StoryCorps

StoryCorps is a national treasure, and I don't say that lightly. Produced by NPR and hosted by Michael Garofalo and Jasmyne Morris, the podcast captures unscripted conversations between two people about the things that matter most: love, loss, family, and friendship. No rehearsal, no polish, no agenda. Just two humans sitting across from each other being honest. The format is beautifully simple. A parent and child. Two old friends. A veteran and his therapist. They talk, and the recording preserves something that would otherwise be lost. Episodes run short, between 6 and 24 minutes, which makes them perfect for a commute or a quick listen during lunch. But don't let the brevity fool you. These conversations pack an emotional punch that longer shows struggle to match. StoryCorps has been archiving these conversations since 2003, and the podcast draws from that massive library plus new recordings. The show also runs The Great Thanksgiving Listen, an initiative encouraging young people to interview older family members over the holiday. It's one of the largest oral history projects in the world, with recordings archived at the Library of Congress. The show carries a 4.5-star rating from nearly 3,900 reviews, and new episodes arrive weekly. It's completely free with no premium tier. If you want a podcast that reminds you why ordinary people's stories are the most important ones, StoryCorps does it in under 20 minutes.