Control F is a new KUOW podcast about the data that controls our daily lives
Today, KUOW is launching Control F, a new podcast about data — hard, fuzzy, surprising, and sometimes unreliable data — and all the ways it influences our daily lives. The show is co-hosted by KUOW senior producer Clare McGrane and design, graphics, and data editor Teo Popescu. Phyllis Fletcher is the showrunner and editor.
In each episode, the hosts will dive deep on a topic, searching through research, algorithms, and assumptions to bring fresh insights on modern life. Topics include the reasons behind vast improvements in weather forecast accuracy, how the U.S. defines the poverty line (and the impacts of that measurement), and how landlords decide what constitutes a “big dog” when it comes to rental agreements.
The first episode, out today, explores the evolution of credit scores and the tradeoffs involved in changing how this (relatively new) system of measurement works.
“We hear a lot of claims that policies and decisions are based on data. But it’s not always easy to access or interpret the data ourselves,” said Fletcher. “I’m excited to hear Teo and Clare tackle big data questions and answer them.”
With Control F, KUOW hopes to produce an engaging news product that will appeal to new listeners and regular KUOW news consumers alike. Control F is for data nerds and the data curious, answering big questions about why the world is the way it is and what we can learn when we stay a little skeptical and follow the data.
New episodes will release every other week on Wednesdays for its initial eight-episode run. Listeners can find it on the KUOW app and all major podcasting platforms.
For partnership, promo swap, and press inquiries, contact Amelia Peacock (apeacock@kuow.org).
About KUOW
KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio is Seattle’s NPR news station. We are an independent, nonprofit news organization that produces award-winning journalism, innovative podcasts, engaging community events, and more. We work every day in service of our mission to create and serve a more informed public, because we believe an informed public is essential to a thriving community, a vibrant democracy, and a better future. KUOW podcasts include chart-topping shows like The Wild with Chris Morgan and the investigative docuseries Lost Patients, as well as local news staples including Seattle Now, Soundside and Booming. KUOW is a proud member of the NPR Network, a coalition of public media podcast producers with a shared mission to create and serve a more informed public.
About the Hosts
Clare McGrane is a senior producer at KUOW Public Radio in Seattle. She has developed and produced shows including Seattle Eats and Seattle Now, the region’s premier daily news podcast. Clare is also pursuing a master’s degree in public health at the University of Washington. Before joining KUOW in 2018, Clare covered the health sciences beat at GeekWire, where she also produced the outlet's podcasts. Outside of work, Clare spends her time crocheting, bouldering, and playing a kind-hearted (if not very smart) Rider of Rohan in her Lord of the Rings roleplaying game campaign.
Teo Popescu is the design, graphics, and data editor at KUOW Public Radio in Seattle. She manages the stations’ data visualizations, graphics, and news video stories. She also leads development of KUOW’s long-form interactive stories, specializing in breaking down bureaucratic processes and big data sets. In a previous era, she was a state political correspondent and an art director. Outside of work, Teo likes spending time teaching at the University of Washington, training her dog to fetch, and making mediocre furniture.
