“Oh, there was plenty of fear,” says Keith Morrison, a correspondent for “Dateline” on NBC. “Remember the original assassin contracted to kill Nancy? Well, two months after being brought to South Carolina to stand trial, he was found hanging in his jail cell.”

These are the kinds of bombshells that I eagerly anticipate as I listen to the “Dateline” podcast. This key piece of information was revealed during Season 10 of the “Dateline Originals” podcast series. Season 10 covers a murder-for-hire scheme where a husband and his lover allegedly hired a hitman to take out the wife. Crazy, right?

These twisted and maniacal stories of love, jealousy, infidelity and murder are sort of comforting in a way. I grew up watching the weekly “Dateline” episodes with my dad, and once I discovered they had a podcast, I was over the moon. This would be perfect for filling my long drives and afternoon walks.

Find one for you

More than anything, these podcasts provide an escape for me. I get a nice 30-minute stretch where I can turn off my thoughts and tune into a story full of twists and turns that keep me on the edge of my seat. Some days, I can’t get enough of them. I’ll regularly fill four hours of driving time with “Dateline” podcast episodes.

For others, podcasts can offer a unique medium to learn a new skill or catch up on farm news. With harvest season on the horizon, you should take some time now to think of a podcast that could fit in your life somewhere. Chances are there’s one out there.

Critics of podcasts may say that they simply do not compare to television. That is true, but I find that podcasts provide a unique opportunity for you to craft the scenes in your mind. During those long days filled with never-ending corn rows, this could make for a fun way to break up some of that imagery.

The best part about podcasts — at least most of them — is that they are completely free! If you navigate to the Podcasts app pre-installed on your iPhone or download Spotify, then you can search through thousands of podcasts that are all available for you to access. These podcasts should be free, unless you pay for a subscription to avoid ads.

Start here

If you’re unsure of where to start on your podcast journey, check out the FP Next podcast, hosted by my colleagues Sarah McNaughton and Curt Arens. Their podcast can offer a new way for you to receive farm news while also hearing directly from industry professionals.

The most recent FP Next podcast, uploaded on Aug. 6, is a Deep Dive episode that gives an inside look at the upcoming Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa. Go give it a listen!

Once you’ve started there, perhaps consider some of your hobbies. Are you into birdwatching? There’s a podcast. Biking? Podcast. Fishing? Podcast. Purdue sports? Podcast. The possibilities are endless.

Or, if you’re like me, search for something that allows you to block out everything else for a bit and practice some self-care by listening to a story.

If you find a podcast you love and would recommend, feel free to send me suggestions at [email protected]. Happy listening!