Embedded

Embedded is NPR's home for audio documentaries, and it's been quietly producing some of the most ambitious narrative journalism in podcasting since 2016. Created and hosted by Kelly McEvers, the show takes stories from the headlines and goes to the places most reporters don't — or can't. The format works in multi-episode arcs rather than standalone installments. One season might follow the aftermath of a police shooting in a small town, another tracks the global network that brought safe abortion access to millions of women, and yet another chronicles one man's desperate attempt to reunite with his family after the Chinese government's detention of ethnic Uyghurs. With 25 seasons and 187 episodes under its belt, Embedded has covered an extraordinary range of subjects while maintaining a consistent editorial standard. Kelly McEvers is a former NPR foreign correspondent who reported from Iraq and Syria, and that background shows. Her interviewing is patient and direct, never performative. She lets silences breathe and trusts listeners to sit with uncomfortable information. The production team at NPR backs her with institutional resources that independent podcasters can only dream about — field recordings, archival tape, and months of reporting time per series. The show carries a 4.7-star rating from nearly 12,000 Apple Podcasts reviewers. NPR also offers an Embedded+ subscription for early access and ad-free listening. New series drop periodically rather than on a fixed weekly schedule, so you'll want to subscribe to catch them when they arrive. Each series stands on its own, making it easy to jump in anywhere.