Rephonic
Artwork for Making Contact
Social Justice
Climate Change
Mental Health
Gaza
Colonialism
California
Public Health
Environmental Racism
East Orosi
Gentrification
Caste System
Human Radiation Experiments
African American History
Oakland
Coal Dust Pollution
Puerto Rico
Civil Rights Movement
Geoengineering
Systemic Racism
Navy

"Making Contact" digs into the story beneath the story—contextualizing the narratives that shape our culture. Produced by Frequencies of Change Media (FoC Media), the award-winning radio show and podcast examines the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground, building a more just world through narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the environment, labo... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes880Founded21 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsSociety & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Making Contact

Latest Episodes

When a supermarket closes, you'd expect another grocer to move in. But across the country, chains write restrictive covenants into deeds and leases that bar any competing grocery store from opening on that site, sometimes for decades after the origin... more

YouTube

Much Western coverage treats October 7th as the beginning of the war in Gaza, but the conflict reaches back more than a century. In this encore edition, historian Rashid Khalidi, author of The Hundred Years' War on Palestine, walks through the early ... more

To serve in the U.S. military as a non-citizen, you have to be a lawful permanent resident, and many are told that service is a path to citizenship. For thousands, it became a path out of the country instead. Since a 1996 immigration law took away ju... more

YouTube

A study published in May in the journal Nature Sustainability reports that the shoreline could eventually sit some 30 miles north of New Orleans. The finding does not come from a model. The authors dated a buried ridge north of the city and identifie... 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.

This American Life
This American LifeThis American Life
Reveal
RevealThe Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX

Recent Guests

Beth Smoker
Policy Director of the California Food and Farming Network
California Food and Farming Network
Episode: Ghost Stores: How Grocery Chains Create Food Deserts
Deja Thomas
Manager of Strategic Partnerships and Community Initiatives
Los Angeles Food Policy Council
Episode: Ghost Stores: How Grocery Chains Create Food Deserts
Errol Schweizer
30-year grocery industry veteran, former head of purchasing for Whole Foods
The Checkout (podcast)
Episode: Ghost Stores: How Grocery Chains Create Food Deserts
Cameron Mims Jones
Advocate with Nourish California
Nourish California
Episode: Ghost Stores: How Grocery Chains Create Food Deserts
Austin Frerick
Author of Barrens, Money, Power, and the Corruption of America's Food Industry
Author/Researcher
Episode: Ghost Stores: How Grocery Chains Create Food Deserts
Jesse Keenan
Expert in climate adaptation at Tulane University; co-author of Nature Sustainability study
Tulane University
Episode: Is Southeast Louisiana Doomed?
Torbjörn Törnqvist
Geology professor at Tulane University; co-author of the paper
Tulane University
Episode: Is Southeast Louisiana Doomed?
Brianna Castro
Assistant professor of Urban Sustainability at Yale University; co-author on climate migration
Yale University
Episode: Is Southeast Louisiana Doomed?
Abbey Hotard
Assistant professor at the University of South Alabama; expert in human climate adaptation
University of South Alabama
Episode: Is Southeast Louisiana Doomed?

Hosts

Salima Hamirani
Host of Making Contact
Amy Gastelum
Host of Making Contact, leads episodes and opening segments
Lucy Kang
Host of Making Contact, leads narration and interviews
Jessica Partnow
Co-host on today's show (guest host this week)
Anita Johnson
Host of Making Contact, opens and closes segments

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 84 ratings
  • Incredible journalism

    Highly recommend.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    banjoclove
    United States3 years ago
  • Making Contact

    I love this show - I learn so much - when you are short of time and want to learn this is such a Great show - it covers so many topics - Thank you to the writers and Producers - Let’s Keep Support our Local Media not corporate Media

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    jaya 22
    United States3 years ago
  • Great show

    Great show, important stories!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    S. L. Ziegler
    United States3 years ago
  • Love

    Incredible work. Incredible stories. Needed for these times.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    smugtownmushrooms
    United States6 years ago
  • Great stories

    Making Contact has great stories for those of us who care about social justice, and from diverse perspectives!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Conniek1213
    United States7 years ago

Listeners Say

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

A trusted source for narratives on justice and resilience.
Compelling, human-centered journalism that centers community voices.
Deeply reported stories that illuminate under-covered perspectives.
High-quality production with thoughtful guest selection and storytelling.
Offers actionable context for understanding complex social issues.

Top News Podcasts

The Daily
The DailyThe New York Times
Pod Save America
Pod Save AmericaPod Save America
The Ben Shapiro Show
The Ben Shapiro ShowThe Daily Wire
Pivot
PivotNew York Magazine
Candace
CandaceCandace Owens
The Headlines
The HeadlinesThe New York Times

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Ethical Dilemma of Geoengineering & Global Warming (Encore)
Q: What exactly is geoengineering and why is it controversial?
Geoengineering refers to large-scale interventions in the Earth's climate system intended to offset climate change impacts. It is controversial because it involves profound ecological, political, and ethical uncertainties, potential unequal impacts on the Global South, and the risk of reducing incentives to cut fossil fuel use.
Powerlands (Encore)
Q: Could you say more about how these struggles are connected across different Indigenous communities worldwide?
Despite geographic distances, Indigenous communities share common experiences of land theft, commodification of natural resources, and shared strategies for resistance; the film emphasizes accountability and mutual learning, with open doors to collaboration rather than extraction.
Staying in the Fight with Ijeoma Oluo, from In the Meanwhile
Q: Many activists wrestle with internal conflict within movements; why does that happen and how can it be managed?
She explains that internal conflicts arise from systemic trauma, resource constraints, and carceral thinking, and stresses the importance of building trust, setting boundaries, and maintaining relationships to reduce burnout and sustain advocacy.
Staying in the Fight with Ijeoma Oluo, from In the Meanwhile
Q: Looking back more than a decade later, what did that moment unlock in you that hadn't existed before?
Oluo describes how the Trayvon Martin moment exposed the limits of liberal empathy and forced a reckoning about fear, safety, and responsibility for Black families, sparking her commitment to speak out and engage in activism.
Self Care as Selfless Act: Mental Health at the Root of Activism (encore)
Q: What kinds of self-care practices did you hear from the activists that felt practical and sustainable?
The interviewees described a mix of boundaries, therapy, routines like exercise and cooking, spiritual practices, and structured peer spaces that allow safe sharing, all contributing to more sustainable engagement.

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 Making Contact

What is Making Contact about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on social, environmental, and racial justice through investigative storytelling and on-the-ground voices. Recent episodes highlight climate geoengineering ethics with Indigenous sovereignty and consent as key touchpoints, the global resistance to resource extraction on Indigenous lands, and the politics surrounding water access in marginalized communities. Other conversations explore Indigenous history and preservation, the intersections of LGBTQ history and culture, immigrant narratives, and community-based healing and mutual aid. Notably, a pattern emerges around elevating community voices—especially from Indigenous, immigrant, and frontline communities—alongside critical analysis of policy, governance, and power. Potent... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Making Contact?

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

How many listeners does Making Contact get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Making Contact, 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 Making Contact?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Making Contact, 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 Making Contact have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Making Contact 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 Making Contact?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Making Contact:

1. Movement Memos
2. The Red Nation Podcast
3. This American Life
4. Reveal
5. The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens

How many episodes of Making Contact are there?

Making Contact launched 21 years ago and published 880 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 Making Contact?

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 Making Contact?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Making Contact 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 Making Contact?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Making Contact. 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 Making Contact?

Recent guests on Making Contact include:

1. Beth Smoker
2. Deja Thomas
3. Errol Schweizer
4. Cameron Mims Jones
5. Austin Frerick
6. Jesse Keenan
7. Torbjörn Törnqvist
8. Brianna Castro

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