“Gushi FM” rarely touches on political or newsy topics, but it often deals with social themes that have been subject to media censorship in the past. In one episode, a woman describes learning about sex only after her elementary schoolteacher molested her — a subtle nod to the #MeToo movement. Other episodes have dealt with L.G.B.T.Q. issues, forced relocation and the black market for surrogacy, which is illegal in China.

Of more than 200 episodes, censors have erased only one: a story about a family who went bankrupt because of a peer-to-peer lending scam, which was a fraught topic at the time.

“We are very cautious,” Mr. Kou said.

Each episode is around 20 to 30 minutes, and the stories unfold with drama and suspense. The storytelling is not dogmatic; rather, the political context of problems that have emerged after decades of Communist Party rule is simply implied.

One episode, titled “My Cousin Squandered His Family’s Fortune to Buy Four Wives for an Average of 13,000 Renminbi Each,” dives into the story of a rural man’s struggles to find a wife. Not mentioned is that four decades of birth restrictions and a traditional preference for boys have created a large gender imbalance in China, making it difficult for many poor rural men to find wives.

“Through every story, my goal is to show the complexity of each person,” said Mr. Kou. “Especially in the internet era, people are quick to come to judgments about other people based on knowing just one aspect about them. I want to show the different angles.”