Intro to Podcasting ASHLEY BUTLER | DIGITAL MEDIA INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGIST 

Hello! Instructional Technologist at the CIP in Edwards House (2nd Floor) Background: ◦ Teaching composition with a focus on incorporating digital technology ◦ Critical thinking about authorship, audience (who is a “general audience?”, goals of the project and choosing tools that fit those best Highest Quality Composition Author/Audience Relationship Ongoing Conversation & Context Goals & Outcomes Available Tools for Communicating 

Introduction What/Why/How of podcasting Nuances & constraints of creating a podcast Resources for podcasting 

Anatomy of a podcast A podcast is… ◦ A technology rooted in both portable digital media players (iPod) and broadcasting (distributing a message to a dispersed audience…radio!) ◦ Episodes of a program available on the internet and available for subscription ◦ Original audio or video recordings or recorded lectures, performance, or events ◦ A way to provide great content for free ◦ A way to reach a wide audience 

Anatomy of a podcast A podcast is… ◦ Content on-demand ◦ “Netflix” of non-music audio content ◦ Accessible ◦ Available on a variety of devices ◦ Can create higher accessibility than written material (for those with different visual abilities) ◦ Can also be more conversational and personal than, say, a formal report or presentation ◦ Extremely versatile in its uses! 

Uses of Podcasting Public services Education & Advocacy Entertainment News Marketing Music Politics Health 

Uses of Podcasting Public services ◦ US Department of Justice The Beat Podcasts on all facets of policing: https://cops.usdoj.gov/thebeat ◦ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www2c.cdc.gov/podcasts/ Entertainment ◦ Popular television commentary, sports commentary News ◦ NPR, CNN, BBC, NY Times (The Daily), PBS Newshour, CBS Sunday Morning Marketing ◦ IBM, eBay, GE, Sephora Music ◦ Spotify, Billboard, NPR’s First Listen, QuestLove Supreme, Dolly Parton’s America Politics ◦ George W. Bush (first to do podcast form) ◦ Barack Obama (podcast and video) ◦ Joe Biden (used podcasting prior to being elected—weekly addresses are on YouTube now) Health ◦ Johns Hopkins Medicine Podcast, US Department of Health and Human Services 

Podcasting & Education Mobile Learning ◦ Stanford eCorner Podcasts: http://ecorner.stanford.edu/podcasts ◦ 100 Free Podcasts from the Best Colleges in the World: http://oedb.org/ilibrarian/skip-the- tuition-100-free-podcasts-from-the-best-colleges-in-the-world/ ◦ Foreign Language instruction https://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/feb/09/top- podcasts-learning-language-german-japanese Educational Entertainment ◦ Grammar Girl: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl ◦ 99% Invisible http://99percentinvisible.org/ ◦ Good Job, Brain http://www.goodjobbrain.com/episodes/ ◦ Stuff You Should Know http://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/ ◦ Hardcore History: http://www.dancarlin.com/hardcore-history-series/ ◦ Other: https://www.studyinternational.com/news/18-educational-podcasts-will-help-make- conversations-far-interesting/ Academic Research Synthesis ◦ Example: Society of Critical Care Medicine’s informal discussions of articles featured in their journals https://www.sccm.org/Communications/iCritical-Care/All-Audio-iCritical-Care ◦ Dope Labs https://www.dopelabspodcast.com/ ◦ Best Nature and Science Podcasts: https://www.bbcearth.com/news/the-best-nature-science- and-technology-podcasts ◦ Naked Scientists (Stripped down science) https://www.thenakedscientists.com/podcasts/naked-scientists-podcast 

Uses of podcasting Public services Education & Advocacy Entertainment News Marketing Music Politics Health All require different styles and approaches 

Styles and Approaches TILclimate Podcast Podcast Source: https://climate.mit.edu/podcasts/til- about-farming-a-warmer-planet NPR: The Big One Podcast Source: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/674580 962/the-big-one-your-survival-guide Dope Labs Clip: https://www.wevideo.com/view/23648 46813 Podcast Source: https://www.dopelabspodcast.com/ 

Podcasting Statistics Why it works? ◦ On-demand ◦ Accessible ◦ Low barrier to entry ◦ People are engaged ◦ Suitable for busy lifestyles and low-vision or easily screen-fatigued individuals ◦ Personal ◦ Personal voice ◦ Context-specific content 

“In an age of banner blindness and ad blocking, marketers are enthusiastic to find a platform with engaged audiences that stay tuned in, even during the commercial breaks…Unlike its audio predecessor, radio, podcasts offer unrivaled intimacy. Often a headphones-on experience, a podcast isn't background noise, skimmable, or swipable. Podcasting provides an opportunity to reach audiences of all types in the context of content they are excited to consume. And unlike much of the distracted viewing or swift swiping in digital, podcasts provide attentive audiences.” -Michelle Manafy Editorial Director @ Inc.com 

Ok…but what does it take to pull it off? 

What does it take? 1. A thoughtful approach 2. Preparation ◦ Thinking through the logistics 3. Embracing a new way to compose and communicate ◦ Appropriate and consistent narrative style/structure ◦ Transitions & Context ◦ Thinking critically about your audience 4. Time ◦ Research ◦ Recording (including interviewing or seeking speech talent) ◦ Editing ◦ Review/Revising 5. Creativity ◦ Both in approach and problem-solving 

Forming a Thoughtful Approach Firm grasp on rhetorical situation ◦ Author ◦ What experiences, beliefs, backgrounds, biases are you bringing to this situation? ◦ Topic ◦ What needs discussed? What is the best way to address this topic with my skills, purpose, and audience? ◦ Purpose ◦ Are you trying to entertain? Inform? Shock? Persuade? Education? Call to action? ◦ Audience ◦ Who are you trying to reach? Age, social class, education, past experience, culture/subculture, expectations Rhetorical Situation Author Purpose Audience Topic EVERYTHING EXISTS WITHIN A CONTEXT: Historical context. Current events. (Time, Place, Conversation) 

Preparation ◦ What equipment will you need? Where will you find it? ◦ Where will you record? ◦ How can you best share responsibilities among your group members? ◦ What will your subject/topic be? ◦ Will you need to contact interviewees/contributors and set a time that works for both of you? ◦ How much will you need to script? ◦ What do you need to make sure you get your points across? ◦ How can this medium (podcasting) enhance the existing resources out there about this content? ◦ Where will you store your files? ◦ How long will this take to do and do well? ◦ Who will you go to for help? 

Embracing a new way to compose and communicate Appropriate and Consistent Narrative Style & Structure ◦ Get a lay of the land—what are people doing that works well? ◦ Figure out your style – what you decide will govern the elements you need to include ◦ Radio show? Discussion-based? ◦ Who’s talking? (Host/guest) ◦ More lose in terms of scripting and structure ◦ Reporting more like a journalist? (Like NPR, for example) ◦ Pay special attention to how you structure your reporting, your interviews, and your sound effects ◦ Might require a bit more storyboarding and planning ◦ Heavy on research or more of an essay/narrative format? ◦ Consider how to be most effective with your audience in terms of sound and additional audio ◦ Also requires more storyboarding and planning ◦ Write in a way that feels personal…like you’re speaking one-on-one with someone 

Embracing a new way to compose and communicate Appropriate and Consistent Narrative Style & Structure ◦ Use a script or outline to remain in control of your content… ◦ TIP: Script the opening/closing. Outline content (Narration, interview, music, sound effects, etc.). Use bullets and notes to avoid stilted language. ◦ …but make it conversational ◦ TIP: Read it aloud before recording. Read it aloud to a friend. Have a friend there when you record, holding the microphone. ◦ Write for the ear, not for the eye. ◦ Text written for the eye: complex because readers can linger ◦ Text written for the ear: needs to be simpler—moves at the speed of sound. ◦ TIP: We rarely talk as formally as we write—write for the way you talk naturally. ◦ Lean on both sound and the absence of it (Silence! Pauses! Pace!) 

Embracing a new way to compose and communicate #4 Effective Transitions & Adequate Context ◦ Help your audience! Meet them where they are. (Typically, mobile...) ◦ Using acronyms? ◦ Establish the full name first, at least ◦ Avoid unless you’re certain your listener will understand them as readily as words ◦ Using discipline or subject-specific jargon? ◦ Explain, define, and limit. ◦ Use the “coffee shop” test—how would you explain something technical, scientific or medical to a non- expert or someone who is not as immersed as you? ◦ Strive for clear and direct…instantly. conveyed. meaning. 

Embracing a new way to compose and communicate #4 Effective Transitions & Adequate Context ◦ Help your audience! Meet them where they are. (Mobile...) ◦ Using acronyms? ◦ Establish the full name first, at least ◦ Avoid unless you’re certain your listener will understand them as readily as words ◦ Using discipline or subject-specific jargon? ◦ Explain, define, and limit. ◦ Use the “coffee shop” test—how would you explain something technical, scientific or medical to a non- expert or someone who is not as immersed as you? ◦ Strive for clear and direct…instantly. conveyed. meaning. #4.5 – Accessibility While podcasting in itself can be a more accessible format for content (both in terms of delivery method and information digestion), we want to be mindful of making this content accessible to all, as much as possible. Just as we can create audio versions of written materials to enhance accessibility, we can and should do the same to aid those with different abilities—especially for materials being widely shared. Making transcripts available is a best practice in podcasting. 

Time & Creativity Research ◦ Searching for sources (https://library.kenyon.edu/) ◦ Reading the literature ◦ Contacting a librarian (https://kenyon.libguides.com/neuroscienceresources) ◦ Listening to other podcasts & learning about podcast composition (https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510354/the-students-podcast) ◦ Finding other audio sources (Places to find audio) ◦ Current or historic news clips or clips from popular media ◦ Music (particularly music inspired by your subject, if applicable) Recording ◦ Finding a quiet place ◦ Securing proper tools to make your recording better ◦ Securing speech talent ◦ Conducting interviews ◦ This requires time to do test runs! *Snowball Mics are available from me or at the library circulation desk 

Time & Creativity Places to find Sound ◦ Creative Commons https://search.creativecommons.org/ ◦ Searches Jamendo, SpinXpress, ccMixter, Wikimedia Commons, and SoundCloud ◦ FreeSound https://freesound.org/browse/ ◦ Music Pleer http://musicpleer.audio/ ◦ Bensound Royalty Free Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music/2 ◦ Free Music Archive: http://freemusicarchive.org/tag/podcast/ ◦ Accelerated Ideas Royalty Free Podcast Intros: http://www.accelerated- ideas.com/freemusictracks/aisearchtracks.aspx?stxt=intro 

Time & Creativity Places to find Sound ◦ Creative Commons https://search.creativecommons.org/ ◦ Searches Jamendo, SpinXpress, ccMixter, Wikimedia Commons, and SoundCloud ◦ FreeSound https://freesound.org/browse/ ◦ Music Pleer http://musicpleer.audio/ ◦ Bensound Royalty Free Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music/2 ◦ Free Music Archive: http://freemusicarchive.org/tag/podcast/ ◦ Accelerated Ideas Royalty Free Podcast Intros: http://www.accelerated- ideas.com/freemusictracks/aisearchtracks.aspx?stxt=intro A Note or two on “Found” Sound Be careful to avoid copyright infringement if you *are* sharing these broadly. We can absolutely talk more about this if it’s a concern. If you find sounds online from things like the news or in other media (tv, movies, music), I can work with you to help you download those in a safer way than some of the free tools you find on the internet. Don’t kill your computer over this podcast… 

Using found audio elements Before you begin, make sure you have some idea of what kinds of elements are free to use and which (and how) you have to cite! ◦ For Podcasting, you can include citations and sources in your episode notes! https://help.simplecast.com/en/articles/2736449-how-to- format-show-notes-for-your-episodes ◦ This is largely dependent on how you’re sharing what you create…so discuss this with your professor ◦ Try to find items in the Public Domain, if possible. If not, use items with a Creative Commons license or ask for permission ◦ For more on copyright: http://kenyon.libguides.com/copyright or contact Sarah McKee in the library! Picture Source: https://www.buzzsprout.com/blog/podcast-show-notes 

A Few Final Notes About Sound 1. How you record originally has a massive impact on the overall quality of your recording 2. All sound needs to be acquired ethically and legally *If using interviews, you’ll need permission/releases 

Time & Creativity Editing / Reviewing / Revising / Polishing Audacity (Mac and Windows) http://www.audacityteam.org /download/ Garage Band (Mac) WeVideo (Browser-based) www.wevideo.com 

Time & Creativity Editing / Reviewing / Revising / Polishing Levelator (Mac and Windows) http://www.conversationsnet work.org/levelator Cleanfeed (Browser-based) https://cleanfeed.net/ Google Meet and Zoom 

Other Random Tips to Boost Quality Find Your Voice ◦ Want to test your audio? Read Wikipedia’s “In the News” with a friend for practice. ◦ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Stay Consistent ◦ Record in the same place, at the same time, in the same conditions ◦ Environment, posture, health, mood, etc. all sound different when recording ◦ Try to record as much at one time as possible (limit the recordings you’re stitching together) 

What does it take? Thoughtful Approach Preparation Fresh Perspective on Composition Time Creativity 

Questions? E-MAIL ME: [email protected]