The Take is a daily news podcast that does more than inform – it connects listeners globally. Every day, seven days a week, we unpack how the stories that define our world impact people. From the war in Gaza to the battle for DR Congo’s Goma to the rise of the AI economy. But our focus is not on headlines alone; it is on the people living through these events. The Take is built on a simple premise: to bring listeners as close as possible to those directly affected, and to make their voices core to the narrative.
In a podcast landscape dominated by Western perspectives, The Take is recognized as one of the few truly global shows. It is a space where the Global South is the headline. We seek out those who have survived bombardment, displacement, and political upheaval, and we ask them to tell us: what it feels like when the war starts and doesn’t end, when the cameras leave, but the consequences remain. These are the people we strive to include in every episode.
Our storytelling is rooted in rigorous journalism and long-term engagement with the communities we cover. For example, years after the United States dropped the so-called “mother of all bombs” on a remote village in Afghanistan’s Achin district, The Take returned to that very site. Drawing on reporting by Al Jazeera correspondent Osama Bin Javaid, our episode documented what remained: shattered homes, lingering health problems, and the absence of accountability. We revisited a story that once dominated headlines and then disappeared, and we asked what it means for those still living in the crater it left behind.
In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, we brought the same insight to our coverage of renewed violence around the city of Goma. As the Rwandan-backed M23 group advanced and hospitals overflowed, The Take explained why this was not an isolated flare-up, but part of a much larger story. We connected listeners to the region’s tangled history of conflict, Rwanda’s strategic interests, the scramble for natural resources, and the regional power struggles that rarely make it into morning news briefs. By doing so, we gave our audience not just updates, but understanding.
Our impact is evident in the community that has formed around the show. As we expanded into video, YouTube and Spotify have offered us a space to engage with our viewers and listeners and to read what story they want us to tell next. Our audience is not passive; they debate, share personal experiences, and build on one another’s reflections. The Take creates a space where people from around the world and diverse backgrounds can encounter each other’s realities and relate to each other. That commitment to meaningful engagement, nuance, and human connection is at the core of our work – and it is what makes The Take deserving of recognition.
