Up First (August 2017) is NPR’s daily news podcast that delivers the three biggest stories in 10-15 minutes before your morning commute. The show became NPR’s fastest-growing podcast ever.
Format & Philosophy
Episodes air weekdays at 6 AM ET, covering three major news stories with NPR correspondents. The format is brisk, authoritative, and conversational — designed for listeners getting ready or commuting.
Hosts rotate (Rachel Martin, Steve Inskeep, A Martínez, Leila Fadel) to keep energy fresh. Each story gets 3-5 minutes of context and analysis.
Success & Impact
Up First reached 10 million monthly downloads faster than any NPR podcast. By 2023, it became one of the most-listened news podcasts globally, competing with The Daily NYT.
The show proved audiences wanted news depth without time commitment. Unlike 30+ minute news podcasts, Up First respects listeners’ time.
The format influenced news podcasting — WSJ’s What’s News, Post Reports, BBC’s Global News Podcast all adopted similar quick-hit approaches.
NPR’s Audio Strategy
Up First became central to NPR’s digital strategy, attracting younger listeners who don’t listen to broadcast radio. The show demonstrated public radio could dominate podcasting.