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Sources & Methods

NPR
Iran
United States
Ukraine
Venezuela
National Security
Israel
Russia
Donald Trump
Pentagon
CIA
Trump Administration
China
NATO
Gaza
Espionage
Nicolás Maduro
Drug Trafficking
Europe
National Guard
Trump

National security, unlocked. Each Thursday, host Mary Louise Kelly and a team of NPR correspondents discuss the biggest national security news of the week. With decades of reporting from battlefields and the halls of power, they bring you inside the Pentagon, State Department, and intelligence community to help you understand America's shifting role in the world, and how events in faraway places m... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes73Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PoliticsNews

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Artwork for Sources & Methods

Latest Episodes

All a sudden everyone is talking about the risk of an AI catastrophe or, in the case of President Trump, an AI "hoax."

Host Mary Louise Kelly talks with NPR Cybersecurity Correspondent Jenna McLaughlin about the risks cyber experts are worried about... more

YouTube

It’s been 25 years since al-Qaida attacked the United States by hijacking airplanes and crashing them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, with a fourth plane crashing into a field in Pennsylvania.

Sept. 11 represented a new kind of nationa... more

The U.S. military is blowing up boats again. And it is taking a stake in the Venezuelan oil business. What is the administration trying to achieve in the Western Hemisphere?

Guest host Scott Detrow talks with NPR National Security Correspondent Greg... more

YouTube

It’s been six months since the U.S. and Israel went to war with Iran.

Is anyone winning?

On the one-year anniversary of this podcast, Host Mary Louise Kelly speaks with NPR National Security Correspondent Greg Myre and two of NPR’s International Cor... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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

Recent Guests

Stephen Hadley
Former Deputy National Security Advisor, White House
White House/National Security Council
Episode: How Sept. 11 reshaped national security
Jane Harman
Former Democratic Member of Congress, Intelligence Committee
U.S. Congress
Episode: How Sept. 11 reshaped national security
John McLaughlin
Former Deputy Director of the CIA
CIA
Episode: How Sept. 11 reshaped national security
Michael Morell
Former CIA Deputy Director and CIA Briefer to the President
CIA
Episode: How Sept. 11 reshaped national security
Barbara Lee
Congresswoman, former member of House Intelligence Committee
U.S. Congress
Episode: How Sept. 11 reshaped national security
Saxby Chambliss
Former U.S. Senator, Member of Senate Intelligence Committee
U.S. Senate
Episode: How Sept. 11 reshaped national security
Duncan Hunter
Former U.S. Representative, House Armed Services Committee
U.S. House of Representatives
Episode: How Sept. 11 reshaped national security
Dick Cheney
Former Vice President of the United States
Executive Office
Episode: How Sept. 11 reshaped national security
George Tenet
Former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
CIA
Episode: How Sept. 11 reshaped national security

Host

Mary Louise Kelly
Host of Sources & Methods; long-time NPR foreign correspondent with expertise in national security and policy.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 1k ratings
  • Feed you brain & be a better person

    This is the kind of journalistic reporting with high quality production that helps inform a society to be able to engage thoughtfully and informed in the dialogue makes us who we are.

    And far less important but still significant Oh those voices... Oh those voices...

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    WiseMап
    United States25 days ago
  • Too many ads

    Way too many ads for a rather short podcast

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    RonBronz
    United States2 months ago
  • Mary-Louise Kelly

    Mary-Louise is one of the few greats still at NPR. Bright smart and normally entertaining. Unfortunately this show has become superficial and just repeats topical news items without the in depth analysis you would expect. If this is an “improvement on voices in the intelligence community” according to one reviewer then we are in serious trouble.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Mac an tSionnaigh
    United States3 months ago
  • Big fan of the new angle

    I’ve always appreciated NPRs mostly objective reporting (sometimes too Isr*** pro-biased) but this is a great new perspective that I like a lot.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Md713
    United States3 months ago
  • Great

    Bugs in the most recent Thursday episode though. Repeats at parts

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Wallywonka0188
    United States4 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Guests and hosts are seen as well-connected and informed on security issues.
Listeners praise the depth and credibility of analysis.
Some critique a preference for in-depth reporting over lighter, narrative formats.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#78
United States/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#234
United States/News
Apple Podcasts
#226
Canada/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#228
Australia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#42
Norway/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#52
Philippines/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

A trip to the world’s frayed edges with Hannah Lucinda Smith’s 'Hinterlands'
Q: What would you say is your top nomination for a place we should pay attention to today, and why?
The Balkans remain a critical barometer of European stability and European–North American relations because they combine historical grievances with evolving external influence, making them a focal point for understanding regional resilience and the risk of renewed instability.
A trip to the world’s frayed edges with Hannah Lucinda Smith’s 'Hinterlands'
Q: Hannah, welcome to Sources & Methods. What drew you to write about Hinterlands and how do you choose which places to visit?
I was attracted by under-reported places where major powers' interests intersect with local life, and I started chasing stories that offered a broader geopolitical lens beyond frontline headlines; the goal is to uncover how peripheral regions reflect larger power shifts and how stories emerge from people on the ground.
The broken promises of the 1979 Iranian Revolution
Q: How did you approach gathering stories from six Iranians with diverse views?
We deliberately sought a range of voices, including supporters and opponents, and conducted interviews in Persian over years to build trust and safety for participants to share their experiences.
Jake Sullivan: 'Hard to see' what U.S. has gained in Iran
Q: In 2021, you said you were briefed that Iran had no nuclear capability. How has that belief shifted since, and how does it affect current negotiations?
The position has evolved from whether Iran has decided to build a bomb to whether they have the capability and the leverage to deter the United States; while the intelligence community suggested they hadn't formally decided to build a bomb, they have pursued enrichment and other capabilities that could enable a future breakout, which changes the calculation for negotiations and deterrence.
2084: A cautionary tale about the future of war and a changing planet
Q: What is this one alerting and warning about?
2084 projects the great geopolitical challenges as the globe changes, with AI, distributed operations, and evolving geography shaping future conflicts and national resilience, presented through a character-driven narrative.

Audience Metrics

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

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Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About Sources & Methods

What is Sources & Methods about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A rigorous, expert-led briefing on national security, defense, and foreign policy, with weekly deep dives into the Pentagon, State Department, and intelligence community. The show features veteran NPR correspondents and on-the-ground guests dissecting the week's biggest security stories, from cyber operations and drone warfare to alliance politics and international law. Episodes frequently include OSINT and first-hand reporting, plus interviews with current and former officials, providing context-rich explanations of complex geopolitics. The mix of strong reportage, thoughtful analysis, and access to high-level guests is likely to appeal to policy professionals, defense practitioners, and journalists who want deep, credible perspectives on ... more

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These podcasts share a similar audience with Sources & Methods:

1. The NPR Politics Podcast
2. Consider This from NPR
3. Trump's Terms
4. Up First from NPR
5. State of the World from NPR

How many episodes of Sources & Methods are there?

Sources & Methods launched a year ago and published 73 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 Sources & Methods?

Recent guests on Sources & Methods include:

1. Stephen Hadley
2. Jane Harman
3. John McLaughlin
4. Michael Morell
5. Barbara Lee
6. Saxby Chambliss
7. Duncan Hunter
8. Dick Cheney

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