Best Investigative Reporting Podcasts

I’m Peter McCormack. I have questions.

Dr Ruja Ignatova persuaded millions to join her financial revolution. Then she disappeared. Why? Jamie Bartlett presents a story of greed, deceit and herd madness.

Serial returns with a history of Guantánamo told by people who lived through key moments in Guantánamo’s evolution, who know things the rest of us don’t about what it’s like to be caught inside an improvised justice system.Serial Productions makes narrative podcasts whose quality and innovation transformed the medium. “Serial” began in 2014 as a spinoff of the public radio show “This American Life.” In 2020, we joined the New York Times Company. Our shows have reached many millions of listeners and have won nearly every major journalism award for audio, including the first-ever Peabody Award given to a podcast.Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest Serial Productions news: https://bit.ly/3FIOJj9Have thoughts or feedback on our shows? Email us at serialshows@nytimes.com Soon, you’ll need a subscription to keep full access to this show, and to other New York Times podcasts, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Don’t miss out on exploring all our shows covering politics, pop culture and much more. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts.

All episodes are available for free, with remastered ad-free episodes available for Wondery+ subscribers.Debra Newell is a successful interior designer. She meets John Meehan, a handsome man who seems to check all the boxes: attentive, available, just back from a year in Iraq with Doctors Without Borders. But her family doesn’t like John, and they get entangled in an increasingly complex web of love, deception, forgiveness, denial, and ultimately, survival. Reported and hosted by Christopher Goffard from the L.A. Times.

We’re at our most vulnerable when we go to our doctors. But what happens when we can’t trust them? Dr. Death is the award-winning series hosted by Laura Beil, now in its fourth season: Bad Magic.Need more Dr. Death? With Wondery+, you can listen to all episodes, unlock exclusive content, get early access to upcoming episodes, and enjoy an always ad-free experience. Start your free trial in the Wondery App or visit wondery.com/links/dr-death/ now.When a charismatic young doctor announces revolutionary treatments for cancer and HIV, patients from around the world turn to him for their last chance. As medical experts praise Serhat Gumrukcu’s genius, the company he co-founded rockets in value to over half a billion dollars. But when a team of researchers makes a startling discovery, they begin to suspect the brilliant doctor is hiding a secret.Season 3: Paolo is a smart and handsome surgeon, renowned for his ability to perform surgeries that transform his patients’ lives. When television producer Benita covers him for a story, he’ll transform her life too, but not in the ways she expects. As Benita crosses professional lines to be with him, she learns how far Paolo will go to protect his secrets. And halfway around the world, four doctors at a prestigious medical institute make shocking discoveries of their own that call everything into question.Season 2: If someone you love is diagnosed with cancer you want them to get the best treatment from the best doctors. In 2013, patients in Michigan thought Farid Fata was that doctor. Between his prestigious education, years of experience and pleasant bedside manner, Fata was everything you could want in a doctor. But he was not who he appeared to be. From Wondery, this is the story of hundreds of patients in Michigan, a doctor, and a poisonous secret.Season 1: We’re at our most vulnerable when we go to our doctors. We trust the person at the other end of that scalpel. We trust the hospital. We trust the system. Christopher Duntsch was a neurosurgeon who radiated confidence. He claimed he was the best in Dallas. If you had back pain, and had tried everything else, Dr. Duntsch could give you the spine surgery that would take your pain away. But soon his patients started to experience complications, and the system failed to protect them. Which begs the question: who - or what - is that system meant to protect? From Wondery, the network behind the hit podcast Dirty John, Dr. Death is a story about a charming surgeon, 33 patients and a spineless system.

In the Dark, hosted by Madeleine Baran, is an award-winning investigative-journalism podcast that started in 2016. Its first season looked at the mysterious abduction of Jacob Wetterling in rural Minnesota and the lack of accountability that sheriffs face when they fail to solve cases. Season 2 examined the case of Curtis Flowers, who was tried six times for the same crime. In 2020, In the Dark released a special report on the coronavirus pandemic in the Mississippi Delta. In 2023, In the Dark joined The New Yorker and Condé Nast. “The Runaway Princesses,” a four-part series that asks why the women in Dubai’s royal family keep trying to run away, came out in January. In the Dark is a two-time Peabody Award winner and, in 2019, became the first podcast to win a George Polk Award, one of the top honors in journalism. The program has also received an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award and a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award.

The Black Tapes is a weekly podcast from the creators of Pacific Northwest Stories, and is hosted by Alex Reagan. The Black Tapes Podcast is a serialized docudrama about one journalist's search for truth, her subject's mysterious past, and the literal and figurative ghosts that haunt them both. Do you believe?

Two days after Christmas, 2011, Russ Faria came home from game night to find his wife, Betsy, dead. He was soon charged and convicted of her murder. But Russ Faria insisted he did not kill his wife. Betsy’s brutal murder set off a chain of events that would leave one man dead, another man implicated, and expose a diabolical scheme. It would also see Dateline NBC—the true-crime original—become a part of the never-ending saga that proves the old adage: Truth is stranger than fiction. This original series from Keith Morrison and Dateline defies all expectations.Listen to all episodes of The Thing About Pam now completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium to listen ad-free: DatelinePremium.com

Welcome to Oh No, Ross and Carrie, the show where we don’t just report on fringe science, spirituality, and claims of the paranormal, but take part ourselves. Follow us as we join religions, undergo alternative treatments, seek out the paranormal, and always find the humor in life's biggest mysteries. We show up - so you don’t have to.

In order to tell the story of a crime, you have to turn back time. Every season, Investigative journalist Delia D'Ambra digs deep into a mind-bending mystery with the hopes of reigniting interest in a decades old homicide case.

Crime. Investigation. Revelation. Uncover brings you explosive, high-caliber true crime year-round. From CIA mind control to serial abuse, mysterious disappearances to wrongful imprisonment. Each season features a new host who is deeply connected to the story, committed to tracking down the truth. With new episodes weekly, and over twenty seasons to choose from, Uncover represents the best in true crime.For early access to episodes, plus ad-free listening, visit apple.co/cbctruecrime.

On Buried Bones, journalist Kate Winkler Dawson and retired investigator Paul Holes dissect some of history’s most compelling true crime cases from centuries ago. Together, they explore these very old cases through a 21st century lens. With their years of expertise and knowledge of modern forensics, they reflect on how far science has come and bring new insight to old mysteries. Together, Kate and Paul have examined many cases including the 1932 Lindbergh baby kidnapping, the first time fingerprinting was used as evidence in a courtroom and a possible serial killer in 1960s Nashville. They ask, was the right person convicted or was someone wrongfully accused?See pictures, diagrams and evidence from each case on Instagram @buriedbonespod.Buried Bones is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including true crime, comedic interviews, news, science, pop culture and more. The network is home to My Favorite Murder hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, This Podcast Will Kill You, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, Tenfold More Wicked and more.

How did Larry Nassar, an Olympic gymnastics doctor, get away with abusing hundreds of women and girls for two decades? Believed is an inside look at how a team of women won a conviction in one of the largest serial sexual abuse cases in U.S. history. It's a story of survivors finding their power in a cultural moment when people are coming to understand how important that is. It's also an unnerving exploration of how even well-meaning adults can fail to believe.

Ten years ago, Malcolm Smith was the host of “Strange Air”, a successful radio show about the paranormal. One night, during a live broadcast, Malcolm vanished into thin air. To this day, no one knows what happened. Now his daughter, Chase Smith, is in her last year of film school and she’s making a documentary about her father’s disappearance.

The most important stories about money, business and power. Hosted by Kate Linebaugh and Ryan Knutson, with Jessica Mendoza. The Journal is a co-production of Spotify and The Wall Street Journal.Get show merch here: https://wsjshop.com/collections/clothing

Elon Musk is one of the most powerful men in the world. He's a billionaire, the founder of SpaceX, Tesla and more. To his followers, he's a hero; to his critics, a far-right rabble rouser. But for someone so public, there’s one part of his life that’s less well known.Elon’s Spies investigates how this free-speech champion uses private investigators and surveillance to target everyone from whistleblowers at his companies, to online critics and people in his own life. Episode 1 is available on Tuesday 8th October, with episodes releasing weekly. To get ad-free access and binge listen to all 3 episodes on Tuesday 8th October, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or by becoming a Tortoise member.You can find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.comReporter: Alexi MostrousProducer: Gary MarshallOriginal Music & Sound design: Tom KinsellaPodcast artwork: Jon Hill Executive producer: Ceri Thomas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reveal’s investigations will inspire, infuriate and inform you. Host Al Letson and an award-winning team of reporters deliver gripping stories about caregivers, advocates for the unhoused, immigrant families, warehouse workers and formerly incarcerated people, fighting to hold the powerful accountable. The New Yorker described Reveal as “a knockout … a pleasure to listen to, even as we seethe.” A winner of multiple Peabody, duPont, Emmy and Murrow awards, Reveal is produced by the nation’s first investigative journalism nonprofit, The Center for Investigative Reporting, and PRX. From unearthing exploitative working conditions to exposing the nation’s racial disparities, there’s always more to the story. Learn more at revealnews.org/learn.

Hackers, North Korea and billions of dollars. Lazarus returns – in fact, the criminals never went away. Season 2 begins at an ATM, possibly near you. With Jean Lee and Geoff White. Investigators claim a secretive, elite North Korean hacking ring, nicknamed the Lazarus Group, is responsible for the theft of billions of dollars around the globe. Pyongyang denies having anything to do with cybercrimes, saying the United States is making these allegations to try to tarnish its image. Season 1 told the stories of the Lazarus Group's alleged hacks on Sony Pictures Entertainment and Bangladesh Bank and the WannaCry ransomware attack.

Embedded, NPR's original documentary podcast, unearths the stories behind the headlines. Police shootings. Towns ravaged by opioids. The roots of our modern immigration crisis. We explore what's been sealed off, undisclosed, or never brought to light. We return with a deeply-reported portrait of why these stories, and the people behind them, matter.Who gets to compete? Since the beginning of women's sports, there has been a struggle over who qualifies for the women's category. Tested follows the unfolding story of elite female runners who have been told they can no longer race in the women's category, unless they change their biology. As the Olympics approach, they face hard choices: take drugs to lower their natural testosterone levels, give up their sport entirely, or fight. To understand how we got here, we trace the surprising, 100-year history of sex testing.Support in-depth storytelling that matters by subscribing to Embedded+ and unlock early access to new episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org/embedded

Buried deep in the past of a quiet southern town lies the legend of Billy Sunday Birt, the most dangerous man in Georgia history. A chance meeting one spring day unravels the truth behind the notorious figure and uncovers new secrets along the way."A wild tale of moonshine, murder, and mayhem" - Vulture2021 Webby Award Honoree, Podcast Limited Series

The hit horror show, The Burned Photo is back. This suspense-filled thriller tells the story of Felicia (Charmaine Bingwa, THE GOOD FIGHT) and Kira (Kat McNamara, SHADOWHUNTERS), two women, whose lives become intertwined when they discover they are being terrorized by the same multi-generational curse that is determined to end their family lineages.In Season 2 of The Burned Photo, Felicia and Kira dig deeper into the curse, discovering its connection to the mysterious 18th century sorcerer, Doctor Joachim and realizing the curse’s origin is more horrifying than they could ever imagine. Will they be able to face the Tanmitadore on their own terms or will the curse succeed in ending Felicia and Kira’s lives?Produced by QCODE and Vertigo Entertainment (IT, THE DEPARTED). Starring Charmaine Bingwa and Katherine McNamara. Season 2 Created by Nicole Exposito. Written by Jeremy Novick & Kwynn Perry. Directed by Jeremy Novick & Kwynn Perry.

Named a best podcast of 2023 by Vulture, Time, The Economist, & Vogue.No question too big, no question too small. On Search Engine, host PJ Vogt answers the kinds of questions you might ask the internet when you can't sleep. If you find the world bewildering, but also sometimes enjoy being bewildered by it, we're here for you. Edited by Sruthi Pinnamaneni.

This is South African True Crime Podcast, where I take you on a journey through one of the most dangerous countries in the world and discuss never before covered cases. With me your host and everything else, Marissa Bones Find me on Instagram @truecrime.bones Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/marissa-bones/support

Over My Dead Body is an anthology series about people who are pushed beyond their limits and do unspeakable things.Season 4: Gone Hunting - When Mike Williams vanishes on a hunting trip, the authorities presume he was eaten by alligators but one woman begins to suspect the true predators may lurk much closer to home. It sets her on a tireless crusade to uncover what really happened to Mike. A story about an obsessive love affair, a scandalous secret and a mother’s battle for justice.Listen to exclusive bonus episodes of Over My Dead Body exclusively and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/over-my-dead-body/ now.Season 3: Fox Lake - A small town cop is gunned down in a swamp in the summer of 2015. He quickly became a martyr in the national media, until a dogged investigator uncovered the officer's bizarre and dark past. When the truth comes out, the townspeople must reconcile betrayal, corruption and the secrets of an American hero.Season 2: Joe vs. Carole - Joe Exotic is a man who devoted his life to raising and breeding exotic animals, but throughout his career, he's made a lot of enemies. Most notably Carole Baskin. The feud between them gets messy, vicious, and outrageous -- until both of them are pushed far beyond their limits. To listen to Over My Dead Body Season 2: 'Joe vs. Carole' listen on Amazon Music or subscribe to Wondery+. Watch the television series based on the podcast 'Joe vs. Carole' streaming now on Peacock: smarturl.it/Joe_vs_CaroleSeason 1: Tally - When this "perfect" couple's relationship falls apart, it leads to a bad breakup, a worse divorce, and a murder case involving a menagerie of high-priced lawyers and unexpected co-conspirators.