Reviews For On Point | Podcast

Host is knowledgeable and it’s nice bouncing around with topics each time.

I can’t believe you would start off your money ladies show with the I hate Trump schtick and take out all your money because trumps a meanie. This is so stupid. At least one of the women was smart and fought that idea. You guys need to get over your Trump hatred before I can give you more than two stars. Your perspective is to slanted to be legit.

BEAUTIFUL, MEGHNA 11/8****Love the Jackpod — both the venerable Jack and the brilliant (and my fellow gen Xer) Meghna. The combination of history, literary allusions, social critique is perfect. A new breath of life for Boston NPR. But I’d still like less of the lockstep woke ideology more broadly speaking at the organization — or for it to be balanced with more moderate povs.

Updated again - Jack Beatty is national treasure and he and Meghna have great chemistry. I could listen to him opine about any topic. Kudos to the team for the superlative Jackpod. Updating my review after the new format: I’m a native Bostonian and have been a loyal listener for two decades. Unfortunately, I think the recent rethink of On Point is not working. The audio diaries duplicate content within the episode and I’m already tired of the format and delete them unlistened. I also am now skipping whole episodes. The new narrative style, pre-recorded content, and lame music is not working. Bring back the Friday News Roundup! Getting more of Jack Beatty is a pleasure, as is Meghna’s great interviewing, but overall I’m disappointed with the new On Point. We don’t need another This American Life. I know budgets are tight due to the pandemic, but it doesn’t make sense to screw up something that works. Kudos to Meghna and the On Point team for their thoughtful, nuanced, intellectually-rigorous coverage of news and culture. I’m more than a bit confused by the sharply negative reviews here saying that On Point and NPR in general is partisan; if anything, I find that public radio has tried too hard to present both sides of the story since the 2016 election, sometimes to the point of having a conspiracy-theorist crackpot face off with a professor or scientist or other expert. That said, I find Meghna to be eminently balanced in her interviewing.

Great insights, reasonable and balanced coverage. If these things strike a chord with you this podcast is for you. The Jackpod alone is worth the subscription! Tune in and tune up your Yankee Doodle noodle

Propublica just broke this story of their investigation: Trump is using his media company to allow rich donors to buy a piece of Trump and reap the benefits in the form of government contracts and tax breaks if he gets elected again. The investigative reporting connects the new “Trump TV” to a streaming technology company in Melania’s home country (Slovenia) and to a rich Republican donor who had made millions off his relationship with Trump already.

In the middle of listening to the Jackpod with Howard on as a guest and I had to stop in the middle to write this. I could not agree more with what Howard says about wages. Media always talks about wage growth in the recent years, and I TOTALLY disagree. My wage has not moved in 5 years. In 5 years, my “raise” has averaged at 2.8% (with surpassing expectations performance), which cannot touch inflation. So, I am now making less today than I was 5 years ago. Everybody says that when there are fewer workers, companies will be forced to increase wages. Well, they do, but only for middle managers and up, which skews the average and median. Meanwhile, production requirements go up, stress goes up, threats of layoffs, quiet firing, and 100 people doing the work 150 used to do with no compensation. Media almost always uses the example of minimum wage to measure low wage work, but there is a HUGE swath of the workforce that is stuck in the $50k - $60k range and can’t move up because all the raises and bonuses are going to those making over $200k. Also, the $50k - $60k folks are salary, so increased productivity comes at the cost of unpaid overtime. Howard notes that companies will not feel compelled to increase wages unless they are forced by regulation. I have been shouting that from the rooftops for years to deaf ears. And today Howard spoke for me on public radio. Thank you, Howard, thank you Jack, and thank you Mehgna.

On Point finally catches up to the Jimmy Dore Show. Only 4 years too late. They are rewriting history here.

Meghna is a shameless partisan and makes no effort to grapple with any counter arguments that challenge her obvious position. This is coming from a democrat.

The host constantly interrupts guests to make cheesy political statements that only serve to highlight her ignorance. She is uneducated about the topics covered and in general. This show is completely unworthy of public radio.

I genuinely love Meghna’s journalism and perspective and I was excited when I found out I could listen to her hosting On Point once I moved outside of the WBUR area. I really wish it didn’t have to come with “the Jackpod”. If I wanted to hear Beatty’s opinions, I’d listen to his show.

On Point is the only show on NPR to cover the controversy surrounding pediatric gender medicine. I appreciate the effort to get to the truth.

Meghna Chakrabarti is a true journalist. She addresses an array of topics in depth and with an open mind. She asks questions from a place of curiosity and inquiry. This used to be the standard in journalism. I wish more journalists followed this approach.

I love the topics, the depth, the thoughtful questions from Megna, and particularly - the Jackpod! MJL

I used to listen to On Point every day and genuinely miss it. Every now and again I check back to see if the quality of the show has gone back up to what it used to be in the Tom Ashbrook days. Unfortunately, I am continuously disappointed by its lack of moderate reporting- it feels like much of the show has become very partisan with a strong progressive basis under Megna- you always know what her opinions are / whose side she is on. The decline of On Point and NPR over the past several years was pretty well summed up by Uri Berliner recently. I’m still a supporter and hope it can return to what it used to be and have a stronger viewpoint diversity.

Excellent podcast with relevant topics. I enjoy the host tremendously. She has a lovely voice and asks smart questions. lol s of interesting guests.

Highly recommend! One of the best podcasts! Clear, perfectly structured, great host, great correspondents! If you like listening to clear, factual discussions about important issues this podcast is the right one for you. I really enjoyed listening to the 5 episodes about populism. Thanks to the host!!! Added today: Jack Beatty would make a great professor. He is inspiring, knowledgeable and enthusiastic in explaining complex concepts by breaking them down for us and adding anecdotes that have a funny side.

Sure low information voters are on both sides, but the low IQ indoctrinated by propaganda mass media left are clueless beyond those media talking points. It’s really sad they can’t see the middle-ground truth.

Not only encouraging for those of worried about the rise of authoritarianism around the world, but a great recounting of Poland’s political history since Soviet era thru Solidarity Union to now providing good context for understanding. Much needed right now

The host is thoughtful and asks good questions. Good topics too.

Been listening to this podcast for 10+ years. It's great, and love the mix of news, book reviews, movies news.

Sad to see the once rational and articulate Jack Beatty come down with Trump Derangement Syndrome. This was once a great radio show before the Tom Ashbrook mutiny. Jack was the only moderate survivor. It’s a sad way to finish a career. Maybe Jack should get out of Boston more.

This is my favorite all encompassing podcast. The subject matter, whatever it might be, is super interesting. You don’t leave any stones unturned when it comes to questions. Interviewing skills are impeccable and your guests are phenomenal.

Meghna, you need to push back more forcefully on Batya Ungar-Sargon’s naive, skewed views about Trump. Her whataboutism is astounding, and sickeningly equivocal. Terrible interview.

Big fan of this podcast I recently discovered. How Israel is murd*ring innocent people in Gaza so the illegal settlers can invade like parasites.

Thank you for the great show. I wish the breaks were coming after the guest finishes her/his talk, not in the middle of it. It feels disruptive, the speakers and the listeners loose the tread of the talk.

The Palestinian round table discussion was painful to listen to. Zero accurate history. Scary to believe these are the “moderates” among us.

Incredibly smart program featuring deep dives into current issues. Host is wildly well informed on seemingly EVERYTHING. I listen everyday and frequently go back into the archives to find past episodes. Thank you for amazing programming.

Maybe just have a separate podcast for him? I miss regular stories with varied guests.

I have been listening to this podcast for years now. I so appreciate the way Meghna cogently and calmly hosts conversations about a whole gamut of important topics. Thank you!

I’ve been listening since the previous host. I really love the current host, Magna. She is a good interviewer, and is smart and asks good questions and steers the conversation really well. I like the topics and it helps me stay in the know about what’s going on in the world! I think of it like Fresh Air with Terry Gross, but with more of a world view and more of an eye towards politics.

Meghan Chakrabarty is brilliant and I love the way she chooses and interviews guests. As opposed to some other podcasts I listen to regularly, this show makes an effort to present a balanced view of issues (the recent fora with Israeli, then with Palestinian guests about the war in Gaza), and I really appreciate that. I do agree with a previous commenter that the adulation of Jack Beatty in the recent “Jackpod” series is excessive. Let his knowledge and commentary speak for itself

I so appreciate the show having a dedicated weekly show with Jack Beatty- I have great respect for his analysis and intelligence. Please continue! Also - I concur with another listener who recently was cited on the show as having a plan to leave America if Trump is elected in 2024. We recently retired and moved from Ohio to Maine and we are keeping our options open until the election and have also seriously considered a move out of the country if Trump returns in 2025 when our current lease expires.

One of the great interviewers working in public radio today. Smart, occasionally surprising topic choices, and Meghna digs into them, always staying present for follow-ups.

I really hate the write this review. On point, for years, was my favorite show on NPR. It was the reason I donated. It was interesting, challenging, and tried to make sense of the world. Unfortunately, the last couple years it's simply a mediocre essay on current topics. Seldomly challenging, often just boring.

I have always liked Jack Beatty’s insight but the praise that is heaped on him every Friday makes my teeth hurt. It is absolutely ridiculous. Is Megna mocking him? Is it written into his rider? Very strange, please make it stop.

I’ll echo another review to say this show used to have insightful, hope-filled perspectives. Now it’s all doom and gloom. I’ve entirely stopped listening, and I’m reminded why when I scroll through the recent topics.

As usual, Meghna uses her incredible interview skills to dive deeply into this topic. I’ve heard several other Sinclair interviews but always felt that I had more questions afterwards than beforehand. Those previously unaddressed inconsistencies & conflicts I found with his own statements were pressed by Meghna. Other interviewers let these issues slip by. However, Meghan’s persistence, sharp analytical skills & thirst to deeply understand what the person she’s interviewing means, keeps her asking for clarifications. So few interviewers have the moxie & expertise to keep pressing for answers as Meghna does. Thx WBUR & NPR for putting Meghna in this national broadcast seat.

What a horrible idea for the media to continue to engage in both sides-isms. trump is an outright liar, who tells his cult to NOT listen to others, only him. Biden may be old, and getting slower before our eyes, but he mostly speaks truth. If “people” by 11 points believe trump had better economy than Biden(your primary example of how Biden is engaging in “don’t believe your eyes”), is that Bidens fault? Is Biden making crap up or simply articulating facts, that the cult followers have been programmed to not believe. He’s stating facts. Do better Jack. Sadly, there are 2 sides in our political world today. A Pro-Democracy side and an authoritarian side . Period

Thank you!

Meghna is one of the very best interviewers. She’s intelligent, well informed and fair. Today’s episode with Congressman Blumenauer was a breath of fresh air. Behind his deep understanding of the the Farm Bill is an acute awareness of the folly of omnibus legislation. The system is at the core of congressional disfunction. Giant omnibus bills are lazy ways to legislate. Stir everything into one big pot and then find out what’s in it after the bill is printed when it’s too late to understand just what the leaders and members have agreed to. The misnamed Inflation Reduction Act is a perfect example.

🤮🤮🤮

We listen to this show every day. It’s topical and so well crafted. The producers are so adept at pulling it all together. But the real treat is MEGNHA. She is funny and honest and so, so smart. And she knows just the right questions to ask to clarify those spaces where the listener hears what is said but may not totally understand it. This is mastery, and makes the shows so satisfying to listen to. And all of that on live radio. She thinks on her feet faster than the speed of light!

Not since David Brudnoy have I heard pro gaming that is educational two sided all points conveyed Fantastic program

Facebook whistleblower episode. Host might as well just do a book review. She steers the guest to an annoying degree. Bad technique. Going to delete from my rotation.

While I don’t listen to every episode, it still is one of my favorites. I’ll skip a topic every now and then if I have absolutely no interest in it, which is maybe once a week. I enjoy Meghna’s efforts to remain mostly neutral on most topics and how she will ask (sometimes) difficult questions to both sides. I was disappointed though with the recent episode about Kamala Harris - the guests were mostly compromised of the same basic ideology so nothing really from “both sides”, and I expected Meghna to challenge them (just a) little bit. The lack of truely opposing views was evident from the start. I think most VPs are cannon fodder really, but when one of the guests compared Kamala’s propensity for word salad to Dan Quayle’s misspelling of the word potato, which in and of themselves are no where near the same thing, Meghna chimed and and supported it. Going so far as to later repeat the same analogy unprompted. Despite this recent episode I would have given it a 5 but I pretty much skip any episode hosted by anyone but Meghna. The guest host don’t even try to looks at issues from the middle. Those episodes, which sadly sometimes cover a topic I’d really like, are unlistenable. That goes for any segment with Jack Beatty too. I hit the fast forward button whenever he is asked to give his opinion on anything.

Still in my podcast rotation since it was once a must listen in a distant past. But in a post-unbiased world of journalism, it’s only an occasional listen. Lately, they “seem” to want to try to do real pieces with a wider point of view. Example: the Kamala Harris episode. It was a real effort to address what is in plain view, her lack of popular appeal and her inability to string two coherent sentences together. Both guests TRIED to comment fairly only to always go back to their prescribed positions to defend her and blame other circumstances. Ok, fair. But then at the end of the show it all came full circle to the only thing they know: It’s all because of racism and misogyny. Predictable. Never fails. Disappointing.

Very poor and unapologetically partisan episode, embarrassingly unquestioning from both the interviewer and the guest. Do better than that!