What’s Making Me Happy: March 5th, 2021

OKAY—this week is a bit different. I’m going to talk about a new podcast that didn’t make me HAPPY because it’s gutwrenching, but that I really,really,really enjoyed nonetheless. That is the EMBEDDED by NPR podcast artc on The Capital Gazette shooting, which has released 2 episodes so far.

It feels weird to say this podcast is “making me happy” because obviously, it’s about a terrible tragedy. but the podcast is SO WELL DONE because it’s NPR, and as much as it’s about the shooting, it’s also about the bravery of the staff in the aftermath.

I had heard about this podcast, but I first listened when it was the Up First Bonus Episode this past Sunday:https://www.npr.org/2021/02/28/972239384/bonus-capital-gazette

It’s NPR, so it’s full of interviews, archival audio, insight, and it’s got such a heart too it—it’s about remembering those lost and offering support to those who survived, as opposed to the usual true crime stuff that’s like “here’s who did it and here’s what his middle school classmates said about a paper he wrote once.” It’s not about the killer at all–it’s about the Capital Gazette.

Did I cry during these first two episodes? ABSOLUTELY. I felt wrecked, so many times throughout it, but it is such a good podcast, and I think everyone–if they’re able–should listen to it. It’s obviously not a good listen if you’re not in a good mental state, or if you’re around kids, but if you’re the kind of person who’s intrigued by true crime but also has a heart, you’ll want to listen to this.