Radio Catskill Speaks with NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly About Her New Podcast “Sources & Methods”

Radio Catskill recently welcomed NPR’s All Things Considered co-host Mary Louise Kelly to discuss her latest project — a weekly podcast called Sources & Methods with Mary Louise Kelly. The new series, published every Thursday, takes listeners inside the world of national security reporting, offering insights that go beyond the daily headlines.

A New Lens on Global Security

Kelly explained that the idea for the podcast grew out of two realities: the rapidly shifting world order and the depth of NPR’s reporting bench. “We do see the world order shifting in real time… I, along with everybody else, am trying to figure out what is happening, why it’s happening, how much it matters, and what it means to me,” she said.

With correspondents stationed at the Pentagon, State Department, and across NPR’s global bureaus, Sources & Methods allows reporters to share what they’re learning directly from the field. As Kelly put it, “It’s reporters who’ve been out and they dash back to tell me, ‘Here’s what I just saw this morning. Here’s why it matters.’”

Why a Podcast, and Why Now?

Unlike the polished, tightly edited reports on NPR’s daily programs, Sources & Methods is unscripted and conversational. Listeners hear not only what correspondents know, but also what they’re still working to uncover.

“All Sources & Methods is unscripted,” Kelly said. “You’ll hear us asking the same questions that are on many of our minds about a headline: Help me understand what it means. Help me understand why it matters.”

This approach provides transparency into the reporting process, offering a candid look at the threads journalists pull — the calls that go unanswered, the sources that whisper off-the-record, and the moments of uncertainty that rarely make it into a finished broadcast story.

Balancing Washington and the Wider World

Kelly also emphasized the importance of countering Washington’s dominance in the news cycle. “There’s a whole big old world out there that is still spinning and countries are getting on with their own priorities. Sometimes those align with America’s and sometimes they really don’t.”

By weaving in voices from NPR’s global network, the podcast reminds listeners that national security stories aren’t just about U.S. politics, but about human experiences — from surgeons working near Ukraine’s front lines to intelligence officials navigating global crises.

Looking Ahead

Listeners can expect conversations with a range of guests, from foreign correspondents to figures like a former CIA station chief in Moscow, a former head of Mossad, and U.S. senators shaping intelligence policy.

Kelly is excited about the flexibility to dive deeper: “We will share a longer, more free-flowing interview where you’ll hear all the follow-ups and digressions down rabbit holes. That is exciting — to bring voices who want to be in this space because they know other people in the national security world are listening.”

Sources & Methods with Mary Louise Kelly is available now, with new episodes every Thursday.

Image: Mary Louise Kelly is a co-host of All Things Considered, NPR’s award-winning afternoon newsmagazine and the host of NPR’s national security podcast, Sources & Methods. (Credit: Mike Mordan/NPR)