‘Serial’: An investigative journalism podcast becomes a cultural obsession

The answer turned out to be: a lot of people. Chaudry isn’t the only one with a first-thing-Thursday appointment with the multi-part true-crime investigation. “Serial,” produced by “This American Life” and WBEZ Chicago, has reigned supreme on iTunes’ top podcast list since it launched Oct. 3, each episode downloaded or streamed at least 1.2 million times — though that could include multiple listens by some avid followers. Unusual for both a podcast and a work of journalism, it has blossomed into a minor watercooler event, spawning the kind of multimedia chatter and analysis that often surrounds a prestigious HBO drama.