Podcasting course showcases the power of storytelling by bringing real-world experiences and perspectives into the classroom
On paper, Journalism 2230 is a course that focuses on learning the history, legal and ethical issues of podcasting. Since podcasting is only a little over 20 years old, you may wonder how an instructor could fill 15 weeks, make the content engaging and keep students interested. For Chris Stewart, who has been hosting his own podcast since 2018, it’s not a problem. He says it’s all about storytelling.
“Storytelling is what podcasting is all about,” said Stewart. “So, I tell them the story of podcasting and they learn about how podcasting is always changing but at its core is a unique, personal storytelling platform.”
The Podcasting Survey course provides a comprehensive review of the podcasting industry's past and present with a focus on audio journalism. Students learn about the platform's emergence and development, the tenets and purposes of journalistic podcasts, consumer behavior and industry trends. There are no pre-requisites to take the class, and the course is open to all majors.
Stewart, who also serves as the Operations Manager for the Scripps College of Communication and a varsity baseball coach at Eastern High School, co-hosts "The Coaching Life" podcast(opens in a new window) with friend and Meigs High School Head Baseball Coach Pat Martin. The two have honest conversations about topics related to youth sports: coaching, parenting, and player development. The real-world experience he brings to the class inspires students to want to learn more and possibly develop their own podcast.
“I decided to take the podcasting class because it was a requirement, and I didn’t really know much about podcasts. I hadn’t listened to any. I hadn’t been involved in that area of journalism. And I knew I would learn something,” said Junior Donovan Varney, a news and information major from Gahanna, Ohio. “By the end of the class, I had learned so much. I bought my own mic and got more and more interested in podcasting. I’m now thinking about starting my own podcast and I’m doing the podcasting certificate.”
Stewart requires a final project for the class where students work together to create a podcast. They are encouraged to use the Scripps Podcast Studio for the project. Located in the Schoonover Center lobby, the Podcast Studio is fully-equipped and has enough space for at least four people to record together and get podcast ideas rolling.
“I had always thought podcasting was interesting. My dad is big on podcasts. But I had a hard time sitting in one place and listening to one,” said Lucy Schaefer, journalism news and information major from West Chester, Ohio. “But during the class I became more passionate about podcasting. The class enhanced my knowledge of podcasting, and it was really interesting to see how it evolved over time. I realized I was missing out on podcasting.”
Stewart has been teaching the course since fall semester 2023. Because podcasting is still very young, the technology and way people consume them is constantly changing. Therefore, he must rework his course every semester to keep up.
“When I started teaching the class, YouTube was not a podcasting form. It did not have an RSS feed,” said Stewart. “But now, YouTube has podcasting capability, and it’s the fastest growing podcasting application.”
However, Stewart says what makes podcasts unique never changes. Podcasting can deliver intimate, on-demand audio storytelling, allowing for a personal connection with the hosts, that people can’t experience any other way.
“From getting a chance to listen a variety of podcasts and listen to Mr. Stewart tell stories, you are learning the history of podcasting but also learning how to podcast, how to frame a story and tell a story in that way,” said Varney.
And the course introduces students to the depth and variety of niche podcasts that are available. Some of the topics are things students didn’t even know existed and it opened their ears to understand the complicated stories of others while sparking conversation in class about their own thoughts and perspectives.
“Mr. Stewart needs to be given all the credit. He’s a teacher that prioritizes self-preservation and self-care. You walked out of the classroom with a different perspective,” said Schaefer. “There are so many different podcasts out there. Everyone has their own passions and preferences on what to listen to. But the one big takeaway from the course was I walked out having a more open mind.”