Award-winning podcast series from WNYC’s “On the Media” and The Boston Globe explores what’s at stake for higher ed in Harvard’s fight with the Administration

BOSTON, Oct. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Following the award-winning success of its groundbreaking first season, “The Harvard Plan” returns with a riveting second season, set to delve deeper into the challenges and transformations facing Harvard University and the broader landscape of higher education. This three-part podcast series, hosted by reporter Ilya Marritz, is a co-production of The Boston Globe and WNYC’s On The Media. New episodes will be released on consecutive Wednesdays: October 29, November 5, and November 12.

Last year, the Globe and On the Media co-released “The Harvard Plan,” which investigated Claudine Gay’s short, troubled tenure as the first Black president of Harvard. It recently won first place for best narrative podcast from the Society for Features Journalism, with judges praising the series: “This story cuts past the programmatic prestige and idol worship of one of our great educational institutions to remind us that glory is sometimes built on the shame of poor decisions. The tone and mood are spot on, while the reporting feels fresh, even as it recounts history. And the entire series feels supremely objective – a quality we shouldn’t be surprised about, but too often are…”

On October 29, season two will pick up where the story left off, exploring the intense pressures Harvard has faced since the beginning of 2025 as the new federal administration targets the Ivy League. This season promises to shed light on the implications of this struggle for other Ivy League institutions and higher education at large.

Ilya Marritz’ work has twice won a prestigious duPont-Columbia Silver Baton. He has worked at ProPublica, NPR, and WNYC. He co-hosted the podcast Will Be Wild, which went to #1 on Apple podcasts in 2022, and also Trump, Inc., which was twice named one of the best podcasts of the year by the New Yorker. In 2023-2024, he was a Nieman fellow at Harvard University. His work has appeared in major outlets, including TIME, The New Yorker, New York, CBS, CNN, PBS, and MSNBC.

Episode Highlights:

Wednesday, Oct. 29 – Part 1: And so it begins…

This episode takes listeners through the events at Harvard from Donald Trump’s inauguration to the 2025 convocation. Featuring perspectives from politics professor Ryan Enos, genetics professor Kamila Naxerova, and campus conservative Kit Parker, the narrative weaves personal stories with the unfolding political drama.
Wednesday, Nov. 5 – Part 2: Jay & Alan
The episode focuses on Harvard president Alan Garber and NIH head Jay Bhattacharya, two pivotal figures in the national debate over academia’s future. Once mentor and mentee, now adversaries, their story is a microcosm of the broader conflict affecting scientific research and academic freedom.
Wednesday, Nov. 12 – Part 3: And now what?
As the series concludes, it explores the potential futures for higher education in the U.S. Will universities become government-influenced entities, or will they remain bastions of free thought and debate? This episode examines the paths ahead.

“Ilya Marritz brings his exceptional reporting and storytelling skills to this season, bringing listeners behind the scenes as the new administration took aim at one of the world’s most prestigious institutions this year,” said Kristin Nelson, head of audio at The Boston Globe. “This co-production with On The Media has been incredibly successful.”

“This collaboration with Boston’s hometown paper on this series could not have been a better fit for On the Media,” said Katya Rogers, On The Media‘s Executive Producer. “We are committed to journalism that illuminates how our culture is changing in real time, and the story of Harvard’s recent past has far-reaching implications for education in America, even beyond the Ivy League. Season two is a must-listen series about the battle of ideas on American campuses today.”

Listeners can learn more about and listen to the new season of “The Harvard Plan” by visiting the podcast’s website, or find episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcasting platforms.

Contact: Boston Globe Media Communications, 617-851-3396, [email protected]

About Boston Globe Media:
Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC is a locally owned, award-winning media company serving Boston and New England for over 153 years. Its cornerstone is The Boston Globe, a 27-time Pulitzer Prize-winning news source and one of the most successful metro news organizations in the United States. The Globe is headquartered in Boston with regional bureaus in Washington, D.C., Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. The Globe has been successfully growing its direct subscriber base, today boasting the highest total number of subscribers the organization has had since 2008. The Globe hosts events that connect community members to its journalism and provides a range of digital and home-delivered advertising solutions that reach more consumers than any other New England media brand. Boston Globe Media’s portfolio includes The Boston Globe, Globe Opinion, Boston.com, STAT, The B-Side, Globe Publishing Services, Globe Events, Studio/B, and Boston magazine.

About On the Media:

On the Media is a podcast and radio show from WNYC that uses the media as a lens to understand our world, broadcast on more than 400 public radio stations nationwide. On the Media listeners say the show is an essential companion, helping them stay afloat as a firehose of media comes at them 24/7. Hosted by Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger, the show does not do ‘hot takes’, instead offering listeners context, historical parallels, media analysis and often a much appreciated deep exhale. On the Media hosts have an eye on the nuances and details regularly missed by other outlets which helps listeners understand where they should be paying attention (and what they can afford to ignore). The show has won Peabody Awards, Mirror Awards, Silver Gavel Awards, a duPont-Columbia and many more.