The Gist

The Gist is a great listen! Host Mike Pesca has a fair, interesting perspective. I appreciate his experience and journalistic rigor. He is conversant in wide ranging topics and has consistently knowledgeable guests. His personality is always entertaining and he throws in just enough quirks, wordplay and offbeat humor to bring out a laugh or appropriate groan here and there.

Hard pod to rate, since there are some very good interviews and he can be very entertaining. But at times, he just rants based on his gut feelings, which aren’t always very good or very entertaining. While 80% of an ep will be great, he can then be incurious and haughty and mean, which just isn’t my thing.

I’ve been listening to Mike from the beginning. He was an acquired taste, to be sure, but I find more often that his take is a refreshing look at the world when others are pushing particular agendas. Mike asks thoughtful questions of his guests and does the homework to know where to push. The Gist is one of a few podcasts I won’t miss, even if I’m not 100 percent on board with Mike all the time. It’s a great source of honest journalism in an increasingly siloed media landscape. All that being said, Mike, my man, I don’t mind the songs so much, but you HAVE to work on staying on the beat.

I love to get Mike’s take on things going on in politics but also sports and entertainment. He’s an excellent interviewer and also helps me get out of my bubble and think differently about various topics. Keep up the great work Mike!