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 | 6 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Category | News | |||
Listen to this Podcast
Latest Episodes
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
This episode outlines the global network sustaining both sides of the war in Ukraine, with NATO allies on one side and Russia with backing from China, Iran, and North Korea on the other, and how the limits and tensions within these alliances are shap... more
This episode explores how the emergence of drone warfare and innovation under fire is transforming power and forcing nations to rethink strategy and military capacity.
Host:
Gabrielle Sierra, Director of Podcasting, Council on Foreign Relations (CF... more
As 2025 draws to a close, U.S. foreign policy stands at an inflection point. Under the second Trump administration, traditional alliances have been tested, a hard-edged national security strategy has been rolled out, and for the first time, CFR’s ann... 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 Statesa month 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 States3 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 Statesa year 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 | #192 |  Brazil/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?
Bringing depth and context to current events, this program favors deep-dive conversations with policy researchers, diplomats, and industry experts. Episodes frequently explore global trade, geopolitics, and how policy decisions impact markets, security, and everyday life. Noteworthy aspects include a consistent CFR-backed lens, rigorous expert guests, and a focus on connecting historical context to present-day decision making. The show often balances high-level analysis with personal anecdotes or case studies (e.g., tariffs on specific industries, food diplomacy examples), making complex topics accessible without sacrificing nuance. Potential listeners should expect thoughtful, data-informed discussions and a willingness to engage with cont... more
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 three 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. The Foreign Affairs Interview
3. Foreign Policy Live
4. Radio Atlantic
5. The Ezra Klein Show
How many episodes of Why It Matters are there?
Why It Matters launched 6 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. Liana Fix
2. Joseph Torigian
3. Brad Setser
4. Heather Hurlburt
5. Johanna Mendelson Forman
6. Matthew Costello
7. Inu Manak
8. Debbie Hendrickx
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.