This American Life

This American Life

File:This American Life logo.svg Logo used since 2014
Company type	Radio program, podcast
Industry	Broadcasting, podcasting
Founded	November 17, 1995 (1995-11-17)
Founder	Ira Glass, Torey Malatia (co-founder)
Headquarters	Chicago , United States
Area served	United States, international
Key people	Ira Glass (host, executive producer)
Products	Radio program, podcast
Owner	Ira Glass (full ownership since 2015)
Parent	Chicago Public Media
Website	www.thisamericanlife.org

This American Life is a weekly, hour-long radio program originating from the United States, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media and hosted by Ira Glass. It is broadcast on numerous public radio stations across the U.S. and internationally, and is also accessible as a free weekly podcast. While primarily focused on journalistic non-fiction, the show incorporates essays, memoirs, field recordings, short fiction, and found footage. The inaugural episode aired on November 17, 1995, under the original title Your Radio Playhouse. Until June 2014, distribution was managed by Public Radio International, after which the program transitioned to self-distribution with new episodes delivered to stations via Public Radio Exchange.

A television version was broadcast for two seasons on the Showtime cable channel from June 2007 through May 2008.

Format

Each episode revolves around a central theme explored through multiple "acts," although occasionally only a single act is presented. These acts are created by both staff members and freelance contributors. The program typically opens with host Ira Glass delivering a prologue that introduces the theme, followed by the first act. The content varies extensively and often employs first-person storytelling, with tones ranging from ironic to contemplative. The show frequently tackles subjects related to current affairs and human behavior. Approximately 80% of interviews conducted are not used, as producers seek stories told in a distinctive manner.

The closing credits are read by Glass, who includes a humorous sound bite taken out of context attributed to co-founder and former WBEZ general manager Torey Malatia. Contractually, Glass must mention WBEZ (and formerly PRI) three times during each broadcast.

History

In the early 1990s, Ira Glass co-hosted Chicago's The Wild Room but was in search of fresh radio opportunities. In 1995, the MacArthur Foundation granted $150,000 to WBEZ's Torey Malatia to develop a show spotlighting local writers. Malatia approached Glass, who countered with a request for $300,000 to produce a weekly national program based on a different concept. Glass did not involve his co-host in these plans, which caused some friction.

The program premiered as Your Radio Playhouse on WBEZ on November 17, 1995. Glass crafted a format consisting of "acts" that included documentaries, monologues, conversations, and found audio recordings. He took on the role of executive producer. In March 1996, the show was renamed This American Life and began national syndication through Public Radio International (PRI) in June of that year. Chicago Public Media produced the series on an initial budget of $243,000 covering studio expenses, marketing, satellite transmission fees, staff salaries, and freelance contributions.

Initially, Glass commissioned stories from artists and journalists; over time, the emphasis shifted toward journalistic storytelling featuring characters and narrative arcs. The program also airs on Sirius XM Satellite Radio and ranked among the most downloaded podcasts on iTunes during the early 2010s.

Early critical reception was favorable; in 1998, Mother Jones described it as "hip" and literary. Glass promoted the show by producing pledge drive advertisements himself. By 1999, it was broadcast on 325 public radio stations nationwide; around this period Rhino Records released a greatest hits compilation CD.

Starting in January 2011, CBC Radio One began airing the program in Canada with minor edits to accommodate newscasts and commercial-free broadcasting standards.

In January 2012, an episode titled "Mr. Daisey and the Apple Factory," which featured excerpts from Mike Daisey's theatrical performance about working conditions at Foxconn factories in China, became one of the show's most downloaded episodes with nearly 900,000 downloads. After uncovering fabrications in Daisey's narrative, This American Life withdrew the episode in March 2012, canceled related live events, and dedicated an episode to exposing the inaccuracies. Although Daisey issued an apology, he declined to fully admit to all falsehoods.

Shortly thereafter, three episodes featuring journalist Stephen Glass were removed due to resurfaced concerns about questionable content online. While these segments were excised from podcast versions, transcripts remain accessible.

In 2015, another story concerning political canvassers was retracted following the withdrawal of its source article published in Science.

In March 2014, PRI announced it would cease distributing This American Life; by May of that year, Glass revealed that self-distribution would begin with technical assistance from Public Radio Exchange.

On October 1, 2014, the spinoff podcast Serial debuted as an investigative series spanning an entire season. In 2015, Glass acquired full ownership of This American Life, while WBEZ continued as production partner for both programs.

In 2017, This American Life introduced the podcast S-Town through Serial Productions. The New York Times Company purchased Serial Productions in 2020; together they produced podcasts such as Nice White Parents (2020) and The Improvement Association (2021).

Production

During a 2014 interview, Glass explained the technology and tools utilized in creating the program. The production team captures interviews using Marantz PMD661 digital audio recorders paired with Audio Technica AT835b shotgun microphones. Following the recording phase, Glass employs a narrative structuring method he learned from journalist Paul Tough, where he marks standout moments prior to transcribing and arranging quotes into a coherent storyline.

Editing the stories is a collaborative process involving feedback from multiple producers.

Distinguished guests such as Canadian author Malcolm Gladwell and Michael Paterniti—who usually command substantial fees—have accepted payments as low as $200 daily to participate. The show has been instrumental in advancing the literary careers of contributors including Sarah Vowell, David Rakoff, and David Sedaris.

For live performances that blend both live and pre-recorded content, Glass shifted from traditional equipment like a mixing console and CD players to an iPad Mini running TouchAble software. This setup controls Ableton Live on his MacBook Air, which connects to venue sound systems through the headphone output.

Each year, the program offers two six-month fellowships aimed at journalists interested in mastering its storytelling approach. Prominent alumni include Emmanuel Dzotsi (co-host of Serial season 3), BA Parker (host of NPR’s Code Switch), Brian Reed (host of S-Town), Ari Saperstein (host of Blind Landing), investigative journalist Jessica Lussenhop at ProPublica, along with current staff members Dana Chivvis, Phia Bennin, Aviva DeKornfeld, and Safiyah Riddle.

Music

TAL episodes incorporate music, with certain tracks featured between segments and credited in episode notes, while others function as thematic underscoring without explicit acknowledgment. Jonathan Menjivar, serving as producer and music supervisor, has curated hundreds of songs woven into narratives—sometimes including multiple pieces per segment. Due to their extensive integration, pinpointing individual tracks has often proven difficult.

Critical reception

From its earliest broadcasts, the show received favorable critiques. Marc Fisher of American Journalism Review praised its production style for fostering "a sense of ease, informality and direct, unfiltered access," describing this atmosphere as "liberating." David Stewart from Current remarked on the intensive labor behind production and lauded most stories as effective and memorable, characterizing the program as "kinky, clever," and "compelling."

Some criticism has emerged; for example, Andrew J Bottomley in 2020 noted that the show mainly appeals to a "predominantly white, upper-middle-class, educated audience" and often adopts a "didactic" tone by drawing moral lessons from others' experiences for listeners.

Listenership

By 1999, This American Life was broadcast on 332 public radio stations with an audience exceeding 800,000 weekly listeners. By 2019, its broadcast reach expanded to 2.2 million weekly listeners, supplemented by a podcast audience numbering 3.6 million.

Awards

WBEZ-FM received Peabody Awards in both 1996 and 2006 for TAL, recognized for "capturing contemporary culture in fresh and inventive ways" through a blend of monologues, dramas, fiction, and documentary storytelling.

In 2020, This American Life became the first news program awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting for episode 688, titled "The Out Crowd," which explored the personal consequences of the Trump Administration's 'Remain in Mexico' immigration policy.

The episode "The Giant Pool of Money," originally aired on May 9, 2008, was selected in March 2021 by the Library of Congress for preservation within the National Recording Registry, marking it as the first podcast episode to receive this honor.

Award	Year	Category	Recipient	Result
Writers Guild Awards	2024	Radio/Audio Documentary	Episode 809: The Call	Won
Pulitzer Prize	2020	Audio Reporting	Episode 688: The Out Crowd	Won
Livingston Award	2002	National Reporting	Episode 204: 81 Words	Won
Scripps Howard Foundation	2013	Jack R. Howard Award	Serial	Won
	2004	Electronic Media	Episode 266: I'm From the Private Sector and I'm Here to Help	Won
Edward R. Murrow Award	2016	News Documentary	Episode 570: The Night in Question	Won
	2016	Continuing Coverage	Episode 554: Not It!	Won
	2011	News Documentary	Episode 398: Long Shot	Won
	2005	News Documentary	Episode 266: I'm From the Private Sector and I'm Here to Help	Won
Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award	1999	Broadcast Journalism	Episode 103: Scenes from a Transplant	Won
	2007	Broadcast Journalism	Episode 322: Shouting Across The Divide	Won
	2009	Broadcast Journalism	Episode 355: The Giant Pool of Money	Won
	2014	Broadcast Journalism	Episodes 487/488: Harper High School Parts 1 & 2	Won
	2016	Broadcast Journalism	"Serial"	Won
	2018	Broadcast Journalism	Episode 600: Will I Know Anyone At This Party?	Won

Award	Year	Category	Recipient	Result

2007		Episode 321: Sink or Swim	Won	citation needed
2008	Best Radio Reporting	Episode 355: The Giant Pool of Money	Won
2001	Best New Artist	Episode 186: Prom	Won	citation needed
1996	Podcast & Radio	This American Life	Won

Television

The concept of adapting This American Life (TAL) for television dates back to 1999. Initially, the creative team was hesitant to proceed due to concerns over the show's format and financial implications, leading them to reject early proposals. However, in January 2006, Showtime approved a six-episode series inspired by TAL. Each 30-minute installment, hosted by Ira Glass, revolved around a central theme and featured first-person narratives and storytelling.

To manage production costs, Glass along with four producers moved from Chicago to New York City, where Showtime is headquartered. By January 2007, filming for the debut season was finished, with the premiere set for March 22. The original agreement spanned 30 episodes across four years; nevertheless, after completing two seasons, Glass and the production team opted to step back from television due to the intense workload. The series remains on "hiatus," with potential for future special episodes.

One notable episode, "The Anatomy of Doubt," which drew on investigations by ProPublica and The Marshall Project, was transformed into the Netflix limited series Unbelievable.

Film

Numerous films have found their origins in stories featured on TAL. In 2002, the program secured a lucrative contract with Warner Bros. granting the studio two years of "first-look" access to its extensive story library. Among the films resulting from this deal is Unaccompanied Minors (2006), directed by Paul Feig and adapted from a "Babysitting" segment; both Ira Glass and producer Julie Snyder served as executive producers. In 2008, Spike Lee obtained rights to Ronald Mallett's memoir showcased in "My Brilliant Plan." Potential projects under Warner Bros include adaptations of "Niagara," "Wonder Woman," and "Act V," while Paramount Pictures and Broadway Video collaborated on bringing Curly Oxide and Vic Thrill, from the episode "My Experimental Phase," to the screen.

Episode 168, titled "The Fix Is In," inspired screenwriter Scott Burns to adapt Kurt Eichenwald's book about executive and FBI informant Mark Whitacre into the film The Informant, directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Matt Damon. Although This American Life did not receive financial compensation from the film, Ira Glass commended its accuracy in portraying real events.

The segment "Fear of Sleep" from episode 361 featured an excerpt from Mike Birbiglia's solo show, which led Glass to partner with Birbiglia on the film Sleepwalk with Me, premiering at Sundance in 2012 to widespread critical praise.

In 2011, Walt Disney Pictures announced plans to adapt the 2009 episode "The Girlfriend Equation" into a feature film. The 2018 movie Come Sunday was derived from a 2005 story about preacher Carlton Pearson. In 2019, Lulu Wang turned her autobiographical narrative from the 2016 episode "In Defense of Ignorance" into The Farewell. That same year saw the release of Ode to Joy, adapted from Chris Higgins's TAL story "I've Fallen in Love and I Can't Get Up."

Live tours

Since 2000, This American Life has embarked on three tours, with recordings from these events subsequently edited into broadcast episodes. Several shows incorporate live-recorded segments.

• The 1998 recording titled "Music Lessons" took place at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and featured contributions from performers such as Sarah Vowell, David Sedaris, and Anne Lamott, alongside musical performances by students from the San Francisco Unified School District and others.
• "What Are You Looking At?," recorded in December 1998 at The Town Hall (New York City), showcased appearances by Sarah Vowell, David Rakoff, and music performed by They Might Be Giants.
• The 1999 "Advice" tour included recordings made in Seattle and during HBO's U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, featuring talents like Sarah Vowell, Dan Savage, Cheryl Trykv, as well as music from the Black Cat Orchestra.
• In December 2000, "Birthdays, Anniversaries and Milestones" was recorded across multiple cities—Boston, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles—with appearances by Sarah Vowell, Russell Banks, David Rakoff, Ian Brown, and the band OK Go.
• May 2003's "Lost in America" was recorded in several cities including performances by Sarah Vowell, Davy Rothbart, and Jonathan Goldstein. The accompanying band for this tour was led by Jon Langford of the Mekons.
• Early 2007’s tour titled "What I Learned from Television" spanned six cities under Jane Feltes's direction. Performers included David Rakoff, Sarah Vowell, John Hodgman, Dan Savage, Jonathan Goldstein, and filmmaker Chris Wilcha. House bands featured were primarily Mates of State with OK Go appearing during the Los Angeles show.

Digital cinema

On May 1, 2008, This American Life marked a milestone as the first prominent public media program to release a one-hour episode via digital cinema, titled This American Life – Live! This presentation was exclusive to select theaters and utilized National CineMedia's Fathom platform, in collaboration with BY Experience, Chicago Public Radio, and Public Radio International.

Additional theatrical screenings featured:

• April 23, 2009: This American Life – Live! Returning to the Scene of the Crime, showcasing Mike Birbiglia, Starlee Kine, Dan Savage, David Rakoff, and Joss Whedon.
• May 10, 2012: Invisible Made Visible, including contributions from David Sedaris, David Rakoff, Tig Notaro, Ryan Knighton, and Mike Birbiglia (who also collaborated with Terry Gross on a short film).
• June 7, 2014: The Radio Drama Episode, starring Carin Gilfry, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mike Birbiglia, Joshua Bearman, and Sasheer Zamata; this episode aired on radio and as a podcast on June 20, 2014.

Podcast

Between 1998 and 2005, the program was accessible online through free RealAudio streaming and DRM-protected downloads via Audible.com for $4 per episode. Early 2006 saw the introduction of MP3 files streamed through a proprietary Flash player. As headphone usage grew among listeners, the production team enhanced audio mixing and editing quality.

Since October 2006, episodes have been available via a complimentary podcast feed released Sundays at 8 p.m. ET. Radio stations maintain a 43-hour exclusivity period before episodes are made publicly accessible. After one week, MP3 links are removed from the feed; however, older installments remain streamable on the website or can be purchased individually from Apple's iTunes Store for $0.95 each.

The show employs a minimalistic digital rights management approach based on obscurity combined with legal enforcement. Although episodes disappear from the RSS feed after seven days, they remain hosted on the server for those with direct URLs. Unauthorized podcast feeds linking directly to these files have been taken down following actions by Public Radio International.

By 2012, average podcast downloads per episode reached approximately 750,000.

Mobile apps

In February 2010, Public Radio Exchange released a mobile application on Apple's iTunes Store that provided MP3 access to the podcast.

October 2016 saw the launch of Shortcut by This American Life, an app allowing users to share brief audio segments (up to 30 seconds) on social media, akin to GIFs. Developed under Stephanie Foo's leadership with programmers Courtney Stanton and Darius Kazemi of Feel Train, Shortcut presents audio alongside transcriptions initially drawn from This American Life's archives. The software was made available as open-source software for use by other audio projects.

Other media

Certain episodes offer multimedia downloads via This American Life's official site—for example, a rendition of Elton John's "Rocket Man" featured in episode 223 titled "Classifieds."

Four two-disc CD compilations highlighting favorite segments have been issued: Lies, Sissies, and Fiascoes: The Best of This American Life (1999), Crimebusters + Crossed Wires (2003), Davy Rothbart: This American Life (2004), and Stories of Hope and Fear (2006).

In 1999, cartoonist Jessica Abel collaborated with Ira Glass to produce a 32-page comic book called Radio: An Illustrated Guide (ISBN 0-9679671-0-4), which explores the show's production process.

December 2011 featured a special section in The New York Times Magazine titled "These American Lives," curated by Glass alongside the show's team.

Cultural impact

Marc Fisher writing for American Journalism Review characterized the program as instrumental in transforming American journalism. Andrew Bottomley described it as "the prototype of contemporary US feature-documentary style."

As an early adopter of podcasting technology, This American Life played a pivotal role in establishing storytelling as an industry. Steph Harmon of The Guardian credits it with igniting a revolution in public radio and popularizing podcast formats.

Depictions in the media

The show has been referenced across various television series and films. It appeared in a 2018 episode of The Big Bang Theory and was mentioned in The O.C.. Ira Glass responded positively to this mention during a live tour episode in 2007.

Comedian Mike Birbiglia referenced Glass during his 2017 stand-up special 'Thank God for Jokes'.

Parodies include a satirical piece by The Onion in 2007, a 2011 YouTube spoof titled "This American Laugh," and Fred Armisen's impersonation of Glass on Saturday Night Live, which was initially cut due to insufficient fame but later aired on TAL. In 2013, the parody podcast That American Life launched on iTunes.

Fictional representations include NPR host Maury Kind in Orange Is the New Black, who was inspired by Glass.

Glass himself has made cameo appearances portraying himself in films such as 2014's Veronica Mars, television shows including The Simpsons, American Dad!, and 30 Rock, as well as animated series like Bojack Horseman. Additionally, members of the show's staff appeared in the season four premiere of HBO's High Maintenance.

External links

• SerialPodcast.org, official site for Serial'
• STownPodcast.org, official site for the S Town podcast