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How Is This Better?

COURIER
Donald Trump
ICE
Hollywood
Project 2025
Jackie Robinson
Clipping
Gun Violence
Tiktok
Trump Administration
Alligator Alcatraz
Social Media
Gen Z
Vertical Dramas
Artificial Intelligence
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Facebook
American History
Racial Profiling
White Supremacy
Isolation

We're constantly bombarded by grifters who claim to have all the solutions. From Donald Trump promising to "make America great" to tech bros who say they're making the world a "better place." Akilah Hughes has had enough. She's finally asking...How Is This Better?

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes44Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Society & Culture

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Artwork for How Is This Better?

Latest Episodes

Hollywood used to feel like a place where anything could happen. Akilah Hughes talks to Stinson Carter about the strange magic of 2000s Hollywood, the Chateau Marmont, Entourage, and whether the Hollywood dream still exists.

Check out Stinson's piec... more

Face it: Americans have a literacy problem. Host Akilah Hughes is joined by Oliver Speaks, author of the memoir Unread and literacy advocate, and Lauren Coffey, a journalist with EdSurge, to get to the bottom of why no one wants to read anymore.

If ... more

It seems like everyone is talking about AI. Because they are.

Across both sides of the aisle, whether you support it or you loathe it, AI is one of the most talked-about hot-button issues of 2026. It's everywhere — in our phones, on our computers, at... more

When students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School launched March For Our Lives after the Parkland shooting, they helped spark one of the largest youth-led movements in American history.

But nearly a decade later, gun violence remains the leadi... more

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Recent Guests

Lauren Coffey
Freelance education reporter, Mother Jones, Inside Higher Ed
Mother Jones, Inside Higher Ed
Episode: How Love Island Exposed the American Literacy Crisis
Oliver James
Motivational speaker, influencer, and author
Independent
Episode: How Love Island Exposed the American Literacy Crisis
Fatima Abdur Rahman
YouTube creator, formerly an astrophysicist, studies science and technology in society
YouTube channel / independent educator
Episode: Does Shaming AI Users Actually Work?
Jaclyn Corin
Survivor of the Parkland shooting; co-founder and executive director of March For Our Lives
March For Our Lives
Episode: We Stopped Talking About Gun Control – The Shootings Never Stopped
Kali Holloway
Journalist with bylines at The Nation, The New Republic, The Daily Beast, and others
The Nation / The New Republic / The Daily Beast
Episode: Erasing Jackie Robinson (REPLAY)
Grant Irving
Co-host/producer of Panic World on COURIER
Panic World (COURIER)
Episode: The Real Reason UFC at the White House Matters
Dave Schilling
Columnist and former WWE writer
Various media outlets/WWE
Episode: How Wrestling Ruined Politics Forever (BONUS)
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Representative, U.S. Congress
U.S. Congress
Episode: Voting Rights Were Gutted. I Went to Alabama to See What We Can Do About It.
Bernice A. King
Daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights leader
Civil rights advocacy
Episode: Voting Rights Were Gutted. I Went to Alabama to See What We Can Do About It.

Host

Akilah Hughes
Host of How Is This Better?

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 513 ratings
  • LOVE

    Thank you for being you. Your voice is made for audio and love hearing your perspective. Also, more Dr. Abdul El-Sayed pleease. I miss his podcast so much

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    E Espinoza
    United States4 months ago
  • English

    I listened to the episode featuring Oscar review. Why are you using the word (like) all the time? It doesn’t need to be in your sentence 99% of the time and please stop ending your sentence with (right). Do any podcasters have any degrees that relate to journalism or English?

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    johnfivethousand
    United States5 months ago
  • A MUST LISTEN!!!!

    So excited to see How Is This Better in my feed again after the new year! I’ve been desperately waiting this is THE podcast of 2025 for me and I can’t wait to se where she takes the show this year! 6 stars!!!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Enby Del
    United States7 months ago
  • Awesome End of Year episode

    I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear this version of an end of 2025.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Bettie Davis Eyes
    United States7 months ago
  • Great podcast

    Listening to the episode on the Double Tax. I love the interviewee’s honesty. I have followed her on Instagram and on her press tour and I really appreciate how she is able to quantify the racist impact on Black women. I downloaded a few more episodes. Loving the pod!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Tech savvyish
    Canada8 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Listeners praise sharp, insightful analysis and engaging interview style.
Overall, the host is seen as intelligent, funny, and persuasive, with a knack for clear takeaways.
Guests and topics are timely, with strong reporting and on-the-ground perspectives.
Some listeners wish for longer episodes and deeper dives into topics.
Many reviews emphasize the show's ability to connect policy with culture and everyday life.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

We Stopped Talking About Gun Control – The Shootings Never Stopped
Q: What was the strategy behind using cultural moments like the Met Gala to advance the gun-violence conversation?
The goal was to insert our message into conversations people were already paying attention to. By partnering with celebrities and designers and framing the issue in a relatable way, we reached audiences who wouldn't normally engage with political content and started productive discussions about solutions.
We Stopped Talking About Gun Control – The Shootings Never Stopped
Q: Can you talk a little bit about what that must have felt like seeing your classmates thrust into a national spotlight?
It was surreal and overwhelming at first, but it energized us to act. We realized the power of being authentic, asking hard questions, and staying focused on a tangible end goal, which helped us turn fear into organized action.
Voting Rights Were Gutted. I Went to Alabama to See What We Can Do About It.
Q: It is time for the North to pull up to the South. What actions can listeners take right now to protect voting rights?
Listeners are encouraged to engage locally, register to vote, educate themselves about maps and representation, and participate in mobilizations this midterm cycle.
School’s Out. Campus Political Wars Are Just Beginning
Q: Totally. Well, I would love to talk more about More Perfect University. How does it work? How are you all organizing and working to counteract that rightward momentum or perceived momentum?
More Perfect University trains and partners with students to tell stories about campus issues, providing support for student-led events and collaborating with More Perfect Union journalists to amplify youth voices, with a long-term goal of connecting universities to community-level economic and free-speech concerns.
RFK, Beef Tallow, and the Collapse of American Healthcare
Q: Can you summarize why Medicare for All is essential according to your view?
Medicare for All is essential because it guarantees universal access to care, eliminates the financial barriers and debt that accompany illness, and shifts the focus from profit to patient well-being, especially for marginalized communities who face the highest barriers.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About How Is This Better?

What is How Is This Better? about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A hard-edged, culturally attuned show that challenges polished political rhetoric and tech-driven optimism with on-the-ground perspectives and sharp cultural critique. Across episodes, conversations balance politics, media, AI, and culture, often leveraging expert guests to unpack how spectacle, power, and money shape public discourse. Notable strengths include a consistently clear political lens, guests with diverse insider viewpoints, and a willingness to critique mainstream narratives while offering actionable, real-world perspectives. The format leans toward concise interviews and on-the-ground storytelling, which helps listeners connect policy and culture to everyday impact. This makes it appealing to listeners who want thoughtful anal... more

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Which podcasts are similar to How Is This Better??

These podcasts share a similar audience with How Is This Better?:

1. Hysteria
2. Panic World
3. Maintenance Phase
4. Taylor Lorenz’s Power User
5. What A Day

How many episodes of How Is This Better? are there?

How Is This Better? launched a year ago and published 44 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on How Is This Better??

Recent guests on How Is This Better? include:

1. Lauren Coffey
2. Oliver James
3. Fatima Abdur Rahman
4. Jaclyn Corin
5. Kali Holloway
6. Grant Irving
7. Dave Schilling
8. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

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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