Audio & Ideas: Exploring the Possibilities for Scholarly Podcasting

Podcasting is already a medium for scholarship, and there are dozens of so-called “academic podcasts” in existence. Indeed, the New Books Network aggregates an enormous number of podcasts on everything from political science to literary theory. However, the majority of these podcasts consist of “author interviews,” which use only a fraction of audio’s potential to reach the listener the way that highly produced, scripted, expertly sound-designed and edited podcasts are doing in other parts of the culture. There is an opportunity for scholars to take charge of their own productions, and serve a growing intelligent public that is increasingly turning to podcasts to both continue its education and learn about the pressing issues and topics of our time.  It is a public intellectual problem, for which audio journalism has an answer.

The panels will address the way intellectuals of all kinds are using audio to generate new scholarship. While the commercial podcast universe has expanded and contracted in the past decade, the world of academic podcasting has grown at a steady, if modest, pace. This may present the university with an opportunity.  At a time when the market has turned its back on highly produced podcasts, perhaps this is a good time for intellectuals of all stripes to explore the possibilities of idea-driven, narrative audio work within the context of the academy.

FULL SCHEDULE HERE.