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New York times

There is no lack of podcasts about The Internet being made right now—shows that cover the culture, politics, dark underbelly, and idiosyncrasies of being online are outnumbered only by mediocre true crime pods.

Yet Rabbit Hole, the new audio series from the New York Times that explores the internet’s potential to radicalize its users, manages to stick out by pairing deep original reporting with a high degree of specificity. In the first two episodes alone, you will track the viewing history of a guy whose streaming habits went from Frozen parodies to right-wing YouTubers to outright white supremacists, and learn about the YouTube algorithm that favors the fringe. Episodes are kept at a succinct 30 minutes, leaving you wanting more each time.

There’s a definite comparison to be made here to Reply All, the best podcast about technology (and maybe in general) that you can listen to. Even Rabbit Hole’s hosts, Times reporters Kevin Roose and Andy Mills, adopt the same jokey, hyper-self-aware rapport shared by Reply All hosts PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman.

But in a media landscape that’s oversaturated with hot takes about Twitter feuds yet lacking in valuable original reporting about the place where most Americans spend hours of their day, having another pod like Reply All to listen to certainly isn’t a bad thing.