I was a little late to the podcast craze.
But don’t tell me I didn’t try. I eagerly downloaded the first season of “Serial” for a long-haul flight to Europe this summer. Sure, I fell asleep after the fourth episode and never picked it up again, but I liked what I heard. I even dabbled in “Welcome to Night Vale” during my high school days — it’s what all the cool theatre kids were listening to on their lunch breaks.
The Post has been printing for more than 100 years. Our shift from a daily newspaper to a weekly print edition two years ago marked a cultural and technological shift, but it has also allowed us to expand to new and exciting platforms.
Now, I’m excited to announce a new chapter in Post podcasting.
Let’s be honest for a moment: Our podcast game has been mediocre at best. It’s something we’ve been working on for a few years now, and it seems that every time we announce that The Post is getting into podcasting more regularly, it falls flat.
And it’s not that we haven’t made valiant attempts. There’s a lot of work that goes into crafting podcasts. Frankly, I think it scares some of us who prefer the traditional side of journalism. (I highly doubt you’ll see me get in front of a microphone anytime soon.)
We’ve realized, however, that we need to continue changing with the times and adapting to the new ways in which people consume news. It’s much easier to walk to class with your earbuds in than it is to have your eyes glued to a newspaper or your phone.
The one constant in the realm of Post podcasting has been “Leaving at Halftime,” a weekly 15-minute dive into both Ohio and Athens sports hosted and produced by dedicated members of our sports staff. That show has helped us test the waters and prime our skills.
Now, it’s time to expand to new horizons.
This year, we’re welcoming Madeleine Peck, a seasoned reporter and podcast aficionado, as our first ever director of podcasts. She’ll be leading a team of talented producers to develop shows that our readers — pardon me, listeners — will enjoy.
We’ll also be migrating away from SoundCloud to a new hosting platform, Spreaker, which will allow us to distribute on listening apps like iTunes and Spotify.
Post Managing Editor Maddie Capron will be joining news Staff Writer George Shillcock for “Swing State of Mind,” a show that’ll explore the road to midterm election day in Ohio and beyond. “Leaving at Halftime” will continue its coverage of local and campus sports under new leadership. And soon, we’ll be announcing a handful of brand new series that’ll delve into some of the other many facets of Athens.
Get ready to tune into a brand new way of getting The Post. We’re so excited to share the future with you.
Lauren Fisher is a senior studying journalism and the editor-in-chief of The Post. Have questions? Email Lauren at lf966614@ohio.edu.
