Barack Obama Launches New Podcast as Former Presidents Expand Media Empire
Former President Barack Obama is heading back to the microphone.
He announced a new six-episode podcast titled “A Great Book With Barack Obama.”
The series is set to debut next month.
Obama said the project aims to address something he believes Americans struggle to find time for: sitting down with a book.
“At a time when fewer people are able to sit down with a book, it’s important to remember the joy and power that can come from reading,” he wrote in his announcement.
He added that some books “don’t just tell a story — they change the way we see the world.”
Each episode will focus on one book that influenced his thinking on politics, faith, race, and American life.
The six selected titles are James Baldwin’s “The Fire Next Time,” Toni Morrison’s “Song of Solomon,” Cormac McCarthy’s “All the Pretty Horses,” Marilynne Robinson’s “Gilead,” Robert Penn Warren’s “All the King’s Men,” and John le Carré’s “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.”
Obama plans to invite guests to discuss why these books still matter and what readers can take from them today.
The full guest list has not been released.
“I invited some friends to explore why these books resonate, how they can shape our understanding of ourselves and each other, and why literature matters now more than ever,” he said.
Several of the books touch on themes Obama often highlighted during and after his presidency, including race, political power, and national identity.
He had a personal connection to Toni Morrison, awarding her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 and later calling her a “good friend” after her death in 2019.
The podcast will be distributed through Audible and produced with Higher Ground, the media company founded by Barack and Michelle Obama in 2018.
This is the latest project under the Higher Ground banner.
The company previously partnered with Audible on Michelle Obama’s 11-episode series “Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast.”
Barack Obama also recently worked with Malcolm Gladwell on an eight-part series called “Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise.”
Higher Ground has expanded far beyond podcasts.
It has produced the Oscar-winning documentary “American Factory,” the Netflix film “Leave the World Behind,” and the biographical drama “Rustin.”
The Obamas have steadily built a large media portfolio since leaving the White House in 2017.
Books have long been part of Barack Obama’s public image.
He regularly issues summer reading lists and year-end recommendations for books, movies, and music.
This new podcast takes that tradition further by dedicating full episodes to individual works instead of short lists.
While former presidents turn their attention to media deals and cultural projects, the current administration under President Trump continues focusing on concrete results for the American people.
Border security, economic strength, and restoring common sense remain the priorities in Washington.
Obama’s selections span different decades and styles, from political novels to Western fiction and Cold War spy stories.
The series is scheduled to begin next month.
The remaining major question is who will join him as guests on the episodes.
As more details emerge, the project adds another chapter to the Obamas’ growing post-presidency media presence.
Benjamin Harris is a RapidReports front page contributor and editor,proud father of four.
