Why It Matters
Council on Foreign RelationsEach episode of Why It Matters breaks down an issue that is shaping our world’s future. Join host Gabrielle Sierra as she speaks with the leaders and thinkers who are facing these questions head on. Fueled by the minds at the Council on Foreign Relations, Why It Matters brings some of the world’s most compelling stories home to you.
| Publishes | Twice monthly | Episodes | 100 | Founded | 7 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Category | News | |||
Listen to this Podcast
Latest Episodes
What happens if the world’s pharmacy decides to close? From ibuprofen to amoxicillin, a majority of the essential medicines used in the United States depend on ingredients from China. This dependence has left the United States vulnerable to a geopoli... more
GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic have become some of the world's most-wanted medicines, but soaring demand has also turned them into a stress test for the global drug system. On this episode of Why It Matters, Gabrielle Sierra and CFR Senior Fellow Prasha... more
This episode explores how drones, cell phones, and other widely-available intelligence tools are turning civilians and aid workers into frontline witnesses—documenting war in real time, guiding humanitarian aid, and helping build evidence that could ... more
This episode traces one young woman's journey home to a new kind of war—and Ukraine’s fight for survival.
Host:
Gabrielle Sierra, Director of Podcasting, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)
Guest:
Catarina Buchatskiy, Co-Founder & Director of Anal... more
Key Facts
Similar Podcasts
People also subscribe to these shows.
Recent Guests
Host
Reviews
- Topics Fascinate
I really enjoy the range of topics covered. The pace is great and the length works so well for short commutes. Interesting guests, concise and easy to follow, and takes big stories and looks more deeply but in an accessible way. They’re Webby nominated for their stories. Really good pod.
Apple Podcasts5PodsforPeoplePayingAttention
United States8 months ago - Top global conflicts to watch
Happy to have Gabrielle and the podcast back. This episode handled a huge topic in an interesting and informative way. I applaud your for that. I would love for you to do an episode focusing only on Venezuela.
Apple Podcasts5MCAALSDUnited States10 months ago - Good show, overproduced
I enjoy this show but I find that I often have to skip a lot bc it just has a lot of filler noises and clips.
Apple Podcasts4BeatpulsingUnited States2 years ago - Extremely Biased
The Council on Foreign Relations podcasts claim the opinions presented are that of their hosts and the Council takes no positions on policy as an institution. However, this belies the fact that every one of their hosts is a progressive liberal and views anyone to the right of a liberal as a fascist.
Apple Podcasts1neal.j.fisherUnited States2 years ago - Not Impressed
I was a loyal Foreign Affairs subscriber for a decade or more after college, but over time the content and impartiality eroded. This podcast is a great example. Take the recent episode about abortion where the views of the Guttmacher Institute were represented as objective truth rather than arguments from an advocacy group. The podcast consistently argued the US was one of a handful of countries reducing abortion and was thus swimming against the tide, without acknowledging Roe created one of th... more
Apple Podcasts1ALK444United States2 years ago
Listeners Say
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
Chart Rankings
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #184 |  Argentina/News |
Apple Podcasts | #226 |  Israel/News |
Apple Podcasts | #230 |  Hong Kong/News |
Talking Points
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
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 Why It Matters
What is Why It Matters about and what kind of topics does it cover?
Why It Matters covers pressing global issues through in-depth conversations with policy makers, researchers, and industry experts. Episodes frequently center on geopolitics, international security, technology's impact on modern warfare, and humanitarian concerns, with a strong emphasis on analysis from CFR-affiliated thought leaders. Notable strengths include access to high-caliber guests, a thoughtful, policy-forward lens, and the ability to translate complex topics into accessible narratives for professionals and informed listeners. A standout aspect is the show's willingness to explore how technology, civilians, and institutions intersect in today's world, offering actionable context for decision-makers and communicators alike.
Where can I find podcast stats for Why It Matters?
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Why It Matters. 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 Why It Matters and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
How many listeners does Why It Matters get?
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Why It Matters, 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 Why It Matters?
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Why It Matters, 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 Why It Matters have?
To see how many followers or subscribers Why It Matters 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 Why It Matters?
These podcasts share a similar audience with Why It Matters:
1. The President’s Inbox
2. Foreign Policy Live
3. The Spillover
4. The Foreign Affairs Interview
5. The Asia Chessboard
How many episodes of Why It Matters are there?
Why It Matters launched 7 years ago and published 100 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 Why It Matters?
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 Why It Matters?
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Why It Matters 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 Why It Matters?
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Why It Matters. 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 Why It Matters?
Recent guests on Why It Matters include:
1. Prashant Yadav
2. Anthony Vinci
3. Sam Vigersky
4. Cat Buchatskiy
5. Liana Fix
6. Joseph Torigian
7. Paul Stares
8. Brad Setser
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.