Rephonic
Artwork for The Gist
Donald Trump
Comedy
Democracy
Trump Administration
United States
New York City
Democratic Party
Congress
U.S. Foreign Policy
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Venezuela
Artificial Intelligence
Supreme Court
American Power
Shadi Hamid
Iran
Affirmative Action
Equality
Social Media
Politics

For thirty minutes each day, Pesca challenges himself and his audience, in a responsibly provocative style, and gets beyond the rigidity and dogma. The Gist is surprising, reasonable, and willing to critique the left, the right, either party, or any idea.

PublishesDailyEpisodes3040Founded12 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsDaily News

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Gist

Latest Episodes

Mike joined Chris Cillizza on Substack Live where they analyzed why California takes so long to count ballots, detailing how logistics and funding create a perception of dysfunction rather than deliberate corruption. They also dove into a recent Pew ... more

Today on The Gist, a look at the Alaska's U.S. Senate race, where a retired teacher named Dan Sullivan was disqualified from running in a primary against the incumbent senator, who is also named Dan Sullivan. Then, physician and epidemiologist Dr. Ga... more

Today on The Gist, Its Not Even Mad. Mike Pesca is joined by venture capitalist Bradley Tusk and Manhattan Institute senior fellow Charles Fain Lehman for a panel debate on political judgment and modern vice. The trio dives into the results of the Ma... more

Today on The Gist, examining the upcoming criminal verdict for the Golden Gate Bridge climate protesters, breaking down the debate over jail time for high-impact civil disobedience. Then, Sadie Dingfelder returns for another installment of "Is It Bul... 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.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Political Gabfest
Political GabfestSlate Podcasts
On the Media
On the MediaWNYC Studios
Reflector
ReflectorLongview
Central Air
Central AirJosh Barro, Megan McArdle & Ben Dreyfuss

Recent Guests

Christian Miller
Vanderbilt Wake Forest philosopher, author of The Honesty Crisis
Wake Forest University (Professor of Moral Psychology) and author
Episode: Christian Miller: Why We Say We Love Honesty, Then Reward Liars
Claude M Steele
A preeminent academic, social psychologist, emeritus professor at Stanford
Stanford University
Episode: Claude Steele Has a Better Way to Talk About Race
Ian Coss
Writer/Host of Catching the Codfather
WGBH/Boston
Episode: Ian Coss: How One Man Controlled A Quarter Of New England’s Groundfish
Simone Stolzoff
Author of How Not to Know, The Value of Uncertainty in a World That Demands Answers
Author
Episode: Simone Stolzoff: We’re Getting Worse At Not Knowing
Aaron Tang
Professor at University of California, Davis School of Law; host of Breaking the Deadlock
UC Davis School of Law; PBS Breaking the Deadlock
Episode: Aaron Tang: "Re-instill This Idea That We Can Sit Around and Talk to Each Other"
Janet McNamara
Comedian who discusses autism and neurodivergence
Self-described neurodivergent comedian
Episode: Janet McNamara: Smart People Think I'm Smart, Stupid People Think I'm Dumb
Astead Herndon
Host of America Actually, former New York Times writer, Vox podcast host
Vox
Episode: Astead Herndon: Polling Has Blind Spots That Regular People Explaining the "Why" Can Fill
Holly Buck
Associate professor of environment and sustainability
University of Buffalo
Episode: Holly Buck: A Pause on New Data Centers Isn't Really Going to Slow the Progress of AI
Beth Malow
Physician and co-author of Beyond the Politics of Contempt
Braver Angels (via book authorship)
Episode: Beyond the Politics of Contempt

Host

Mike Pesca
American journalist and host of The Gist; known for political analysis and interviews; associated with Peach Fish Productions and The Gist.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 4.5k ratings
  • Centrist

    He’s white. He’s a man. He thinks everything is going great.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Brudd3788
    United Statesa month ago
  • Excellent

    Witty, refreshing sanity. Greet podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    RokitanskyAschoff
    United States2 months ago
  • Poor interviewer

    Ricky intro of guest

    Only follow up thoughts to guest was disagreeing on a minor point

    Poorly engaged with the material of the guest.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    DrewSauce…
    United Kingdom3 months ago
  • Iran

    What are talking about with respect to the danger of supersonic missile? Almost all missiles are supersonic. Always have been.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    justnuisance
    United States3 months ago
  • It’s a good show

    I actually love it. Kill me now.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Brudd3788
    United States3 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Highly informative and entertaining, with a good mix of humor and rigor.
Overall praised for honest journalism in a polarized media landscape.
Balanced, thoughtful questions and insightful guests.
Some listeners feel the host can lean too centrist for certain topics.
A few reviews note inconsistent interview pacing or tonal shifts.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#58
United States/News/Daily News
Apple Podcasts
#82
Canada/News/Daily News
Apple Podcasts
#198
United Kingdom/News/Daily News
Apple Podcasts
#96
Australia/News/Daily News
Apple Podcasts
#174
Germany/News/Daily News
Apple Podcasts
#224
Italy/News/Daily News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Christian Miller: Why We Say We Love Honesty, Then Reward Liars
Q: How does the 'honesty crisis' interact with modern media and celebrity culture?
Celebrity status is argued to increase temptations toward dishonesty due to fears about image and status, with some discussion about how public personas diverge from private truths.
Christian Miller: Why We Say We Love Honesty, Then Reward Liars
Q: Why do you describe honesty as our most treasured virtue, and what evidence supports that claim?
The guest cites empirical research showing honesty topped a 60-item ranking of virtues in importance, suggesting it is foundational for trust and social cooperation.
Simone Stolzoff: We’re Getting Worse At Not Knowing
Q: Can you describe a moment where interviewing someone changed your understanding of uncertainty?
Talking with Kate and Nuria revealed how personal journeys and communities can both exemplify and resist certainty, illustrating the nuanced paths people take when wrestling with doubt.
Simone Stolzoff: We’re Getting Worse At Not Knowing
Q: What is the core balance between certainty and uncertainty you want readers to take away?
The book argues for developing anchors to steady us and building a tolerance for uncertainty so we can persist and act even when not everything is known.
Simone Stolzoff: We’re Getting Worse At Not Knowing
Q: So how do you find your sources for the book and decide who to talk to?
I cast a wide net, relying on recommendations from others and following up with people who tend to be strong sources after initial tips, which yields a mix of firsthand stories and expert insights.

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 The Gist

What is The Gist about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show blends brisk, panel-style dialogue with sharp political and cultural commentary, balancing rigorous current-events analysis with humor and accessible storytelling. Episodes feature a rotating cast of guests—journalists, authors, academics, and public figures—discussing media, policy, and society through a centrist, sometimes contrarian lens. The format often includes sponsor reads and cross-promotions, creating a dynamic, fast-paced daily briefing that still invites thoughtful critique of both political parties and public narratives. Noteworthy are the host's tireless probing questions, willingness to challenge guests, and a reputation for honest, no-frills discussion that aims to inform as it entertains. Potential listeners who en... more

Where can I find podcast stats for The Gist?

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

How many listeners does The Gist get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Gist, 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 The Gist?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Gist, 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 The Gist have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Gist 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 The Gist?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Gist:

1. Political Gabfest
2. On the Media
3. Reflector
4. Central Air
5. Fresh Air

How many episodes of The Gist are there?

The Gist launched 12 years ago and published 3040 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 The Gist?

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 The Gist?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Gist 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 The Gist?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Gist. 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 The Gist?

Recent guests on The Gist include:

1. Christian Miller
2. Claude M Steele
3. Ian Coss
4. Simone Stolzoff
5. Aaron Tang
6. Janet McNamara
7. Astead Herndon
8. Holly Buck

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