Up First

Up First is NPR’s daily news podcast, launched in 2017 to deliver the day’s top stories in a concise, roughly 10 to 15 minute format. It has grown into one of the most-listened-to podcasts in the United States.

Origins & Launch

Up First was developed by the team behind NPR’s long-running Morning Edition program and debuted on April 5, 2017. It was created to give listeners a quick, audio-first way to catch up on the day’s biggest stories each morning.

Rise to Popularity

The show built a large following by pairing NPR’s reporting resources with a tightly produced, weekday-morning format released before 6 a.m. ET. It became a fixture of NPR’s podcast lineup and one of the most downloaded news podcasts in the country.

Show Format & History

Each weekday episode covers the three biggest stories of the day with reporting and analysis from NPR journalists, drawing on the network’s domestic and international bureaus. A weekend edition, also produced by NPR, airs Saturdays and Sundays in a similar format hosted by Ayesha Rascoe and Scott Simon. Weekday hosts have included Leila Fadel, Steve Inskeep, Michel Martin, and A Martínez.

How It Generates Revenue

As a production of NPR, a nonprofit media organization, Up First is funded through corporate sponsorship messages read on air, listener donations to NPR member stations, and NPR+ subscriptions that offer bonus content and ad-free listening.

On-Air Team

The show’s rotating host lineup draws from NPR’s roster of veteran journalists, several of whom also anchor NPR’s flagship Morning Edition and Weekend Edition broadcasts.

Up First remains one of NPR’s flagship podcasts, built on decades of public radio journalism and a format designed for listeners who want the news in minutes rather than hours.