Today marks the launch of the National Security Agency’s (NSA) official podcast. Yes, one of America’s most secretive government agencies is getting a spot on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all the rest in the form of No Such Podcast, featuring interviews with NSA officials as they discuss their roles in various “combat support, foreign signals intelligence and cybersecurity missions.”
No Such Podcast’s first two episodes dropped earlier today, the pilot of which puts Osama Bin Laden in the hot seat, with further episodes following every week until mid-October.
Launching with a Bin Laden pilot
The agency has long been shrouded by secrecy. No Such Podcast alludes to the NSA’s existence being so hidden that people jokingly referred to it as “No Such Agency”. In 2013, Edward Snowden’s leaks dragged the agency into the limelight, revealing the agency’s various intelligence programs, many of which entailed spying on ordinary American citizens. The debate over modern surveillance and the agency’s role continues to this day.
“Because it’s sensitive, we can’t talk about some of our work, but it’s time to start telling more stories that we can talk about, sharing more of that expertise, and highlighting these incredible public servants,” said Sara Siegle, NSA’s chief of strategic communications in a press release.
In the ultimate act of irony, the pilot episode details the NSA’s signals intelligence (SIGINT) division’s contributions to the investigation and eventual capture of Osama Bin Laden. The second episode will have a hard time following that up, detailing cybersecurity’s place in the modern world as a matter of not just personal, but national security.
With six more episodes to follow, one each week until mid-October, espionage nerds will have the opportunity to hear firsthand accounts from NSA officials and gain a better understanding of the complexities behind the American government’s premier data and intelligence wing. Or, at least, an understanding of as much as they’re willing to tell the world about what it does. No Such Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and YouTube.