Hey! It’s Sarah. I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts lately, and thought I’d do a Top 6. All are related to politics and economics, and do a great job of breaking down tricky issues and offering analysis of world events that’s easy to crack into whether you currently feel ill- or well-informed.

In no particular order:

*The Economist Radio: Great coverage on the reg. They’ve just started a new series in collaboration with WNYC called ‘Indivisible’ that’s talkback style, and explores US public sentiment re the Trump administration over the course of its first 100 days in office. Here’s the latest episode:

*Democracy Now!: Excellent US news and analysis that prioritises ‘alternative’ and indigenous perspectives, bringing balance to what is typically a highly commercial media landscape. They also have a solid YouTube channel.

*Monocle, The Foreign Desk: Decent political analysis, with a relatively global spread. I also really like their short explainers, like this one on what Brexit could mean for the UK’s border with the Republic of Ireland:

*Al Jazeera, The Listening Post: A weekly podcast documenting what’s happening for media around the globe. It’s unsettling to hear how many political leaders are blatantly seeking to undermine the importance of a healthy media, and public trust in the so-called fourth estate — Donald Trump isn’t the only President crying fake news. (Al Jazeera also produce a number of other quality podcasts).

*Freakonomics: Big fan of this WNYC show. Steven Dubner et al deal in accessible economics, and are great at breaking down day-to-day issues for regular Judes and Joes. Every now and then they deviate — see episodes The Suicide Paradox and How to Become Great at Just About Anything.

*SOAS Radio: SOAS at the University of London is pegged as a world-leading institution for the study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. A little rougher around the edges in terms of production values than my other picks, their programmes are no less interesting — and it’s cool to hear from students.

These are primarily West-centric podcasts, produced by established outlets. We’re keen to hear about more that take a broader perspective, or are made by independent and little media. Link to your favourites in the comments below!

Sarah Illingworth is a freelance journalist and Editor at Impolitikal. She has an MSc in Poverty & Development from the University of Manchester. Read more by Sarah.