One good thing that has happened to me since the Covid19 shutdown is my discovery of Podcasts. I was supposed to be going on a vacation for 5 days, a long weekend away to unwind from working in the hospital as a nurse. So instead of sitting by the beach somewhere drinking margaritas, I am listening to shows about current events and people. I have never listened to podcasts prior to this, but I really like the concept. I quit watching the “news” on television long ago because I found it superficial, biased, and more sensational than anything. Podcasts allow for a much more in depth exploration of stories and events. I also like the format of audio vs television, as it does promote a more in depth discussion.
When I was in 8th grade, I designed an audio play with my friend Tracy Marsh, and we entered it in the Media Fair, an event that is kind of like a Science Fair but for audio and video projects. The year was 1983, and home video recording was a relatively new technology. I had a wonderful English teacher in 8th grade named Mrs. Slater. She encouraged us and really made the project fun. My video project was going to be a music video to Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Unfortunately the VCR machine literally ate my video, so my video project was a disaster.
Luckily, Tracy and I created an old time radio show, complete with sound effects, and entered it in the fair in the audio category. We won the local contest and got to go on to the state Media Fair held in Indianapolis. We did not win there, as we faced stiff competition from the technical high school in Indy that had better equipment and more experience. Their production deserved to win as it truly was like a professional news show you would hear on NPR.
My experience writing, producing and acting in the show for the Media Fair was awesome and a fond memory of mine growing up, which brings me back to podcasts. I am not really sure why I never explored podcasts before. I obviously like the format, and like in depth discussions. I read at least 90 minutes of news and non-fiction writing per day online…. So why did I not discover podcasts?
I guess it goes back to my recent purchase of my LG soundbar for my television. Instead of using it to watch more things on television, I have been using it to listen to music and news shows instead. I was getting tired of music so wanted to explore audio that featured discussions and stories. After searching Google for online podcasts, I downloaded a podcast player for my phone. Over the last two days, I have listened to 8+ hours of story after story, and absolutely love it.
So far I have only listened to a few podcasts. My favorites by far are the NPR Ted Talk Hour (see link). I also like The Daily by the New York Times (see link). To me, these shows remind me of what journalism used to be like. It is much more in depth, and I love hearing from the voices of people actually involved in the stories. So what podcasts do you listen to? I like to hear stories about science, current events and non-fiction stories that involve people, and exploring their lives. I also love traveling, so would welcome any podcasts that deal with traveling to interesting places that are atypical travel destinations. Any suggestions from you podcast pros out there? Have a great day and keep being safe! -Kyle
The New York Times – The Daily Podcast:
https://www.nytimes.com/column/the-daily
NPR’s Ted Radio Hour: