08.11.16

The New York Times this week launched “The Run-Up,” a twice-a-week podcast on the 2016 election. It’s hosted by their national political reporter Michael Barbaro, who, according to his bio, joined the outlet in 2005 on the retail beat, then became a political reporter known for profiling powerful figures like Michael Bloomberg, Andrew Cuomo, and Mitt Romney in his 2012 presidential campaign.

In an election season that continues to defy conventional wisdom, “The Run-Up” hopes to help listeners make sense of the pols and the polls in the push to Election Day. It’ll feature in-depth conversations with top reporters, columnists, magazine writers and analysts at The Times.

“The Run Up” joins a crowded field of political podcasts and affirms The Times’ commitment to the increasingly popular medium. Back in July, The Times hired Lisa Tobin to be their first executive producer for audio. “The Run-Up” is just one in a series of podcasts to be rolled out under the new audio team.

Check out the first episode of “The Run Up” here.