--- title: "Barack Obama to host Audible podcast on six books that shaped him" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/media/barack-obama-to-host-audible-podcast-on-six-books-that-shaped-him" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/barack-obama-to-host-audible-podcast-on-six-books-that-shaped-him" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/media/barack-obama-to-host-audible-podcast-on-six-books-that-shaped-him.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/barack-obama-to-host-audible-podcast-on-six-books-that-shaped-him" category: "Media" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-11T02:05:29.720Z" source_reported: "2026-08-11T01:16:45.000Z" updated: "2026-08-11T02:05:29.720Z" trust_score: 82 critic_score: 68 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-11T02:00:27.757819+00:00" --- # Barack Obama to host Audible podcast on six books that shaped him *The former US president will discuss literature with guests in a six-episode series debuting 24 September 2026* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 82 of 100, higher is better. Multiple outlets corroborate the story. - Craft 68 of 100, higher is better. Lacks direct quotes from guests. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. Measured language used. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Barack Obama will host a six-episode podcast, 'A Great Book with Barack Obama', discussing books that shaped his worldview, debuting 24 September 2026 on Audible. - The podcast is part of a first-look deal between Audible and Higher Ground, Obama’s media company, and will feature six guests discussing six selected books. - The books include works by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and John le Carré, among others, chosen for their influence on Obama’s understanding of identity and society. - The left-rated reports emphasised the personal and societal themes of the books, while the right-rated digests focused on the podcast’s format and Obama’s role as host. Former US president Barack Obama will host a new podcast, 'A Great Book with Barack Obama', discussing six books that have influenced his worldview. The podcast, announced by Audible and Obama’s media company Higher Ground, will debut on 24 September 2026 exclusively on Audible. It is the sixth release under an exclusive first-look deal between the two companies. The six books selected by Obama for the podcast are 'The Fire Next Time' by James Baldwin, 'Song of Solomon' by Toni Morrison, 'All the Pretty Horses' by Cormac McCarthy, 'Gilead' by Marilynne Robinson, 'All the King’s Men' by Robert Penn Warren, and 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy' by John le Carré. The podcast will feature discussions with six guests, described as 'thinkers, writers and artists', though their identities have not yet been announced. In a statement, Obama said the books had helped him 'figure out who I am and what I believe'. The podcast is described by Audible and Higher Ground as exploring 'identity, power, memory and culture' through conversations between Obama and his guests. Previous collaborations between Audible and Higher Ground include podcasts hosted by Michelle Obama and Michele Norris. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests named the six books Obama selected for the podcast. The centre-rated digests also omitted the titles of the books and did not include quotes from Obama or representatives of Audible or Higher Ground. The left-rated reports, including Variety’s full article, provided the most detail, but none of the digests across the political spectrum mentioned the identities of the six guests who will appear on the podcast. ## Who covered it Shares of the 13 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 54% (7) - Centre: 31% (4) - Right: 15% (2) 2 of 15 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-11T02:00:27.757819+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 2 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-11T02:31:08.667Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The seven left-rated digests and the full report from Variety led on the personal and societal themes of the books Obama selected. Variety described the podcast as exploring books that have 'profoundly shaped his worldview and our society', quoting Obama’s statement that the books helped him 'figure out who I am and what I believe'. The Washington Post and USA Today also highlighted the podcast’s focus on the impact of literature on Obama’s understanding of himself and others. - Variety’s full report included details about the podcast’s format, the books selected, and the broader context of Higher Ground’s partnership with Audible. It quoted statements from Audible’s chief content officer, Rachel Ghiazza, and Higher Ground’s head of audio, Dan Fierman, emphasising the podcast’s aim to connect listeners with 'transformative storytelling'. The left-rated digests also noted the podcast’s release date and its exclusive availability on Audible. ### Centre - The four centre-rated digests from WBIR, KTVB, Krem2 News, and The Hill focused on the podcast’s structure and Obama’s role as host. All four digests noted that the podcast would consist of six episodes, each discussing a book that shaped Obama’s worldview. The Hill’s digest described Obama as sitting down 'with six luminaries to discuss the books', though it did not name the guests or the books. - The centre-rated digests did not delve into the themes of the books or the broader significance of the podcast beyond its format. They also did not include quotes from Obama or representatives of Audible or Higher Ground. ### Right - The two right-rated digests from BT and The News focused on the podcast’s format and Obama’s involvement. BT’s digest described the podcast as a series where Obama would talk about books that 'made an impression on him as a young man'. The News’s digest similarly noted that the podcast would focus on books that 'have shaped his life', without specifying the titles or themes of the books. - Neither of the right-rated digests mentioned the specific books Obama selected or the broader themes of identity and society that the podcast aims to explore. They also did not include details about the guests or quotes from Obama or representatives of Audible or Higher Ground. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 13 - unknown: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [BT](https://bt.dk/udland/barack-obama-bliver-vaert-paa-personlig-podcastserie-om-boeger) — Barack Obama to Host Personal Podcast Series About Books - [The Seattle Times](https://seattletimes.com/entertainment/barack-obama-to-host-podcast-exploring-influential-books) — Barack Obama to host podcast exploring influential books - [WBIR](https://wbir.com/article/news/nation-world/barack-obama-launches-podcast-audible-a-great-book/507-22694441-bc33-4084-88d1-21984636222b) — Former President Barack Obama launches his first podcast - [KTVB](https://ktvb.com/article/news/nation-world/barack-obama-launches-podcast-audible-a-great-book/507-22694441-bc33-4084-88d1-21984636222b) — Former President Barack Obama launches his first podcast - [Krem2 News](https://krem.com/article/news/nation-world/barack-obama-launches-podcast-audible-a-great-book/507-22694441-bc33-4084-88d1-21984636222b) — Former President Barack Obama launches his first podcast - [The News](https://thenews.com.pk/latest/1411883-obama-teams-up-with-audible-for-new-literary-podcast) — Obama teams up with Audible for new literary podcast - [NU](https://nu.nl/cultuur-overig/6405946/barack-obama-gaat-zesdelige-podcast-hosten-over-zijn-favoriete-boeken.html) — Barack Obama Is Going to Host a Six-Part Podcast About His Favorite Books. - [Rzeczpospolita](https://rp.pl/polityka/art44971091-te-ksiazki-uksztaltowaly-baracka-obame-byly-prezydent-usa-zdradza-6-lektur-swojego-zycia) — These Books Shaped Barack Obama. The Former US President Reveals the 6 Books He Read Throughout His Life. - [The Washington Post](https://washingtonpost.com/books/2026/08/10/president-barack-obama-launches-new-podcast) — Former president Barack Obama launches a new podcast - [The Hill](https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/6020420-obama-hosts-book-podcast) — Obama to host literary podcast, ‘A Great Book,’ on Audible - [USA Today](https://usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2026/08/10/barack-obama-a-great-book-podcast/91215115007) — Obama launching 'A Great Book' podcast. Which favorites will he discuss and why? - [Variety](https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/barack-obama-six-great-books-podcast-audible-1236829246) — Barack Obama to Host Podcast Digging Into Six Books That ‘Helped Me Figure Out Who I Am and What I Believe’ - [Deadline](https://deadline.com/2026/08/president-barack-obama-a-great-book-audible-1237028641) — President Barack Obama Is Launching 'A Great Book' Podcast For Audible - [RollingStone](https://rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/barack-obama-favorite-novels-audible-a-great-book-podcast-1235605783) — Barack Obama to Discuss His Favorite Novels on ‘A Great Book’ Podcast - [The Hollywood Reporter](https://hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/president-obama-new-podcast-books-1236666022) — President Obama’s New Podcast Is Focused on the Books That Shaped Him ## Questions **Which books will Barack Obama discuss on his new podcast?** Barack Obama will discuss six books on his new podcast: 'The Fire Next Time' by James Baldwin, 'Song of Solomon' by Toni Morrison, 'All the Pretty Horses' by Cormac McCarthy, 'Gilead' by Marilynne Robinson, 'All the King’s Men' by Robert Penn Warren, and 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy' by John le Carré. These books were chosen for their influence on his worldview. **When will Barack Obama’s podcast debut and where can I listen to it?** Barack Obama’s podcast, 'A Great Book with Barack Obama', will debut on 24 September 2026. It will be available exclusively on Audible, as part of a first-look deal between Audible and Obama’s media company, Higher Ground. **What is the focus of Barack Obama’s new podcast?** The podcast will explore themes of identity, power, memory, and culture through conversations between Barack Obama and six guests. Obama has said the books discussed helped him 'figure out who I am and what I believe', and the podcast aims to connect literature to broader societal questions. **Which outlets reported on the books Obama selected for his podcast?** The left-rated reports, including Variety, The Washington Post, and USA Today, named the six books Obama selected. The centre-rated and right-rated digests did not include the titles of the books in their coverage. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/media/barack-obama-to-host-audible-podcast-on-six-books-that-shaped-him. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Barack Obama to host Audible podcast on six books that shaped him", https://mediabias.news/media/barack-obama-to-host-audible-podcast-on-six-books-that-shaped-him