, out Oct. 9. She spoke with Fresh Air guest interviewer Sam Fragoso (Talk Easy) about touring with Michael Jackson in her 20s as a back-up singer, depression, and Bob Dylan’s advice fo... more

Key Facts

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Zanny Minton Beddoes
Editor-in-Chief of The Economist
The Economist
Episode: New drones, deadlier attacks: Dystopian reality in Ukraine
Mahmoud Khalil
Author; Palestinian refugee and activist; memoirist of No Land to Stand On
Author of No Land to Stand On
Episode: Mahmoud Khalil’s 104 days in ICE Detention
Kyle MacLachlan
Actor known for David Lynch collaborations and memoirist
Actor
Episode: Kyle MacLachlan was David Lynch’s ‘submersible’ into dark places
Rhiannon Giddens
Singer, banjo player, fiddler, and songwriter; solo artist; former co-founder of Carolina Chocolate Drops
Solo artist; Silk Road Ensemble artistic director
Episode: Best Of: Rhiannon Giddens / Investigating Diddy’s Rise & Fall
Cheyenne Roundtree
Investigative reporter for Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Episode: Best Of: Rhiannon Giddens / Investigating Diddy’s Rise & Fall
Rush Doshi
Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; Director of the China Strategy Initiative; author of The Long Game
Council on Foreign Relations / Georgetown University
Episode: Global power, rivalry, and A.I.; a preview of the U.S./China summit
Andy Greenberg
Senior Writer at Wired Magazine, author on cybercrime investigations
Wired
Episode: Inside the 'modern slavery' where cyber scammers are victims themselves
Chuck Jones
Looney Tunes animator, director of iconic shorts such as Duck Amuck and Road Runner/Coyote cartoons
Warner Bros. Animation
Episode: Looney Tunes animator Chuck Jones / Remembering singer Cassandra Wilson
Kai Bird
Author of American Scoundrel, biographer of Roy Cohn
Author, Biography
Episode: The Roy Cohn Playbook, from McCarthyism to Trump

Hosts

Terry Gross
Host of the long-running interview program, known for in-depth conversations and shaping the interview style.
Tonya Mosley
Co-host known for engaging conversations, helping expand the show's accessibility and perspective.

Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars from 41k ratings
  • Sam Fragoso is Great

    Sam’s preparation and research are legendary. Loved his episode on the WNBA as well as past guest interviews he’s conducted. Helping to keep Fresh Air fresh!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    KhwNatick
    United Statesa month ago
  • 9/11 episode is a disgrace

    I thought I would learn about threats to America and how we are addressing those but instead the episode was terrorsplaining. Do better NPR or stop wasting our tax dollars.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Loved NPR before 2000
    United Statesa month ago
  • Love this show

    Longtime listener and huge fan of all the interviewers!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    M8trx
    United Statesa month ago
  • Great podcast

    Terry Gross is fantastic. Sophisticated. Classy. Smart.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    DP’67
    United Statesa month ago
  • Longtime fan

    As a longtime fan of Fresh Air, I admit to being worried when Tonya joined the ranking-host. Happily, she fits right in, with her thoughtful, insightful questions and her lovely demeanor. Terry is still going strong and continues to be a joy to listen to. Go team!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    AJH914
    United Statesa month ago

Listeners Say

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

Listeners appreciate the range of guests and in-depth interviews when the host maintains rigorous, thoughtful probing.
A portion of listeners express frustration with pronunciation and consistency issues, suggesting attention to detail would improve credibility.
Many praise the breadth of topics and the host duo's chemistry, noting high-quality storytelling and clear interviewing instincts.
Overall, opinions are mixed but many consider the program a consistently valuable source of culture, politics, and ideas.
Some audience segments feel the show has shifted toward celebrity or softer topics, impacting perceived hard-hitting journalism.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Spotify
#11
United States/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#135
United States/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#1
United States/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#1
United States/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#2
Canada/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#9
Canada/Arts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Global power, rivalry, and A.I.; a preview of the U.S./China summit
Q: How do protocol and ceremony affect summits, and what details matter behind the scenes?
He explains that protocol matters greatly, with detailed planning on seating, invitations, and ceremonies; missteps can create face-saving problems for both sides and affect the substance of discussions.
Global power, rivalry, and A.I.; a preview of the U.S./China summit
Q: Do you find it strange that President Xi is coming to Washington to meet with President Trump and have this big ceremonial dinner?
He notes the ceremony is unusual but understandable given the diplomatic risks, emphasizing that Xi is cautious about staying too long in the US to avoid embarrassment or being pulled into unwanted situations.
Global power, rivalry, and A.I.; a preview of the U.S./China summit
Q: What would you like to see the outcome of the summit be? And what do you think it will be?
Doshi expresses a preference for concrete progress on economic and tech issues, AI safety cooperation, de-escalation on Taiwan, and a path to resolving broader global conflicts, though he cautions the summit is likely to be more about appearance than substantive breakthroughs.
Best Of: Rhiannon Giddens / Investigating Diddy’s Rise & Fall
Q: Where were you in your life when you wrote that line about taking off your skin to show your heart, and how does it reflect the themes of the album?
I was entering a space of aging and truth-telling, acknowledging the emotional weight of presenting difficult histories to audiences, and wanting art to be a vessel for resilience rather than comfort.
Best Of: Rhiannon Giddens / Investigating Diddy’s Rise & Fall
Q: Step Away Blues, which you co-wrote, you write in the liner notes that you think it definitely feels like a song for your crone ears. Can you explain what crone ears means to you and why this song marks that phase of your life?
I define crone as a reclamation of the powerful late-life phase that women experience; it's about stepping into voice and honesty, not hiding behind years of trying to mediate or soften messages, and this track represents that turning point where I want to speak more boldly and openly.

Audience Metrics

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

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Gender Skew
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Professions
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Frequently Asked Questions About Fresh Air

What is Fresh Air about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show features in-depth interviews with a wide range of guests spanning journalism, culture, politics, and the arts. Past conversations often combine rigorous reporting with personal storytelling, exploring how power, technology, identity, and society intersect across current events, biography, and fiction. Listeners likely value thoughtful, context-rich dialogue and perspectives from journalists, authors, actors, and filmmakers, with episodes that mix investigative inquiry, cultural critique, and human-interest angles. A standout is the ability to connect big ideas to concrete anecdotes and lived experience, appealing to curious, educated audiences who enjoy nuanced conversations beyond headlines.

Where can I find podcast stats for Fresh Air?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Fresh Air. 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 Fresh Air and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Fresh Air get?

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What are the audience demographics for Fresh Air?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Fresh Air, 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 Fresh Air have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Fresh Air 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 Fresh Air?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Fresh Air:

1. The New Yorker Radio Hour
2. This American Life
3. The Daily
4. The Ezra Klein Show
5. The Interview

How many episodes of Fresh Air are there?

Fresh Air launched 20 years ago and published 1680 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 Fresh Air?

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 Fresh Air?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Fresh Air 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 Fresh Air?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Fresh Air. 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 Fresh Air?

Recent guests on Fresh Air include:

1. Zanny Minton Beddoes
2. Mahmoud Khalil
3. Kyle MacLachlan
4. Rhiannon Giddens
5. Cheyenne Roundtree
6. Rush Doshi
7. Andy Greenberg
8. Chuck Jones

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.

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