The Sunday Read

The Sunday Read. It is a weekly long-form audio feature produced by The New York Times, launched in October 2019 as a companion to the immensely popular The Daily (podcast). Narrated primarily by journalist David Gelles, the program adapts and expands upon some of the most compelling enterprise and investigative journalism from the newspaper's Sunday edition and its digital platforms. Designed for deeper listening, it transforms written articles into immersive narrative experiences, covering a wide range of topics from politics and science to culture and history.

History and background

The podcast was conceived by the audio team at The New York Times, led by executive producer Lisa Tobin, as a way to leverage the newspaper's deep reservoir of long-form reporting for the growing audio audience. It launched on October 6, 2019, strategically positioned to complement the daily news briefing format of The Daily (podcast) by offering a more reflective, in-depth experience suited for weekends. Its creation was part of a broader expansion of The New York Times's audio division, which also includes shows like The Argument (podcast) and Still Processing. The initiative reflected a strategic shift at legacy media organizations like The Washington Post and The Guardian to capture listener engagement through narrative podcasting, following the success of serialized shows like Serial (podcast).

Format and content

Each episode typically runs between 20 and 40 minutes and is a single, uninterrupted narrative read by a staff narrator, most often David Gelles, though other reporters like Wesley Morris and Astead W. Herndon occasionally narrate their own work. The content is directly adapted from feature articles published in The New York Times Magazine, the Book Review, or the investigative desks, avoiding breaking news in favor of evergreen or deeply reported stories. The production emphasizes atmospheric sound design and subtle scoring to enhance the storytelling, covering subjects as diverse as climate change in the Amazon rainforest, profiles of figures like Elon Musk or Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and investigations into institutions like the International Olympic Committee or the Central Intelligence Agency.

Production and team

The production is helmed by the audio team within The New York Times, with Lisa Tobin serving as the executive producer. The core team includes producers, sound designers, and engineers who collaborate with the original article's reporters and editors to adapt the text for audio. Key narrators like David Gelles work closely with producers to ensure the spoken delivery matches the tone and nuance of the print journalism. The operation is based in New York City, often utilizing interviews and archival audio clips to add depth, and the team frequently coordinates with other departments, such as the graphics desk for supplemental digital materials.

Reception and impact

Upon its launch, *The Sunday Read* was quickly embraced by listeners and critics, praised for its high production values and for making the newspaper's extensive long-form journalism more accessible. It consistently ranks highly on podcast charts within the Apple Podcasts and Spotify news categories. The podcast has been recognized with industry awards and has helped solidify The New York Times's position as a major player in narrative audio, alongside competitors like The New Yorker Radio Hour and BBC Radio 4's documentaries. Its success demonstrated a viable model for monetizing deep-reporting archives through podcast subscriptions and has influenced similar audio projects across the media landscape.

Notable episodes and features

Notable episodes have included adaptations of major investigative series, such as the "1619 Project," which examined the legacy of slavery in the United States, and a gripping narrative about the search for the SS Cotopaxi, a ship lost in the Bermuda Triangle. Other standout features have profiled cultural moments like the rise of TikTok, analyzed geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea, and explored scientific frontiers through stories about NASA's Perseverance (rover) mission to Mars. The podcast has also featured intimate narratives from the "Modern Love" column and deep dives into historical events like the Watergate scandal.