Code Switch is apodcast from National Public Radio (NPR), and an online outlet covering race and culture.[1] Code Switch began in 2013 as ablog, and a series of stories contributed to NPR radio programs.
TheCode Switch podcast launched in 2016, hosted byGene Demby andShereen Marisol Meraji. In 2022, BA Parker joined the podcast as a co-host.[2] In 2020, in the wake of theGeorge Floyd protests, it became one of NPR's top ranked podcasts.[3] In 2020, it was named Apple's Podcast of the Year.[4]
Code Switch was launched in 2013 with a $1.5 million grant from theCorporation for Public Broadcasting; it developed as a blog and contributed stories to a variety of NPR programs.[5]Harvard'sNeiman Lab describes the project as "designed to increase coverage of race issues and reach out to new audiences" at NPR and affiliated media outlets.[6]
The blog began publishing on April 7, 2013, withGene Demby's introductory essay "How Code-Switching Explains The World".[7][8]
The outlet's name refers to the linguistic phenomenon ofcode-switching, when speaker moves between multiple languages or dialectics. Demby's introductory essay said the project construed the concept broadly, with the linguistic concept also serving as means of analyzing aspects of race and culture in identity: "Many of us subtly, reflexively change the way we express ourselves all the time. We're hop-scotching between different cultural and linguistic spaces and different parts of our own identities—sometimes within a single interaction."[9]
Harvard'sNeiman Lab described theCode Switch project as a "forward-thinking effort given the rapidly changing demographics in the U.S.[;] Code Switch has grown into a place where reporters tries to consider issues around race with nuance, whether that's the myth of thecolorblindmillennial, or going deep on the hitBroadway musicalHamilton."[10] The outlet has also drawn notice for reporting and commentary on topics ranging from sports[11] andreality television,[12] to theSupreme Court.[13]
Code Switch founder and reporterKat Chow has also described the project as especially interested in the "second beat" of a story: "If there is breaking news, we want to take a step back and see what this actually means. What is there to report on that hasn't already been said?"[14]
Team members have included Gene Demby, who is lead blogger and cohosts the podcast[15] with reporterShereen Marisol Meraji;Tasneem Raja, senior digital editor;[16] supervising senior producer Alicia Montgomery;[17] Matt Thompson[6] and Kat Chow.[18]
In May 2016, theCode Switch team launched a podcast by the same name.[19] Episodes are released weekly on Wednesdays.[20]
The Guardian characterized the podcast as "courageous conversations."[21]Wired saidCode Switch's July 14, 2016, episode "Black and Blue" offered "thoughtful conversation about race and policing."[22]Los Angeles Magazine said, "NPR's 'Code Switch' began as a popular blog, but its evolution into a podcast seems natural...it explores issues of race, culture, and politics in a personal way that flourishes in an audio format."[23]
In December 2020,Apple Podcasts announced thatCode Switch had been selected as 'Show of the Year', marking the first time that Apple Podcasts recognized a single podcast of the year.[4]
In 2021, Code Switch won an Ambie Award for Best Society and Culture Podcast.[24] In 2024, Code Switch won the Ambie Award for Best Scriptwriting, Non-fiction.[25]
