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‘The 7’ launches as a morning podcast targeting younger audiences

Pierre is the new host for "The 7." (Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post)

On November 14, The Washington Post will premiere “The 7” podcast, hosted by Jeffrey Pierre, giving listeners an essential digest of the stories they need to know to start their day in under seven minutes. Listen to the trailer here.

“ ‘The 7’ is driven by a desire to put audiences first -- catching people up on the news in a way that fits easily into their routine,” said Coleen O’Lear, head of curation and platforms at The Post. “We know young audiences are drawn to the ease and portability of audio, and by joining forces with our Audio and Next Generation teams, we intentionally built out a bespoke audio experience that delivers on those needs.”

This new podcast builds on the success of “The 7” flagship newsletter, which has gained nearly one million subscribers in the year since its launch. The podcast is a cross-newsroom effort, tapping the Audio, Next Gen and “The 7” teams. Earlier this month, The Post introduced a local version of the newsletter, “The 7 DMV,” and is exploring plans to expand further with regional-specific newsletters for other markets.

Pierre joins The Post from NPR where he held many roles over the years -- most recently as an editor and producer for its education desk. In that position, Pierre worked with young people across the country, and will bring that experience and understanding to The Post’s mission to reach new audiences. Listeners will recognize his voice from his NPR reporting and podcasts like “Life Kit.” He helped organize the network’s popular Student Podcast Challenge and co-hosted a show about how to make a podcast. He is no stranger to early mornings having served as a producer and director of NPR's “Morning Edition” and the podcast “Up First.” He began his journalism career as a community reporter at the Miami Herald.

“We are thrilled to experiment with short-form audio, especially with a powerful new voice at the mic. Jeffrey brings joy, endless curiosity and deep respect for this work,” said Renita Jablonski, director of audio at The Post. “I can’t wait for our audience to hear Jeffrey’s boundless energy and passion for explaining things. He fully believes in making news accessible, and he will undoubtedly become a familiar voice for many tuning into the most important news stories of the day.”

“The 7” podcast, which is sponsored and powered by AT&T Business, will be available to stream on all major podcast platforms, with new episodes available on weekdays by 7 a.m. Eastern.

Subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

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