Welcome to Reflector

A show about the strange experience of being human, from the creators of The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling.

Hi, this is Andy and Matt. We’re the guys who helped create and produce shows like The Daily, The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling, Crimetown, Radiolab, Rabbit Hole, and many others.

We’ve spent much of our careers at places like The New York Times, Spotify and NPR. But now we’re striking out on our own and seeking support from the people—people like you—who care about great work as much as we do. We’re talking about the kind of stories that can change how you see the world; the kind of stories that transport you into the lives of people with perspectives different from—and even opposed to—yours; the kind of stories you can’t forget.

We hope you’ll consider supporting this work, because increasingly, the major institutions either can’t or won’t. It’s one of the reasons we’re going independent: the kind of work we do is becoming disfavored by the dominant media structure. Squeezed by an ad market that makes it difficult to fund in-depth audio journalism, the major players are largely turning away from richly reported and beautifully-crafted shows, in favor of fast-turn talk shows that are much cheaper to make. 

Shows like ours take time, care, and obsessive attention to detail. We believe in the power of long form, open-minded, curiosity-driven audio journalism.

And we think listeners do, too.

While we’ve made several hit shows—some of the most popular shows in the short history of podcasts—we’re now starting from scratch. We don’t have the power of the New York Times behind us. We don’t have an RSS feed that will help us instantly reach millions of listeners. What we do have is people who share our conviction in the importance of this work. And so, we’re coming to you, and we’re asking if you’ll be part of this mission, too. 

Today, we’re launching Reflector, the first show in what we hope will become a larger enterprise, with future series and shows to follow. It’s documentary-style storytelling, where the episodes dive into an array of subjects and debates—with a focus on the messiness of human nature. 

Episode 1: The Sea Change

You can become an original founding member of our community for $199/year. Or, early subscribers can join for just $6/month.

For the cost of your morning coffee, you can make the case for this kind of work. 

As a paid subscriber, you’ll get full access to the show, extra episodes and material, and you’ll also be in contact with us, our growing team, and others who care about this stuff as much as you do.

We’re equal parts thrilled and terrified to take this leap, and we can’t wait to build this venture alongside you. 

Our sincerest thanks,

Andy & Matt