Written by Molly Wilson, title design by Grace Johnstone.
Whether you are a podcast connoisseur or novice, one thing is for certain: Ms Informed Podcast is an insightful podcast to listen to on the way to lectures, or while completing daily chores. Hosted in Berlin by Rina Grob and Madhvi Ramani, these women cover anything and everything feminist. While some episodes are spoken in German, the vast majority of them are spoken in English so people outside of Germany can enjoy the podcast. From ‘real talks’ to book reviews from their feminist book club, the topics are wide and varied and ensure that you learn something new every episode.
This podcast began in March of 2020, on the cusp of the pandemic, with their first episode ‘Distractions, Escapism and Cowboys’. Stuck in lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most people were watching copious amounts of TV - especially ‘Tiger King’ about the eccentric Joe Exotic and his big cat breeding business. Rina and Madhvi were hooked as well and labelled it their ‘latest internet obsession’. COVID-19 lockdowns spurred millions to try something new, whether that be writing, baking fresh bread or starting a podcast. This podcast is now listened to by thousands, and listeners calling in from all over the globe to discuss topics like transracial adoption, miscarriages and the 2023 Polish Elections.
Podcasts first came into existence in 2003, with Dave Winer creating the first audio RSS feed, however they exploded in popularity about eleven years later with the boom of the true crime community taking hold of this information medium. Since then, millions of podcasts have been created, not all in a positive light with a lot of white men cough cough Andrew Tate cough cough buying XLR microphones and despairing over the ‘downfall of the female’. The boom of misogyny in this field became so pervasive that a TikTok trend was created making fun of these misogynistic men.
Podcasting is an incredibly diverse medium. With podcasters varying from Ismatu Gwendolyn’s ‘Threadings.’ to Chidera Eggerue’s ‘The Slumflower Hour’ (both of which I highly recommend), podcasting is far from a male-dominated sector. It is a great way to convey information to people who might not have the time to sit down and read an article or the news. This is only increased if you are a student juggling full-time education and a part time job.
Part of the reason Ms Informed is so popular is because the episodes are usually kept under 30 minutes, making the information digestible and easy to understand, while still keeping the tone of the subject appropriate.
Learning about the Khmer Rouge (episode 118) is difficult as the subject matter is so heavy but the way Rina and Madhvi discuss it does not undercut the seriousness of what happened in Cambodia. It is also very refreshing to learn about other perspectives and stories that aren’t British/American centric. As the podcast and both its hosts are set in Berlin you get more diverse information on what is happening in the world as both Britain and the U.S.A. look inward for news and lifestyle articles.
I would not have heard about the failed coup by modern-day Nazis (yes, that’s right, Nazis) against the German government in 2022 if it weren’t for Ms Informed. We only really hear about the absolute highlights of global news if you do not actively seek it (which for a lot of people, they simply do not have the time) and if you do find it, it is usually watered down to fit the Eurocentric ideals we have in this country. This is most obvious when looking at articles written about the current genocide waging destruction in Palestine. Words are carefully chosen to downplay Israel’s involvement and exaggerate Palestine’s ‘responsibility’ for the apartheid and genocide. This isn’t done in a lot of podcasts as the people creating the media are, more often than not, speaking from experience (Let’s Talk Palestine podcast) and are thoroughly researched and cited.
The Podcast is a new development in a long line of methods to convey information, it certainly will not be the last, but one thing is for certain, with its ever increasing rate of popularity, it is here to stay.
In true Ms Informed spirit, I am going to end this article in a ‘three things you can do to be a better person this week’:
Be aware of biases in all media (and even yourself). No piece of writing exists without bias, even if it is subconsciously there.
Start listening to Ms Informed podcast and discover more podcasts you can listen to while walking to campus. There is something for everyone out there, you just have to hunt.
Consciously diversify what you watch, listen and read. Making the effort to hear from perspectives you would not have heard otherwise ensures that you leave the echo chamber that social media creates for the individual user.
(All podcasts mentioned in this article are available on Spotify amongst other music-listening software.)
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