The power of podcasting: telling stories through sound

Now two decades old and attracting interest in disciplines from journalism and communications to gender and cultural studies as a new and influential medium, podcasting is hailed for its intimacy and authenticity in an age of mistrust and disinformation. But to grasp its full potential, you need to understand the grammar and aesthetics of the audio medium and examine how podcasts have built exciting new listening relationships with audiences, along with different models for storytelling, entertainment and the imparting of knowledge.

In The Power of Podcasting, award-winning podcast producer and leading international audio scholar Siobhán McHugh dissects the emerging canon of podcast formats from talk to narrative/investigative journalism and outlines how you can create an engaging one yourself. Drawing on actual scripts and production processes she was part of, she blends practical insights into making complex narrative podcasts with critical analysis of the art and history of audio storytelling, back to early radio works. Grounded in theoretical concepts from the affective power of voice to the choreography of sound, and packed with case studies, tips, and techniques from McHugh’s decades of experience, this richly storied book wears its wealth of knowledge lightly, to introduce readers to the possibilities of the world of sound and the remarkably accessible power of podcasting.