The Times and Sunday Times refresh podcast

The Times and Sunday Times say they are refreshing and expanding their flagship daily news podcast. From Tuesday 19th March Stories of our times will become The Story.

The publisher says former Conservative leader and Foreign Secretary Lord Hague is joining the presenter line-up, alongside Manveen Rana and new host Luke Jones. Once a month William Hague will sit down with a prominent newsmaker or thinker for a special extended edition, with the first episode available later in March.

William Hague said: “I am delighted to be joining The Story. The aim is to cover a range of subjects with my interviewees, from geopolitics and the domestic political situation, to science, economics, and artificial intelligence. It will be one in-depth conversation, with the time to delve into complex issues and understand where the world is headed.”

William Hague already has an influential and popular weekly column in The Times which was highly commended in the Comment Journalism category at the latest British Journalism Awards and has been shortlisted at this year's Press Awards (winners to be announced in April), added the publisher.

The Story will have new artwork, music, and a greater focus on video and exclusive reporting. It will continue to tell one remarkable story, in depth, each day, with every episode taking listeners to the heart of the story they need to know thanks to journalism from The Times and Sunday Times.

Manveen Rana’s remit will also expand, the publisher continued. She will be deployed to create more original content and cover her own stories and investigations, which will also appear in the digital and print editions of The Times. She will go on location regularly to report for The Story and Times Radio.

In addition, presenter and journalist Luke Jones, who has previously presented shows on Times Radio, BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service, becomes permanent co-host, the publisher confirmed.

Manveen Rana said: “It's been such an adventure to be part of this podcast ever since it launched. We've had global exclusives, big investigations and we've been very lucky to win a string of awards, all while delivering a really engaging daily podcast. And, it's all about to get even better... I'm so excited by how much more we'll be able to offer. The Story will continue to provide listeners with the chance to really get under the skin of a story, but now we'll have more big interviews, and I'll be out doing more reporting and original investigations.”

Luke Jones, new host, said: “It’s a treat to be continuing to host this mighty podcast as it evolves, nipped and tucked, into The Story. Times and Sunday Times journalists know where to get a scoop and know how to tell it well, so it’s always a pleasure to hear what they’ve uncovered and get under the bonnet of how they did it. Their analysis and insight make me feel genuinely a lot more clever than I actually am.”

Tim Levell, programme director for Times Radio and head of Times podcasts, said: “The Story is a terrific shop window for the world-class journalism produced by The Times and Sunday Times. Expanding its remit and refreshing its look gives it an important update for this busy and vital election year. William Hague joining the presenter line-up is the icing on the cake. His monthly episodes will be an absolute must-listen.”

The Times and Sunday Times say they launched their daily news podcast in March 2020, with nearly half of the audience being 18-34 years old and new audiences to journalism from The Times. The Story will be available to listen on all podcast platforms.

The Times and Sunday Times are growing their portfolio of podcasts known for original reporting, engaging interviews and authentic insights, added the publisher. Last year saw the launch of How To Win An Election, with Peter Mandelson, Daniel Finkelstein and Polly Mackenzie in weekly conversation with host and Times Radio presenter Matt Chorley.

In October 2023 The Times partnered with Apple Podcasts to provide subscribers with bonus and exclusive podcast content when they connect their subscription to the Apple Podcasts app.

The publisher says this linked subscription provides extensive audio content, including bonus weekly episodes of The Times: The Story and Politics without the boring bits, alongside bonus monthly episodes of Off Air with Jane Garvey & Fi Glover. Plus, three Times Radio shows - The Ladder with Cathy Newman, Mariella Meets and Times Radio Today - will be made available for subscribers to listen to on demand. This includes access to a rich bank of archive episodes and interviews.