Podcasts are booming. In fact, about one-third of Americans now say they have listened to a podcast, according to Pew Research.

In Chicago, the podcasting landscape is ripe with talented creators and wonderful stories. Public Narrative is proud to count top hosts Monica Eng of the podcast “Chewing” and Richard Steele of the “Barbershop Show” among our past Studs Terkel Award winners.

For nonprofit organizations, in Chicago and beyond, podcasts are a fantastic opportunity to tell your story. Here’s why your organization should be making one.

Why podcasts?

  • Podcasts can establish you or your organization as a thought leader.
    • Through interviews, audio thought pieces and dispatches from the front lines of the work you do, podcasting can demonstrate your expertise in the field.
  • Podcasts can help you reach a new audience.
    • The world of podcasts needs more non-profits. Moreover, podcast listeners are often devoted. Subscribing is easy and shows are delivered automatically to mobile devices.
  • Podcasts are a platform to tell your story and highlight the voices of people you work with.
    • The voice is a powerful tool. Think of all the emotion you have when you explain your work. With audio, you can capture that passion and move your audience to action.
  • Podcasts are cheap to produce.
    • Unlike video, podcasts require relatively little equipment. With a quality microphone and inexpensive software, your organization can quickly start producing professional sounding content.

Now’s the time to start.

Get started

Public Narrative is offering a Podcasting training on Wednesday, Nov. 2 led by Charlie Meyerson.

Meyerson is a radio journalist and is the winner of a national 2016 Edward R. Murrow Award for online audio investigative reporting.

He has taught for us before. In fact, you can hear the results:

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“I was delighted to work closely over the summer in Chicago with the Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest at the American Institutes for Research, which has just published the first of its podcasts produced under my guidance—a relationship that developed during my first Public Narrative workshop. It follows many of the practices I’ll be discussing in our next session.”

Listen to the REL Midwest podcast below.

Click here to learn more about this training and register.