Slate launches daily news podcast What Next for evening commute

Today, Slate is launching a new daily news podcast What Next, which will be released in time for the evening commute each day. Hosted by Mary Harris, the former host and executive producer of WNYC’s Only Human podcast and a founding producer of NPR’s The Takeaway, What Next will explain the most important news each day, what it means and why it matters.

What Next launches today as a month-long pop-up podcast leading up to the midterm election, giving its team a chance to experiment with the form and solicit feedback from Slate’s audience. The show will then go on a brief hiatus to tinker and refine, returning in January with daily production.

What Next will synthesize the news you might have missed during the day and provide analysis from Slate journalists and other guests in Slate’s signature voice. The show will be The Slate Podcast Network’s second daily podcast, joining The Gist with Mike Pesca, which launched in May 2014 and remains Slate’s biggest show and essential listening for Pesca’s smart, skeptical take on news and culture.

Some more background on What Next host Mary Harris: prior to her new role at Slate, she was host and executive producer of the WNYC podcast Only Human and, most recently, executive produced and co-hosted the podcast The Realness. She was also part of the team that launched The Takeaway. Prior to joining WNYC, Harris spent nearly a decade as a producer at ABC News, where her work was nominated for multiple Emmy awards. “Mary is the perfect host to convene our daily conversation about the news and what it means,” says Slate’s executive editor, Allison Benedikt. “Her curiosity, intellect, warmth and wit will bring the work Slate does on its site all day alive in audio.”