Up First is one of NPR's most-listened-to podcasts. It owes much of its success to its simple, powerful format. Every morning, one of America's most-trusted new organizations brings listeners a compact update on the day's top three news stories. It's a quick way to catch up as the day begins, hosted by some of NPR's top talent.
The team behind the standard-bearing morning news program Morning Edition launched Up First in 2017. NPR anchors Steve Inskeep, Leila Fadel, Rachel Martin, and A Martinez host the program. Correspondents join the hosts to provide deeper analysis on their own areas of expertise. They usually call in from one of the network's 35 international bureaus. The show's runtime is brief, but its reach is broad.
Up First's target audience doesn't have time to read a.m. newspapers or take in long-form radio shows. Busy listeners trust Up First to deliver tight priority news first thing in the morning. For those who can spend their mornings absorbing in-depth news, there's Morning Edition. For those who have little time in the morning but still want to start their day informed, there's Up First.
Episodes