The East is a Podcast
A critical lens on the history of the present on West Asia and North Africa. Interviews with experts and archival mashups.
Created by Sina Rahmani (twitter: @urorientalist)
Our Editor's Take
Sina Rahmani's decision to create The East is a Podcast rose from sheer frustration with the podcasting landscape. Rahmani was an avid podcast listener. But in all the hours of listening, he never encountered diversity. He found that most of the voices of hosts and guests were of white, American, monolingual people. This was even more evident in any podcasts related to politics and history. There wasn't one podcast talking about current events and politics outside the West. So he decided he would be the first to create one.
Rahmani's initial idea was to make a podcast focused only on Iran. At the time, it was the 40th anniversary of the revolution, so it felt like a good starting point. However, a friend convinced him to broaden the topic. Instead, he should examine the Middle East as a whole. To break it down, he could talk about a different region in every episode. That's how The East is a Podcast began.
The one thing that connects the episodes of the podcast is the mission to spotlight non-white voices. Rahmani tries to stay away from traditional publishing world practices. Instead, he uses his Twitter feed to ask his followers who they find interesting. The result is a mix of guests and topics that are as eclectic as they are fascinating. One episode might feature a talk with a Lebanese communist. Another will interview a farmer who is also a veteran. An archived interview with Bruce Lee will be the focus for one week, and outer space will be on the other.
The host crafts the episodes of The East is a Podcast with a combination of music and commentary. There are article readings and documentary snippets. All make the listening experience much more enjoyable and educational.
Episodes
