Listener sentiment
The Story continues to earn strong loyalty from a core audience that values its daily in-depth reporting on global affairs, with Manveen Rana's voice and presentation remaining a frequently cited strength and listeners praising the breadth of topics and accessible yet rigorous journalism. Recent positive reviews highlight standout investigative series and the show's consistent pacing, while longer-tenured listeners describe it as a daily habit they rely on. Friction points, however, are persistent and recurring: reviewers across the political spectrum object to what they see as one-sided or biased coverage of contentious topics — particularly Israel-Gaza, gender identity debates, and domestic politics — and a contingent of low ratings from both left- and right-leaning listeners reflects this divide rather than a single directional complaint. Ad load remains a noted frustration, with several reviewers finding the volume and delivery of advertisements intrusive. Smaller but recurring critiques target pronunciation and diction lapses from guest contributors, occasional episodes perceived as rushed or unoriginal, and format choices that some find patronising. The overall picture is of a well-regarded news podcast whose reputation for quality journalism is firm among its engaged base, but whose editorial choices on polarising subjects consistently generate vocal dissent from listeners on multiple sides.
Apple3.6 · 324
Summary generated Jul 28, 2026