Continuing Studies: for Higher Ed Podcasters

Use your podcast to take your mandate beyond the campus, and become an invaluable resource for students, faculty, and the wider public audience. Explore the strategies and tactics behind successful university podcasts as Jenna Spinelle unpacks her experiences producing over 250 episodes of "Democracy Works" and "When the People Decide”, and shares insights on how universities can leverage this dynamic medium to give people political hope, foster community engagement, and amplify their educational impact both in and outside of classrooms.

Jennifer Lee Gunson and Neil McPhedran introduce the episode, welcoming Jenna Spinelle back.

Jenna introduces herself, her role at the McCourtney Institute for Democracy, and the inception of Democracy Works and When the People Decide.

Explains the collaboration with the local NPR station, WPSU, and its impact on local visibility and engagement.

Jenna discusses finding guests, differences in target audiences for both podcasts, including use in classrooms, as well as her preparation process for Democracy Works based on the show format. 

(00:13:00) Podcast Content in Classrooms 

Neil & Jenna discuss the strategies that Democracy Works has used to integrate podcast content into classrooms.

(00:14:58) Institutional Review and Self-Policing 

Discuss the content vetting process, institutional trust, and responsible self-policing to maintain institutional values.

Examines the effective role of the podcasts in the Institute's outreach efforts, connecting with alumni chapters, and promoting democracy beyond the university.

(00:18:30) Preparation and Interview Styles 

Jenna shares her approach to pre-interviews for different podcast formats, highlighting differences in narrative storytelling versus academic discussion.

(00:19:31) Engaging Audience Feedback through Surveys 

Neil & Jenna discuss the Democracy works listener survey - the format, significance, tweaking content length based on feedback, and incentives for participants.

(00:23:17) Changes in Podcasting Landscape 

The evolving podcasting landscape, increased competition, audience expansion, and the role of universities in expanding audiences and providing educational content

Jenna advises newcomers to manage expectations, appreciating the impact of having a dedicated audience and encouraging university engagement with various constituencies.

(00:30:08) Conclusion 

Neil& Jen share their key takeaways