International Journalism Festival 2016: “Podcast: the birth of a new medium?”

I am so proud to announce that I will be moderating the panel “Podcast: the birth of a new medium?” at the International Journalism Festival, in Perugia, on 8 April 2016. The Festival is an international gathering of the most forward thinking minds in media. Of course, my podcast Accidentally in Joburg is coming with me!

Panel description:

Podcasting reached mainstream popularity in 2014, with the success of the investigative show Serial. But podcasters have been around for ten years, producing audio shows on any imaginable topic (including podcasting itself!) in settings that range from professional radio studios to bedrooms. Now conventional media want to jump in and make their own online-only audio shows.

In this panel we want to explore podcasting as a distinct medium: what are the styles, techniques and challenges? How do podcast networks and platforms work? Is it possible to be a professional podcaster? How do podcasters reach their audience? News, entertainment, investigative journalism, fiction: are they different on a podcast?

In this international talk we will also try to understand what the non-anglophone podcast world can learn from the success of podcasting in the US.

I will discuss of all of this with Francesco Baschieri (CEO of Spreaker), Nick Quah (founder of Hot Pod), and Alessia Cerantola and Barbara Schiavulli (creators of Radio Bullets).

Podcast: the birth of a new medium?

Il podcast ha raggiunto la popolarità nel 2014, grazie al successo dello show investigativo Serial. Ma i podcaster esistono da almeno dieci anni, e da dieci anni producono show su ogni tema immaginabile (incluso il podcasting stesso!), in situazioni che vanno dallo studio professionale alla camera da letto. Adesso anche i media tradizionali vogliono lanciarsi e produrre programmi fatti solo per il web.

In questo panel esploreremo il podcast come un mezzo a sé, non come una replica della radio: quali sono gli stili, le tecniche, le difficoltà? Come funzionano le piattaforme e i network? Si può essere podcaster professionisti? Come si raggiunge il pubblico con un podcast indipendente? Notizie, intrattenimento, inchieste, fiction: come si declinano in un podcast?

In questa discussione transatlantica cercheremo anche di capire che cosa i podcaster non-anglofoni possano imparare dalle esperienze e dai successi americani.