Sound School Podcast

Ira Glass, known for This American Life, shares storytelling tips on writing, structure, reporting, and scoring. Topics cover engaging radio storytelling, humor in reporting, emergency journalism, and finding story ideas.

It's illegal to be queer in Uganda and incredibly unsafe. Queer people risk violence, eviction, harassment, and arrest. How then does a producer protect the identity of interviewees, especially when someone's voice might be recognized. British freelance producer Mary Goodhart solved this problem and many other safety issues while working on an LGBTQ story for the BBC World Service Podcast "The Comb." 

There's a moment in this episode when Rob is gasping and holding his hand to his chest. Why was he so astonished? Listen to his conversation with Jess Shane as they dissect the ethics of her Radiotopia documentary "Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative."

Deadlines, production meetings, staff management, show scheduling... in any given day, there's rarely time to pause and consider the craft of audio storytelling. Of course, PRX and Transom hope Sound School provides an easy opportunity to do that. On this episode, we'd like to introduce you to another podcast with the same mission: Sound Judgment hosted by Elaine Appleton Grant and featuring an interview with Jonathan Menjivar about his podcast Classy.

NPR reporters discuss shifting radio styles, storytelling in journalism, lambing season at Plow and Stars Farm, and the emotional impact of Gaza's historic site destruction. Moments of spontaneity, humor, and poignant storytelling highlight the podcast.

Talia Augustidis noticed her boyfriend 'ummed' when lying, sparking a 'radio story' deep dive. Importance of 'ums' in conversations explored, authenticity in speech emphasized. Pitch for BBC podcast transformed into intimate narrative, reflecting honesty nuances. Symbolic significance of boyfriend's arms in artwork discussed, creative process influenced by Rick Rubin.

Former NPR engineer Flawn Williams discusses the benefits of stereo recording over mono, showcasing examples of immersive sound experiences. The podcast explores stereo recording techniques, a documentary on prison boxing, trends in field reporting, and personal insights on production work.

Exploring short, creative sound portraits in podcasts. Delving into stories from the ultra-conservative Jewish community in Brooklyn and the struggles of balancing tradition with personal choice. Reflecting on Virgo zodiac signs, self-adaptation, and embracing identity post-autism diagnosis. A chaotic cat rescue mission and a comedic account of cat theft mishaps.

In honor of World Radio Day this week, The Sound School Podcast is celebrating with a story that exemplifies the power of radio to evoke striking images — a story reported from a remote hillside in Slovenia.  

Katz Laszlo says writing and tracking for herself is complicated enough. But it's an even greater challenge writing for and tracking with the two co-hosts of The Europeans podcast. Katz lays out how she and the hosts wrangle it all on the latest Sound School.