Podcasting Through Two Years of Hell

Introduction

John Podhoretz and Dan Senor reflect on how their respective podcasts became significant sources of news, perspective, and support during the challenging two years following October 7 and the subsequent conflict. Both note that this focus was unplanned before the outbreak of war, and the podcasts quickly evolved to address the unfolding realities, resonating deeply with their audience as major events developed.

Spontaneous Evolution of Content

Dan, you and I are in a unique position because for the last two years, our respective podcasts have become a key source of a complex blend of information, news, perspective, and comfort to people deeply affected by October 7 and the two-year war that followed. And one of the things that Call Me Back and The Commentary Magazine Podcast have in common is that this was entirely situational.... We didn’t plan it. We didn’t think that this is what we were going to talk about for two years on the morning of October 6, 2023. You had been doing this podcast about what America might be like after the coronavirus.

After initially covering the post-pandemic world, the “Call Me Back” podcast rapidly gained attention once it shifted to covering the events after October 7, engaging listeners who needed reliable information and community in a chaotic time.

Audience Impact and Feedback

It was like suddenly two months in, it was all I heard people talking about, you shot up the Apple charts. Why did you connect so viscerally with so many people?

Listeners found in these podcasts an anchor for factual reporting and honest discussion, often lacking elsewhere. Some felt that the podcasts helped bind together communities navigating immense emotional and political strain.

Inside Perspective from Israel

What I felt was missing from all the international press coverage and many of the conversations was Israelis speaking to the world from Israel trying to explain the dilemmas and the challenges they were dealing with as they were confronted with this war—Israelis who don’t always agree with each other and don’t always agree with certain parts of our audience. I had no idea there’d be a big market for it.

The Role of Debate and Dissent

There’s your podcast, there’s my podcast; we can probably count on one hand how many others that actually just provided basic facts, basic history. Listeners were like, Oh, this could be my anchor. This could be the place I go to just make sure I’m not losing my mind.

Podhoretz and Senor made space for disagreement and debate, sometimes inviting guests with contrasting opinions, such as Sam Harris and Scott Galloway. This openness was meaningful for listeners seeking truth and balanced analysis.

Unexpected Global Reach

I was in London in December 2023, and I was invited to meet with the Saudi ambassador to the UK. It turned out he was a regular listener to the podcast. And he wanted to talk about what was going on in Israel. … Podcasts like yours and mine, if we can reach people like that, there's got to be something more here we can do now that we’re out of this.

Notably, the podcasts reached influential audiences worldwide, including academic and diplomatic circles in the Middle East, who valued direct dialogue largely missing from other sources.

Reflections on Jewish History and the Present

It’s a moral and civilizational struggle that Israel has been going through for more than seven decades, facing an eliminationist philosophy that it can’t really negotiate with.

Both hosts expressed ongoing concern about the current climate and future uncertainty, tying this era’s unpredictability to the broader sweep of Jewish history.

Author's Summary

Podcasts by Podhoretz and Senor became vital platforms for unbiased, firsthand information and nuanced debate during two years of intense conflict, uniting and informing a global audience seeking clarity and community.

more

Commentary Magazine Commentary Magazine — 2025-11-15

More News