Sam Sanders
Sam Sanders is a correspondent and host of It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders at NPR. In the show, Sanders engages with journalists, actors, musicians, and listeners to gain the kind of understanding about news and popular culture that can only be reached through conversation. The podcast releases two episodes each week: a "deep dive" interview on Tuesdays, as well as a Friday wrap of the week's news.
Previously, as a key member of NPR's election unit, Sam covered the intersection of culture, pop culture, and politics in the 2016 election, and embedded with the Bernie Sanders campaign for several months. He was also one of the original co-hosts of NPR's Politics Podcast, which launched in 2015.
Sanders joined NPR in 2009 as a Kroc Fellow, and since then has worn many hats within the organization, including field producer and breaking news reporter. He's spent time at three Member stations as well: WUNC in North Carolina, Oregon Public Broadcasting, and WBUR in Boston, as an intern for On Point.
Sanders graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School in 2009 with a master's degree in public policy, with a focus on media and politics. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas, with a double major in political science and music.
In his free time, Sanders runs, eats bacon, and continues his love/hate relationship with Twitter.
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Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Lizzo playing James Madison's flute, Usher's thirst traps, and more. -
Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Horror in the High Desert, Emily the Criminal, and more. -
Janet Jackson's Control turns 35 this week. NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Sam Sanders of It's Been A Minute, who investigated the album's making and legacy to commemorate the anniversary.
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When Pride month comes, there's always a debate about who belongs. NPR's Sam Sanders talks with writer and commentator Roxane Gay about the arguments over who pride is for.
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The insurrection at the Capitol was just the latest chapter in America's ongoing battle over race, writes NPR host Sam Sanders. "Once you see it as such," he says, "it all makes a lot more sense." -
A record number of Black actors have received Emmy nominations this year. American actor and singer Billy Porter talked with NPR about his work on Pose and his feelings about this moment.
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In the midst of a pandemic, protests and racial unrest, best-selling author James McBride tells NPR's It's Been A Minute he is hopeful that Americans can come together.
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On this day in 2008, in the heat of the presidential campaign, Barack Obama gave a major speech on race. But it sounds very different now given how cultural attitudes have changed over 12 years.
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Hailed as a neo-soul smash in 2000, D'Angelo's Voodoo now feels decades more lived-in than its peers. The album's engineer, Russell Elevado, says sounding "old" became the key to sounding timeless. -
A close look at Occupy Wall Street reveals a lasting legacy. Occupy lasted barely three months, and was messy and disorganized, but had a profound effect on the conversation in the Democratic Party.
