All Of It with Alison Stewart

Episode: Best Podcasting Moments of 2025
Date: December 29, 2025
Host: Alison Stewart
Guest: Lauren Passell (Founder of Tink Media, curator of Podcast the Newsletter, Lifehacker writer)

Overview

This episode is a vibrant year-end retrospective, spotlighting the most compelling, funny, innovative, and thought-provoking moments in podcasting throughout 2025. Alison Stewart welcomes podcast industry expert Lauren Passell to highlight standout shows and emerging trends, discuss how podcasts are evolving, and share must-listen recommendations. The mood is celebratory but candid—acknowledging industry upheavals, while exalting the continued creativity, joy, and impact of audio storytelling.

Key Trends and Industry Insights

The State of Podcasting in 2025

• Year of Change: The podcasting landscape has seen significant transformation, with major shows ending and many podcasts pivoting to video.
  • "A lot of podcasters have been having a tough year. I'd say a lot of change in transitions and goodbyes. A lot of shows, big shows ending, you know, Marc Maron ended his show. That seemed like a big moment, you know, and I have to say, pivot to video. Pivot to video. They're all pivoting to video." (Lauren Passell, 01:04)
• Debate: Must Podcasts Go Video?
  • Lauren cautions against feeling pressured; traditional audio can still thrive.
  • "Absolutely not. I think some of the larger shows that are really trying to get those gigantic numbers could, you know, should be on video. But I think too many people think they have to be, and they totally don't have to." (Lauren Passell, 01:30)
• Rise in Listener-Powered Funding:
  Listeners are increasingly supporting shows through Patreon and similar platforms.
• Shifts in Genres and Formats:
  • Chat shows and celebrity-driven formats are surging in popularity, even as deep investigative works persist.
  • Some criticism: Video-first podcasts sometimes forget about their audio audience.

Lauren’s Best Podcasting Moments of 2025

A highly curated and enthusiastic guide to the podcasts that defined the year—spanning comedy, investigative storytelling, sound-rich music docs, and bold experiments in audio form.

1. Text Me Back

(Discussion: 02:54 – 05:51)

• Hosts: Lindy West (writer, creator of “Shrill”) & Megan (politics professional)
• Format: Comedic, conversational “friendship chat” show.
• Why It’s Special:
  • The unscripted dynamic between Lindy and Megan generates hard laughter, even when discussing mundane topics.
  • The friendship, chemistry, and ability to find humor in randomness evoke the spirit of classic shows like “Call Your Girlfriend.”
  • "I just feel like if you listen to an episode or two and you're walking down the sidewalk, you'll feel yourself having to stop and just burst into laughter. They bring a lot of joy." (Lauren Passell, 04:23)
• Sample Clip Highlight:
  • (Topic: AI email generators and school bake sales)
  • “How many small towns did you parch to death coming up with that? 13 to 20.” (Lindy West as quoted by Lauren, 05:25)
• Notable Comment:
  • "They could talk about nothing. It could be like...And it's hysterical. I can't remember why they're talking about socks in this episode, but...you know, y'all are just gonna have to listen to the whole episode and find out." (Lauren Passell, 05:31)

2. Suspicious Minds – 'Is AI Making Us Psychotic?'

(Discussion: 05:51 – 08:02)

• Hosts: Dr. Joel Gold & Ian Gold (creators of the Truman Delusion concept)
• Premise: True stories exploring how artificial intelligence can catalyze psychosis, with empathy and depth.
• Notable Episode: Follows “Allan,” a regular, highly intelligent father of three, whose conversations with ChatGPT led to increasingly delusional beliefs.
• Why It’s Essential:
  • Unpacks sensationalist headlines with nuance, showing “how normal Alan is, that this is a really smart person,” making the case that anyone could become vulnerable.
  • Praised for empathy and for illuminating the psychology behind AI-induced delusions.
  • "We, you don't really get to hear the story, to really understand how this is easier than you think for it to happen to someone really smart." (Lauren Passell, 06:16)

3. When the Cops Say No, We Say Yes

(Discussion: 08:02 – 09:44)

• Origin: UK
• Format: Satirical true crime, investigating “crimes too small for police to care.”
• Notable Moments:
  • Fully-committed, serious investigative approach blurs the line between parody and reality.
  • Storylines include quirky “cases”—like an epic, three-episode saga to identify the culprit behind a minor bathroom mishap at a wedding.
• Why It Works:
  • Deadpan delivery and rich sound design mimic classic true crime docs—an "utterly silly delight."
  • "It's the silly crimes taken very seriously and it's a complete silly delight." (Lauren Passell, 09:40)
• Sound Design:
  "It feels like a little like documentary, actually, I think." (Lauren Passell, 09:44)

4. Radiolab Presents: Fela Kuti Series by Jad Abumrad

(Discussion & Clip: 09:51 – 12:05)

• Host: Jad Abumrad (Radiolab founder)
• Subject: The life, impact, and revolutionary music of Fela Kuti.
• Notable for:
  • Meticulous integration of music editing, sound design, and historic context.
  • Interviews with luminaries: Paul McCartney, Questlove, Santigold, Barack Obama.
• Impact:
  • The audio experience is “meditative” and captures the movement-building power of Fela Kuti's music.
  • "Hearing the music, you really understand the power of music. And...it's not just playing little bits of music...it was a movement." (Lauren Passell, 10:54 & 12:05)

5. Audio Flux

(Discussion: 12:05 – 13:46)

• Host: Amy Pearl (former WNYC producer)
• Format: Innovative three-minute audio works from creators worldwide, organized into "circuits" with creative constraints.
• Recent Circuit Themes: "Letting go," must use previously unheard archival tape, inspired by illustrations by “Wendy.”
• What Sets It Apart:
  • Features top-tier audio makers, with brief, intentional storytelling and experimental soundscapes.
  • “Every single second is beautiful in these…such a treat and just really perfect. It doesn’t get much better than this when it comes to sound quality.” (Lauren Passell, 12:21)
• Examples:
  • Stories range from explorations of laughter to intergenerational family tapes.

6. A Tiny Plot

(Discussion: 13:46 – 15:12)

• Format: Five-part docuseries about an activist encampment in Oakland, CA.
• Focus: Unhoused residents building a self-governed community, fenced off from city oversight, and facing eviction threats.
• Why it Matters:
  • “Incredible story” told through immersive, sensitive field reporting—emphasizing human stories within systemic issues.
  • "Sheena really spent the time, which is something. It's becoming rarer and rarer. That reporter can go in and immerse themselves in a world like this and then bring it back to you with great sound and reporting." (Lauren Passell, 13:55)

7. Fiction Recommendation: 2000 Late

(Discussion: 15:12 – 16:17)

• Creator: Lauren Shippen (of “The Bright Sessions”)
• Premise: Fictional podcast about Harper, a 36-year-old suddenly possessed by a demon—20 years behind schedule.
• What Stands Out:
  • Hilarious, hopeful, and offbeat. The demon is not “typical,” supplies humor and pathos.
  • The story tackles rage and hope in a turbulent world.
  • "It's a story about rage, but it's also speaking to a lot of the things we're feeling right now about being angry in this world…and is this world a good enough place to be optimistic for?" (Lauren Passell, 15:17)

Standout Quotes & Timestamps

• “Pivot to video. They’re all pivoting to video.” (Lauren Passell, 01:04)
• “Too many people think they have to be [on video], and they totally don’t have to.” (Lauren Passell, 01:30)
• "Nothing makes me laugh harder than listening to them talk. They bring a lot of joy." (Lauren Passell on Text Me Back, 04:23)
• “You realize how normal Alan is…this is a really smart person. And also this show has a lot of empathy for these stories.” (Lauren Passell on Suspicious Minds, 06:16)
• “It is serious, but it’s the silly crimes taken very seriously and it’s a complete silly delight.” (Lauren Passell on When the Cops Say No..., 09:40)
• "It doesn't get much better than this when it comes to sound quality." (Lauren Passell on Audio Flux, 12:21)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• 00:09 – Alison Stewart introduces Lauren Passell and opens with the year's biggest milestone (podcasts eligible for the Golden Globes)
• 01:04 – Industry trends and changes (pivot to video, major show endings)
• 02:54 – Text Me Back recommendation and comedic highlight
• 05:51 – Suspicious Minds discussion on AI, psychosis, and empathy
• 08:02 – UK’s When the Cops Say No, We Say Yes: true crime parody
• 09:51 – Fela Kuti music series; sound design and storytelling
• 12:05 – Audio Flux: experimental micro-audio works
• 13:46 – A Tiny Plot: housing and activism story
• 15:12 – 2000 Late: fiction and rage/hope in the modern world

Tone & Final Thoughts

The episode celebrates the diversity and resilience of the podcast medium, balancing admiration for silliness and joy with respect for journalism, experimental audio, and social relevance. Lauren Passell emerges as an endlessly enthusiastic and insightful guide, advocating for listener-focused, intentionally crafted content.

Recommendation:
For anyone looking to reflect on the state of podcasting in 2025—or simply add a few delightful, thought-provoking shows to their playlist—this episode is both a snapshot of an evolving medium and a love letter to the power of story, sound, and friendship.