Podcasting for policymakers
Summary
Podcasting is in a golden age of growth. But the barriers to entry can look pretty daunting. Fear not! Your friendly ANU podcasting experts are here to help you to get started podcasting or to make your existing pod even better. Join us to learn about the technology needed to podcast, to how to go about distributing and promoting, writing scripts that work, how to communicate on-air, and how to conduct an interview and hold your audience’s attention. This hands-on course will walk you through podcasting from start to finish. Participants will leave with a recording of their very own, professionally produced podcast.
Course overview
Day 1: podcast basics
The first day is a thorough introduction to the world and practice of podcasting. Topics covered will include:
- What are podcasts and how are they being used
- What makes a great podcast
- Technology: Equipment, apps and software to support your podcast
- Podcast administration: the practical aspects of creating and managing your podcast
- Communicating for podcasting: Basic communications advice for script-writing and on-air talking
- Distribution and audiences: understand how to market your podcast to reach your target audience and achieve listenership and influence
- Pod practice: Mock interviews in the ANU podcast booth for hands on experience. Leave with your very own podcast.
The day will be highly interactive, providing students with plenty of opportunities to be creative, share their ideas and even record their very own trial podcast.
Day 2: podcast launcher (maximum 8 participants)
For those who have completed Podcast Basics and want to stay on for more detail and an opportunity to concentrate more on communication skills, marketing and producing their own content.
Day two requires intimate class sizes to allow for the practical nature and high level of student-teacher interaction. It is restricted to a maximum of 8 participants.
Podcast launcher participants will:
- Go deeper into scriptwriting, presenting a draft script which will be edited by the facilitators
- Receive individualised feedback on their podcasting communication and interview style, with further training in on-air communication skills
- Draft a distribution and marketing plan, based on the ideas from Day 1
- Spend more time in the booth, recording an episode of their own podcast.
Who should attend?
This course is designed for policymakers, civil society representatives and private sector organisations to learn how to utilise podcasting to reach and engage your target audience.
Learning outcomes and objectives for participants:
- Be familiar with the current podcasting community and opportunities
- Understand the tools, basic skills and time commitments necessary for a successful podcast
- Understand where to house your podcast online and how to use the most popular site(s)
- Improve basic podcasting communication skills through an introduction to pod script-writing and presentation style
- Leave with increased knowledge and confidence to create or improve your own podcast.
Course presenter(s)
Martyn Pearce
Martyn Pearce is Crawford School’s Manager, Communication & Engagement. In addition to managing the Communications & EngagementTeam, which looks after Crawford School’s events, internal and external communications, social media, website and marketing, he is also Editor of Crawford School and the Asia and the Pacific Policy Society’s website Policyforum.net, producer and presenter of the podcast series Policy Forum Pod and producer of the Democracy Sausage Podcast and the National Security Podcast. He is also Managing Editor of The Monsoon Project, the university’s academic blog for students. He was Managing Editor of the Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies journal from 2016-2019.
Martyn convenes and teaches the course Editor’s Practicum: online public engagement, academic blogging and digital disruption. This internship-based course is available for undergraduates and postgraduates and gives students the opportunity to undertake a placement at one of the University’s academic blogs.
A former journalist, television researcher and newspaper editor, Martyn’s focus is Asia-Pacific public policy. He has a keen interest in sports policy in the region, particularly China’s football ambitions, and is a member of the China Soccer Observatory at the University of Nottingham. In addition to a love of public policy, he is a lifelong fan of Crystal Palace.
Associate Professor Sara Bice
Sara Bice is Associate Professor at the Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University. She is Vice Chancellor’s Futures Scheme Senior Fellow for her work on The Next Generation Engagement program, Australia’s largest study into community engagement in infrastructure, to date. She is President of the International Association for Impact Assessment, the world’s leading organisation for impact assessment practitioners, researchers and clients, representing almost 7,000 members in 120 different countries. Sara is Associate Professor (Special International Guest) at the School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing. Sara is an award-winning author and her latest co-edited book, Public Policy in the Asian Century is available from Palgrave Macmillan. Sara loves to surf, has been known to swim with sharks and never met a gelato she didn’t like.
Updated: 18 September 2024/Responsible Officer: Crawford Engagement/Page Contact: CAP Web Team
