Podcasts should be treated by publications with the same respect and care as music, television, film, and literature. Though that position may seem obvious in 2021, no journalist has been so far ahead of the curve and so passionate about the form than Nick Quah. His newsletter Hot Pod, which he started in 2014, has become the preeminent publication covering the podcast industry with breaking news, trenchant criticism, and keen analysis of trends in the medium. Quah, who is also the lead writer of Vulture’s recommendations newsletter 1.5x Speed and the host of the meta, Webby-nominated podcast-about-podcasts Servant of Pod, sold Hot Pod to The Verge in September 2021, where senior reporter Ashley Carmen will take over. Though Quah is stepping away from his first newsletter, he’s becoming the first full-time podcast critic for New York magazine, joining a Pulitzer-winning team of writers. There Quah will continue to be the media’s No. 1 source for podcasts: He’ll be writing essays, reporting on the industry, interviewing prominent podcasters, and continuing to host 1.5x Speed. As podcasting becomes more and more ubiquitous, the future of the medium is stronger than ever, with Quah as its biggest advocate and watchdog.
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