PodMov Daily: Monday, April 20

Episode 187: Your Monday Mix

Podcasters Spreading Positivity and Awareness in Locked-Down Nepal

In the Nepali news publication Online Khabar, Nasana Bajracharya describes how the country’s podcasting community “is thriving during this situation, with new and old podcasters getting more time on their hands to invest in the art form.” Several new shows hone in on mental health and family relationships.

Kripa Sigdel and Sujan Shrestha of the mental health organization Psychbigyaan Network Nepal have begun an audio series. “Our focus is to help youth, parents, officials, frontline [health] workers, migrant workers, etc. with their mental state,” Sigdel says. They hope to teach “how to build and foster relationships while maintaining the physical distance.”

A pioneer Nepali creator, Sabeena Karki has hosted SABSCAST since 2016. The podcasting advocate and workshop leader thinks now is the time for “more conversations with less judgement and biases.” Launching a podcast is serious business, Karki says. “If it is a job well begun, it is half done.”

Ira Glass at Home: The Weekly Puzzle of This American Life

The coat closet comes for us all, including hallowed host and producer Ira Glass. Glass “has guided This American Life through almost every one of its 700 episodes,” writes Emily Brookes of the New Zealand news outlet Stuff. “A little thing like a global pandemic and a city under lockdown isn't about to stop him.”

How does such an influential podcast approach the most-discussed topic in the world? “For a show like ours it's always a puzzle ― what kind of coverage to do that will add to anybody's information,” Glass told Brookes. “Our audience knows a lot and so to figure out a corner of it where we feel like we can say something original ― it's a challenge.”

On the subject of podcasting being hit financially, Glass observes that meticulous production somewhat backfires. Despite a staff of “30 people behind every word,” listeners may interpret craftsmanship as simplicity. He’s bemused by its implications: “You're taking the product as we intend it to be taken so I can't blame you.”

Happy Monday, readers, and here's to a podcasting-influenced media milestone.

Premiering today on Netflix, the adult animated series Midnight Gospel centers on a podcaster (In space. A spacecaster.) Audio takes on a new role in what is here called “the weirdest experiment yet in the age of streaming entertainment.” Enjoy?

Cheers,

Team PM

Here's what else is going on:

• Couch surfer: Stars and producers of TV hits (e.g., The Office, The Sopranos, Watchmen) have seen massive success with recap podcasts. British GQ explains how, “Done right, they're a cracking companion piece […] packed with nostalgia and behind-the-scenes tales.”

• Traffic jam: Should podcasters adjust their publishing schedules to accommodate the lost commute? Dan Misener of Pacific Content suggests an evaluation, but only “if your podcast is daily, highly-topical, or designed to be consumed at a specific time of day.”

• Pillow talk: For the Where I Work miniseries, Ellen Scott of Metro UK speaks with Emma Gannon, the podcaster behind Ctrl Alt Delete. Recording from bed in London is one plus for Gannon’s routine, but “the main joy of doing the podcast is having that IRL chat.”

• Better together: Middle Eastern listeners are embracing podcasts to “beat virus lockdown blues,” writes Ameera Abid of Arab News. Producer Omar Tom explains how shows “educate, connect, and build bridges through love, shared interests, and cultural connections.”