FT News Briefing

Hard to believe anyone anymore. So many will tell you things which just don’t pass the smell test and pretend it’s ok. Mark seems to say it like it is. Seems he is one that can be trusted.

I believe this podcast has the potential to live up the FT’s reputation for excellence but the lack of consistency in audio quality drags it down. Guest speakers often come across as muffled or unintelligible, which largely erases their contribution to the show. Additionally, in my personal opinion, I believe the staff need more voice training if they are going to represent the FT in an audio program. Mark Filipino does a good job but his cohosts are lackluster at best. Lastly, I think that the FT should offer an ad-free version of its programs for subscribers. I find it a bit irksome that I pay a premium subscription to the paper and am still subjected to ads on their audio content. I think the programs would benefit if the FT adopted a model similar to The Economist for its podcasts.

Get rid of the "Sexy Baby" voice!

FT podcasts are editorially strong but need to be mindful of how their hosts turn up. Mark Fillipino has gone on vacation again and the FT has entered a period of straight-out trolling listeners with a substitute host who sounds like they are just a few short years out of high school. We desperately need presenters with trained voices who can convey a sense of gravitas and worldly experience.