“Scene on Radio” from the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University, John Biewen, and PRX to Launch “Capitalism,” A New Podcast Series
“My hope is that ‘Capitalism’ can contribute to a more informed and productive conversation about our economic system and the world we want to create together”
In past seasons, the acclaimed podcast Scene on Radio has explored complex social issues such as race, patriarchy, and democracy. Now, a new season premiering June 26 will focus on a topic its creator John Biewen says is threaded through all its previous ones.
“Capitalism” unravels the history of our current economic system and speculates on its future — including whether or not it has one — on a planet with widening wealth gaps and ecological systems driven to the point of collapse.
Biewen, a journalist and audio producer, created Scene on Radio in 2015. In its Peabody Award-nominated second season, “Seeing White,” he began structuring the podcast around pressing social issues — and the ways they’re rooted in systems and ideologies constructed over centuries by people with power. Despite how insurmountable these problems seem, Scene on Radio seeks to offer listeners new ways forward:
“More and more people — especially young people — are coming to see capitalism as the problem, not the solution,” says Biewen. “But for many folks who are unhappy about the current economic reality, there’s little sense of what an alternative might look like. My hope is that ‘Capitalism’ can contribute to a more informed and productive conversation about our economic system and the world we want to create together.”
“This series is about values,” says Biewen’s co-host, Design Observer Editor in Chief Ellen McGirt. “We want everyone to be part of the conversation about what our economy should look like. That includes corporate leaders, many of whom are thinking about these issues, too.”
“Capitalism” interweaves interviews with experts, on-the-ground recordings, and Biewen and McGirt’s conversations into its sweeping storytelling. Through its carefully researched and immersing narrative, listeners learn how capitalism arose in a global context and how people have theorized, shaped, defended, and challenged it from its beginnings to the present day.
Biewen and McGirt say that it’s not possible to look at the state of capitalism today without wondering: “Is this the best we can do?” They conclude the season by exploring real-world alternatives.
“Capitalism” is produced by the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University in partnership with Imperative 21 and is brought to listeners with public media organization PRX.
Scene on Radio is available on all major podcast distribution platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Pocket Casts, and Overcast.
About PRX
Celebrating more than 20 years as a nonprofit public media company, PRX works in partnership with leading independent creators, organizations, and stations to bring meaningful audio storytelling into millions of listeners’ lives. PRX is one of the world’s top podcast publishers, public radio distributors, and audio producers, serving as an engine of innovation for public media and podcasting to help shape a vibrant future for creative and journalistic audio. Shows across PRX’s portfolio of broadcast productions, podcast partners, and its Radiotopia podcast network have received recognition from the Peabody Awards, the Tribeca Festival, the International Documentary Association, the National Magazine Awards, and more, including in 2022 when Futuro Media and PRX won a Pulitzer Prize.
