Plain English with Derek Thompson
Hosted by Derek Thompson · The Ringer
4.6from 7,864 ratings
- 417
- Episodes
- 222
- Transcribed
- 7,864
- Ratings
- Weekly
- Cadence
- 2021
- First episode
About Plain English with Derek Thompson
Longtime Atlantic tech, culture and political writer Derek Thompson cuts through all the noise surrounding the big questions and headlines that matter to you in his new podcast Plain English. Watch Derek and guests engage the news with clear viewpoints and memorable takeaways. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday, and if you've got a topic you want discussed, shoot us an email at plainenglish@spotify.com! Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@PlainEnglishwithDerekThompson
- Publisher
- The Ringer
- Category
- news
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 11 Nov 2021
- Latest episode
- 6 Nov 2026
Latest episodes
222 of 417 episodes have a transcript.
6 Nov 2026TRANSCRIPT
The Six Lessons of the 2026 Midterms
3 Nov 2026TRANSCRIPT
The Midterms and the End of the Boomer Political Era
30 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
The Netflix Crisis Isn’t What It Seems
Inside a recent episode
The Six Lessons of the 2026 Midterms
Published 6 Nov 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] And I think you have to start asking about the really big all-time landslides as being the next comparisons. I don't think this is really comparable to 1964 or 1936 or something like that. I think it's in a tier below that still. The Democrats were winning by 20 in those elections. […]
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See plansWho has been a guest on Plain English with Derek Thompson
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
- Nate Cohn
- Saagar Enjeti
- Matt Belloni
- Will MacAskill
- Ara Kharazian
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 4.7 / 5
- 2,162 ratings
- Spotify
- 4.6 / 5
- 5,702 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 64 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
- Quality
- 89
- Social presence
- 0
- YouTube
- 0
- Engagement
- 99
Contact Plain English with Derek Thompson
- Guest appearances
- Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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Questions about Plain English with Derek Thompson
Who hosts Plain English with Derek Thompson?
Derek Thompson host the show. Published by The Ringer.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Plain English with Derek Thompson take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Where can I read transcripts?
222 of 417 episodes have a transcript on Pod Engine. Full transcripts are available with a Pod Engine plan.
Host of Plain English with Derek Thompson?
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