During quarantine, as I’ve had to watch more video calls than I ever wanted to in my life, I’ve found myself drawn to the lower stakes presentations done through podcasts. Listening to lectures doesn’t just give me something to do but engages me. The techniques used in podcasts encourage me to not only seek out more but consider making my own, as well.
Of course, the podcasts of choice have been on rhetoric, so this brief introduction to why podcasts are so appealing involves two rhetoric-themed podcasts out there and ultimately answers why making a podcast is worth trying out as a writing studies student.
Podcasts Examples: Mere Rhetoric and The Big Rhetorical Podcast
University of Texas at Austin’s inactive Mere Rhetoric and Charles Woods’ continuous The Big Rhetorical Podcast series are both excellent introductions to the study of rhetoric in the past and now.
Mere Rhetoric (2014-2019) touts itself as a podcast
“for beginners and insiders about the ideas, people and movements who have shaped rhetorical history.”
Indeed, listening to MR is how I’ve learned about not only rhetoric in Ancient Greece but also in China and Ireland and interesting movements in American academia since the 1950s. While episodes are listed across many podcast sites, MR‘s main hub seems to be libsyn, where in addition to the podcast episodes, scripts are uploaded, as well.
The Big Rhetorical Podcast (ongoing) is more contemporary, profiling modern contributors to the study of rhetoric and covering current events, such as the episode on COVID-19 coverage. In addition, BRP has an ongoing segment where Woods interviews “emerging scholars,” most grad students.
Devices Beyond the Mic
While MR is in the past and BRP represents the now, both exemplify techniques that make the format engaging.
BRP is presented as a conversation in a relaxed forum. The performance of intimacy and relaxed but regular conversation for the recording works to invite a listener in, as if listeners are part of the conversation but just rather quiet. However, this performance belies all of the notes and prep that does go into scripting an interview. Seeming less scripted, however, listeners may be more forgiving towards the host and guests for speaking as people regularly speak. This also makes rhetoric academic more relatable.
MR is much more scripted, with Hedengren reading a paper to the microphone. That said, she still uses techniques that make reading a paper a lot more appealing, techniques we may take for granted, including
- pausing to invite in the listener (particularly “…Ah, clever listener” and “What do you think?…”) and make space for their processing
- announcing syntax choices, saying “and quote…end quote” and even “question mark,” directing the listener audibly with ques we usually only receive visibly
With obvious written roots, MR takes into account the changes that need to be made to still direct how someone engages a text and processes said text.
Whether semi-scripted or right from the article, both podcasts show how important the listener is in their operations.
Record Write Now
The cliche about someone who loves to listen to themselves talk exists because of speakers who don’t speak in a way that deserves listening to. Speaking from a paper, at a mic, or in a real intimate conversation usually doesn’t encourage a greater audience awareness. The same could be said of how we write papers only to get them done for an audience of one.
What if we adapted those papers and projects into a format where audiences don’t have the option to skim but may actively stop engaging if we fail to meet their expectations? Transferable rhetorical awareness between media is important to develop. Being able to collect one’s thoughts and present them in engaging 10, 20, 50 minute chunks is both valuable to becoming better writers and honorable in how a well-designed text can anchor listeners anxious about our current world.
While this post is not sponsored, the author recommends that those curious about the sound technology and presentation part visit anchor.fm.