I’ve been on the hunt for a newspaper-produced podcast that’s good, that’s solid. What I’ve found has been, for the most part, mediocre. Lots of “two dudes with a microphone” and interview programs. They’re not particularly engaging, I’m sorry to say.
My sense is there are a handful of reasons why these podcasts tend to be average in terms of production values and narrative. First, the producers are typically print journalists, not radio journalists. As any print-turned-radio reporter will tell you, telling stories in sound requires a different set of skills even though it’s still journalism.
Second, the producers probably work only part-time on the podcast. It’s likely they have other responsibilities at the paper so…
