Hey, NJ is a podcast for New Jerseyans who want to know things. In this weekly podcast, we’ll focus on three keys: affordability, accessibility and accountability.
We’ll talk property taxes, NJ politics and just what’s happening in NJ... since there’s no shortage of headlines.
How faith and religion can help foster connection amid U.S. loneliness epidemic | Hey, NJ
Hey NJ! This week, we're talking about the nation's loneliness epidemic.
In May 2023, then-Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory that revealed about half of U.S. adults reported experiencing loneliness.
As part of NJ PBS' "A Matter of Faith" series, podcast host Manya Brachear Pashman explored what it means to feel alone and how faith, religion and spirituality are driving both the science of belonging and the surprising ways that people are forming meaningful bonds. On this episode of "Hey, NJ," Brachear Pashman shares what she learned talking to medical professionals, community builders and clergy members about rediscovering genuine connection.
Listen to "A Matter of Faith"
We want to hear from you! What stories should we be covering? What questions should we be asking? Let us know! Send an email to underthedome@njspotlightnews.org.
5 Jun 2026
Capturing conflict: NJ photojournalists detail what they saw outside Delaney Hall | Hey, NJ
Hey, NJ! This week, we’re talking about the recent confrontations outside Delaney Hall.
The scene outside the Newark immigrant detention center captured national attention over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, when tensions hit a boiling point between protesters and ICE agents over detainees' hunger and labor strike.
The tension grew the following weekend, when peaceful protestors were joined by crowds showing support for ICE agents. Gov. Mikie Sherrill dispatched state troopers to Newark, while Mayor Ras Baraka ordered city officers to patrol the scene and instituted a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew within a half-mile radius of Delaney. More than 60 people were arrested, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
Hosts Maddi Ference and John P. McAlpin are joined by photojournalists Tom Franklin and Esteban Marenco, who covered the unrest outside Delaney Hall for NJ News Wire, a network of local journalism outlets that is supported by the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University. Franklin and Marenco discuss what goes into capturing powerful images in breaking news stories, staying safe when photographing protests and how the rules of covering conflict have evolved over the years.
We want to hear from you! What stories should we be covering? What questions should we be asking? Let us know! Send an email to underthedome@njspotlightnews.org.
27 May 2026
Saving lives in Paterson NJ, one kiosk at a time | Hey, NJ
Hey, NJ! This week, we're talking about a new harm reduction initiative in Paterson.
Black Lives Matter Paterson recently unveiled five naloxone kiosks around the city as part of a growing around-the-clock initiative. Each kiosk is stocked with roughly 50 boxes of naloxone — the opioid-reversal medication also known by the brand name Narcan — and offers first aid particularly when help isn’t available from harm reduction centers.
Hosts Maddi Ference and John P. McAlpin are joined by mental health writer Raven Santana and Zellie Thomas, an organizer with BLM Paterson, to discuss the initiative, the importance of community-driven work in combatting the opioid crisis and how BLM Paterson works to break the stigma around addiction.
We want to hear from you! What stories should we be covering? What questions should we be asking? Let us know! Send an email to underthedome@njspotlightnews.org.
Who has been a guest on Hey, NJ
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Raven Santana
John Reitmeyer
Lilo H Stainton
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 31 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
49
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
Contact Hey, NJ
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about Hey, NJ
Who hosts Hey, NJ?
John P McAlpin and Maddi Ference host the show. Published by NJ Spotlight News.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Hey, NJ take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
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