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Artwork for Fresh Air

Fresh Air

NPR
United States
Donald Trump
Iran
Artificial Intelligence
Nuclear Weapons
Middle East
Jared Kushner
Billie Eilish
Phineas O'connell
Hit Me Hard and Soft
Riz Ahmed
Malala Yousafzai
China
The Boroughs
The Book Of Mormon
Spider-Man Brand New Day
Sean Combs
Hamnet
Stephen Sondheim
Grammy

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

PublishesDailyEpisodes1699Founded20 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
BooksArtsTV & Film

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Artwork for Fresh Air

Latest Episodes

Singer, songwriter, and bassist Meshell Ndegeocello helped define the sound of neo-soul, blending funk, jazz, and R&B into music that was unmistakably her own. Now, on her new album, Synonym, she's taking familiar duets and turning them into somethin... more

Hall of Fame songwriter Jimmy Webb talks about writing some of the 1960s songs he’s best known for: “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Wichita Lineman,” and “MacArthur Park.” Now 80, he’s got a new album of unreleased songs titled Yours for the Taking.... more

"There's an understandable pull in my industry to make things that are kind of like a gleaming vanilla car commercial, like super safe, super familiar, appeal to the masses. And [then there are] people that are out there who are like, I'm actually go... more

Ahead of the midterms, we talk with two election experts about President Trump’s efforts to interfere with voting. Richard Hasen, director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project, and Pennsylvania’s lead election official, Al Schmidt. Both are hoping t... more

Key Facts

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

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People also subscribe to these shows.

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Recent Guests

Mahershala Ali
Academy Award–winning actor
Actor, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother
Episode: Best Of: Mahershala Ali / Writer Yiyun Li
Yiyun Li
Pulitzer Prize–winning writer and novelist
Writer, Music Against the Night; Things in Nature Merely Grow
Episode: Best Of: Mahershala Ali / Writer Yiyun Li
Eva Marie Saint
Actress known for On the Waterfront and North by Northwest
Actor
Episode: Remembering Eva Marie Saint / 'Interview with the Vampire' turns 50
Rana Foroohar
Global business columnist and associate editor at the Financial Times; CNN economic analyst; author of Sea Change
Financial Times; CNN
Episode: Why the Arctic is a new source of global tension
John Prine
Singer-songwriter (interview subject)
Episode: A John Prine Appreciation
April Ryan
Journalist and White House Correspondent, author of Notes on a Blacklash
Notes on a Blacklash (book)
Episode: Veteran White House reporter April Ryan’s ‘Blacklash’
Greg Jaffe
Veteran Pentagon reporter for The New York Times
The New York Times
Episode: How Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth brought the culture wars to the military
Murray Hill
Entertainer and memoir author
Self
Episode: ‘Showbiz!’ entertainer Murray Hill became what he didn’t see
Michael Douglas
Oscar-winning actor and producer
Episode: Michael Douglas

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 States2 months 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 States2 months ago
  • Love this show

    Longtime listener and huge fan of all the interviewers!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    M8trx
    United States2 months ago
  • Great podcast

    Terry Gross is fantastic. Sophisticated. Classy. Smart.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    DP’67
    United States2 months 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 States2 months 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
#102
United States/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#1
United States/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#2
United States/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#2
Canada/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#8
Canada/Arts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Best Of: Mahershala Ali / Writer Yiyun Li
Q: How did your own upbringing influence your portrayal or approach to faith and family in this film?
Ali reflects on the humanity and complexity of religious identity in real life and on screen, highlighting how Latif's conversations with God shape his decisions.
Best Of: Mahershala Ali / Writer Yiyun Li
Q: What drew you to this character and this project given Latif's moral contradictions?
Ali describes the attraction as the breadth of Latif's responsibilities—the combination of faith, fatherhood, and a dangerous line of work—as something that offered a rich conduit for dramatic exploration.
Best Of: Mahershala Ali / Writer Yiyun Li
Q: Where do you land with Latif with God?
Ali says Latif is in a state of spiritual struggle, aware of his responsibilities, and his faith is tested by the pressures of protecting his family while breaking his own moral codes.
Mahershala Ali
Q: What was the role where you first thought, now we're talking, this is the kind of work that I had been trying to get to?
Ali talks about Curious Case of Benjamin Button as a breakthrough film that opened doors and reaffirmed his desire to stay in complex, high-caliber roles, which eventually led to the Moonlight era and more opportunities to explore nuanced characters.
Why the Arctic is a new source of global tension
Q: How does US policy address Arctic sovereignty without provoking conflict?
A more cautious approach emphasizes cooperation with allies, safeguarding sovereignty through lawful channels, and strengthening security and economic viability without overt provocations like unilateral actions that could alienate allies.

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 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?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Fresh Air, 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 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 1699 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. Mahershala Ali
2. Yiyun Li
3. Eva Marie Saint
4. Rana Foroohar
5. John Prine
6. April Ryan
7. Greg Jaffe
8. Murray Hill

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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