Apple Podcasts Lists Crossing the Line as “New & Noteworthy”
Population Media Center’s (PMC) inaugural original podcast, Crossing the Line, earned early recognition from both Apple Podcasts and Amazon Podcasts just a few episodes out the gate.
Featured in Apple Podcasts’ “New & Noteworthy” section on its homepage and selected for a promotional spot by Amazon, Crossing the Line, is making marked progress in the crowded podcast space by highlighting stories from the frontlines in the fight for reproductive freedom. Now downloaded more than 15,000 times, with several episodes in the top 10% of podcasts downloaded in the first seven days, the immersive audio docu-series follows women and individuals seeking abortion care in the United States and the volunteers and medical professionals helping along the way.
“It’s incredibly gratifying to receive this type of achievement so early on in the life of this independent podcast series done on a small budget amidst such strong competition on the Apple and Amazon platforms,” said Lisa Caruso, Head of U.S. Content for PMC and creator of the series. “It speaks to both the dedication of the production team and the value of highlighting these personal stories about an individual’s right to choose, during these tumultuous times.”
In its first episode, Crossing the Line follows the journey of an 18-year-old Latina mother who wants to provide a stable future for her toddler. Along with 19 other abortion seekers, she’s shepherded across stateliness from Texas to New Mexico to access the abortion pill when Texas restricts abortion access.
“I woke up at 4:30 in the morning. Eight hours later, I took one pill. Now I have to go back home. One pill in New Mexico. That’s crazy, but I’m kind of lucky,” shares the single mom in the 28-minute episode titled, A Prayer for Choice.
Prior to the Supreme Court decision in June 2022 which overturned almost 50 years of protected abortion care under Roe v Wade, state legislatures were already plotting restrictive bans on abortion. As laws went into place, women and individuals seeking abortion access were left to travel across state lines to access medical care or navigate self-medicated abortions.
“The concept of immersing listeners in the real-time personal abortion journeys was one that I felt would really reach the hearts and minds of listeners, while protecting the identities of those who chose to share their story,” said Caruso. “The fall of Roe made documenting these stories not only more relevant, but more complicated to gather, but with the help of our partners, we were able to provide an accurate depiction of what’s really happening on the ground.”
It’s predicted that over half of U.S. states will ban or heavily restrict abortion – affecting approximately 36 million people of reproductive age.
Acting together with leaders across the national reproductive health network, Crossing the Line’s reach transcends audio engagement. Its social impact campaign supplies easy-to-access abortion resources at ctlpod.com. Site visitors can navigate to Abortion Finder (the most comprehensive nationwide database of abortion providers), call hotlines, find abortion pills, apply for financial support, and learn more about ongoing statewide restrictions.
“With the amount of misinformation currently out there, one of our goals with Crossing the Line and the associated impact campaign is to provide an accurate resource for those seeking abortion services or looking to support the right to choose,” said Caruso. “We not only want to engage the listener but hope our audiences will also be inspired to act for change.”
New episodes of Crossing the Line are released every other Wednesday and are available on ctlpod.com and on several major podcast streaming platforms including Apple, Amazon, Spotify, Google, Stitcher, and others. The final episode in the first season of this 10-episode series will be released on November 16th.