Where today’s headlines and their histories meet.

I am an intelligence Warrant Officer in the New York Army National Guard with 27 years of service. I’m also a former organized crime investigator with over a decade of wiretapping experience investigating international criminal groups; two fields that often overlap. I enjoy talking about today’s foreign affairs issues and military conflicts within their historical contexts. History is my primary passion, and today’s foreign affairs issues are my profession, and so I merge the two in the podcast. I must make clear when I can that I do not speak for the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Army. All opinions are my own.
 

The Headlines and History podcast—debuted in 2024–grew from an idea I had during my last deployment overseas in 2020 during what I call the “COVID deployment.” While there, I worked with my Soldiers to create an intelligence-focused podcast for our commanders that eventually turned into a private venture a few years after my return.

I listen to podcasts myself because I enjoy topics that aren’t often covered in the national media, at least not in the detail I like, which is why I feel the drive to do the same for others based on my experience.

It didn’t take me long at all to start publishing episodes once I made the decision to start. I purchased some equipment, began my research, started writing, and went from there. From the initial decision to my first episode was no longer than two months.
 

Finding the time is certainly a challenge. Researching, writing, recording, and editing takes patience and dedication. Fortunately, my topics come from direct experience and my daily work activities already, finding topics and assessing their importance is something I do in my life already.

The exciting thing about podcasting is it doesn’t require tons of financing and capital. I followed the guidance I found online, purchased a microphone, connected that to a laptop I already owned, and invested less than a couple hundred dollars in various software programs to help with recording and editing. I plan to upgrade in the future but having what you need to start doesn’t cost what one may think it might.
 

Right now I gain by expressing personal opinions, providing direct experience, and discussing topics in which I’m interested while connecting with people who enjoy what I do. The world of foreign affairs, geostrategic concerns, and military conflict can seem daunting and even scary at times. I like to provide context and understanding to people who may be looking for that.

I have a very young show, and so no sponsors, but I look forward to those opportunities as I grow.
 

As I’m just starting—only 3 months and 10 episodes in—I keep it simple by using a Samson microphone (RODE wireless mics for conversations), a MacBook Air, and Davinchi Resolve to edit what I record. I research and write during the week, record one evening a week, and edit over the weekend before publishing. This schedule fluctuates but I work hard to keep a steady publishing cycle.

When I conduct interviews, I do so in person.
 

Headline and History with Jon Molik can be found on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Podbean, Podbay, and many other hosting platforms. I use YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram for short videos to push traffic to my website: https://headlinesandhistory.com. Most of my listeners come from Apple and Podbean.
 

My advice would be to just do it. That’s the hardest part of podcasting: overcoming what seems like an insurmountable wall keeping you from publishing. Once you start, you will make mistakes and learn what you are good at. Just start and it will come to you.
 

You can find me at https://headlinesandhistory.com -and- https://youtube.com/@headlinesandhistory -and- @INTEL_Chief on X -and- https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556910900822&mibextid=LQQJ4d on Facebook.