Journalism professor Adrian Harewood is back on the air with a newly-launched podcast called In Bed with the Elephant featuring in-depth interviews meant to disrupt preconceptions and wrestle with taboos.
Four years since leaving his position at CBC to join the faculty in Carleton’s School of Journalism and Communication, Harewood says he’s back in his comfort zone: in the studio, behind a microphone.
The new current affairs podcast on the Ricochet Media platform formally launched today, but a number of episodes have already dropped.
“We want In Bed with the Elephant to disrupt preconceptions, ask big uncomfortable questions, and wrestle with taboos,” Harewood said. “We’re not interested in telling people how to think. But we do want to provide them with good critical information.”
Three episodes are already available:
- Carleton History professor Andrew Johnston on US/Canada relations;
- Political journalist Stephen Maher discussing the 2025 federal election;
- Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, talking about the horrors of Gaza and the plight of Palestinians
Listeners can look forward to future interviews with Syrian-Canadian engineer Maher Arar, authors Omar El Akkad and John Vaillant, feminist activist Judy Rebick, Leilani Farha, former UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, progressive economist Armine Yalnizyan and Conservative Party historian Bob Plamondon.
“I started doing radio 35 years ago. It’s my first love. I’ve missed it,” said Harewood. “Working on In Bed with the Elephant is a dream. It gives me the freedom to speak to brilliant guests and explore a range of topics.
Adrian Harewood with podcast guest Francesca Albanese
“We want the show to cover a lot of ground from politics to history to science, cinema to music to sport, climate, economics, technology and the law.”
Harewood is a Canadian Screen Award-winning former CBC journalist who hosted numerous local and national programs during a career with the public broadcaster that spanned two decades. He anchored the CBC Ottawa News for 13 years and the CBC Ottawa drive home show All In A Day for 3 years before that.
Harewood says he is thrilled to be back doing what he loved best, talking to people and telling stories. And he said the new podcast is filling a gap.
“I think right now people are craving nuanced conversations, informed debates and they want stories to be put into context.”
In Bed with the Elephant is very much a Carleton in-house production.
The podcast is produced in the same journalism program recording studio that Harewood’s audio journalism students use to create their reports and documentaries for the classes he instructs.
Harewood is working alongside his Carleton colleague and teaching partner, recording engineer and producer Dave Sarazin.
“Dave is a magician in the studio. He’s an incredible editor, producer and recording engineer. He always makes me sound much better than I am.”
In Bed with the Elephant is available on numerous platforms including Apple, Spotify, Amazon, IHeart Radio and Podbean.
Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Journalism News
Share: Twitter, Facebook
