NPR's Sam Sanders Joins New York Magazine To Develop Vulture's Culture Podcast

 NPR's loss is Vox's gain. Vox, which owns New York Magazine and Vulture among other notable media brands, has scored a big victory in the podcast talent wars. Sam Sanders, who had been the host of NPR's podcast and radio show It’s Been a Minute will develop and host a flagship podcast for Vulture, New York Magazine’s culture and entertainment site, editor-in-chief David Haskell has announced. 

 

  Sanders will bring Vulture’s wide-ranging culture coverage to audio, working with New York’s editorial director for audio Hanna Rosin and Vulture editor Neil Janowitz. Sanders begins his role in April, with the show launching later in the spring. 

“Sam is simply the perfect person to develop and host a Vulture show,” says Haskell. “He built something extraordinary at NPR, a thrilling and curious and often moving show about culture, and I cannot wait to see what happens when his omnivorous, curious intellect joins up with the powerhouse culture editors at Vulture and New York.”

“Sam and Vulture are a match made in Heaven,” says Rosin. “Both know everything, know what they love, and are sure to bring out the best in the other.”

Sanders joins New York and the Vox Media Podcast Network from NPR, where he has hosted the podcast and radio show It’s Been a Minute for the last five years. Sanders joined NPR in 2009 as a Kroc Fellow, and in his 12 years there assumed a number of roles. Prior to hosting It’s Been a Minute, Sanders was a key member of NPR’s election unit, where he covered the intersection of culture, pop culture, and politics in the 2016 election, and embedded with the Bernie Sanders campaign for several months. He was one of the original co-hosts of NPR's Politics Podcast, and held roles at NPR member stations including WUNC in North Carolina, Oregon Public Broadcasting, and WBUR in Boston. Sanders was honored with this year’s iHeart Award for Best Overall Host (male) and the Los Angeles Press Club National A&E Journalism award for best anchor/host radio. 

“I have been incredibly jealous of Vulture for years. They’re always writing the pieces I wish I’d thought of first, and covering the culture in ways that aren’t just new and fresh, but also game-changing and conversation-shifting,” says Sanders. “Getting the chance to showcase and work alongside the journalists I’ve been trying to keep up with for so long is more than just a dream come true; it’s a match made in heaven. And to be supported by such a storied institution as New York Magazine, and the truly ascendant Vox Media Podcast Network – what a dream! There’s really no way this isn’t going to be amazing. Excited is an understatement.” 

This announcement comes on the heels of a year of growth at Vox Media Podcast Network, which acquired Criminal Productions and Cafe Studios, and struck partnerships with shows including The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway, Longform, Gastropod, and Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast. At New York Magazine, Sanders’ show will take its place among an audio lineup that includes Cover Story: Power Trip, Pivot, Switched on Pop, Good One, and more.