PodMov Daily: Friday, March 11

Episode 606: Week Download Complete

Why is Fiction Podcasting Still Being Erased?

Audible is heroically reviving an art form that faded into obscurity after the 1960s – the American radio drama. That’s according to the New York Times, whose theater reporter profiled Audible’s recent push into the space. With assumed access to Google, how on earth is fiction podcasting still overlooked at this level of media?

The story is about Audible’s projects, sure, but also modern radio drama as a whole. It “completely ignores the long history and huge community of fiction podcasting,” tweeted producer Newt Schottelkotte. We think this is due more to gatekeeping than oversight: In the world of ‘true’ radio theater, fiction podcasts simply don’t count.

“Radio Drama for a Podcast Age,” the story’s main title, makes an explicit distinction. (The word “podcast” isn’t in the text.) The one acknowledgment comes from a professor of sound studies, and it’s still wildly dismissive and outdated: “There’s a lot of audio drama being made by independent people for love, not money.”

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Put a New Spin on Your Podcasting Mistakes

In one of our favorite pieces from Podcast Pontifications, Evo Terra makes a case for appreciating your professional blooper reel. “Though they might lead to an existential crisis,” Terra says, some podcasting mistakes can be spun in the creator’s favor. “Sometimes, these inadvertent errors can be a gift.”

Say you’ve added or removed too much space between segments. Pretend it was intentional. Ask questions: “Ignoring the fact that the edit is different, does it sound good?” If the answer is yes, “is that change of feeling something you’d never considered, but now that you’ve heard it, it’s worth exploring?”

Terra reframes 10 haunting scenarios to show how leaning into our errors can uncover hidden intentions and creative growth. Maybe you’ve lost access to your DAW, skipped a plugin, or somehow forgotten to prepare at all. The way we react to fumbles, stumbles, and goofs may determine what we learn.

The Dr. John Delony Show: Because Mental Health Matters

Now more than ever, the world feels like it is spinning out of control. Millions of people are struggling with their mental health, marriage, parenting, and family relationships. The Dr. John Delony Show, a podcast from the Ramsey Network, answers life’s messy questions.

Host and Ramsey Personality Dr. John Delony, a leading voice on mental health, relationships, and wellness, takes a practical approach to tough topics we all face. Dr. Delony’s caller-driven conversations help listeners work through anxiety, depression and disconnection with new tools and plenty of humor.

Ready to take charge of your mental health? It’s time to cut through the chaos and start building a more confident future. Send in your questions and join the conversation three times a week. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts.

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Here's what else is going on:

• High score: Podnews editor James Cridland will be the first keynote speaker at Evolutions. Coming all the way from Brisbane, Australia, our good friend will unveil the results of the Podnews Report Card (the industry’s first annual report card) and “how publishers see the big platforms.”

• Dig deeper: Tomorrow at 12:00 pm ET is “Radio Boot Camp: How to Interview for Narrative Storytelling.” Karen Duffin (Planet Money, This American Life) will cover practical skills, from figuring out the right questions to asking them in a way that sparks emotion and memory. $100 registration.

• Mixed media: Listener representation is crucial to public media diversity strategies, writes Eric Nuzum in Current. “If you want to attract a younger audience, a browner audience or an audience from a different part of your community, people who fit those profiles need to be behind those mics.”

• House blend: From award-winning producer Andrew Wardlaw, Transom’s Mixing Tune-Up guide takes the technical fear out of the DAW. “We’ll knock out common trouble spots and build your confidence with the machine, so you can spend your energy making better creative decisions.”