Nov 16, 2021 Presenting Research Through Podcasting

By Robert Nelson

Greetings, 

Edison Research, which is a media data and election polling company, released their annual Infinite Dial report for 2019. The auditory medium of podcasting was the highlight of that year. 

Podcasting shows explosive year-over-year growth as gains in spoken-word audio mark the 2019 Infinite Dial Study by Edison Research and Triton Digital®. Among the U.S. population ages 12 and older, the total number of people who have ever listened to a podcast passes 50% for the first time. 

“This is a watershed moment for podcasting–a true milestone. With over half of Americans 12+ saying that they have ever listened to a podcast, the medium has firmly crossed into the mainstream,” noted Tom Webster, Senior Vice President at Edison Research. 

Just in time for the pandemic! In ways that parallel the visual connection of a Zoom meeting, podcasts are an ideal way for the University of Utah community to showcase their research via audio streams. Podcasts have an advantage over Zoom, Netflix, YouTube, etc., because consuming the content doesn’t require your direct visual attention. Podcasts are ideal “sponge time” activities. Listeners can hear their ‘casts in the car, at the gym, waiting for the bus, etc. 

I have been podcasting since before the term was invented (circa 2004.) My current music podcast, Smile Jamaica, just hit the 3 million minutes streamed milestone. I think that showcases my bonafides in the medium. As Head of Media Studios, about 80% of audio projects are podcasts. Creativity and Innovation Services even opened a Podcast Booth this fall to expand access and hours beyond my typical work schedule. 

With Covid 19 dispersing faculty, staff and students to their domiciles, podcasting can be a novel way to showcase research. Podcasts are a simple .mp3 file format. They can be added anywhere: departmental websites, online course syllabi and (mostly) via commercial media streaming sites. 

Here are the Top 5 sites to find podcasts according to Edison Research: 

1. Spotify 29% 

1. Pandora 20% 

1. Google Play 16% 

1. Amazon Music 14% 

1. Apple Music 12% 

Associate Vice President for Research Integrity, Erin Rothwell, reached out to me about creating a podcast series to showcase Research Education. She wanted the ‘casts to be short and impactful: 5 to 10 minutes in length. Called the REdpodcast (RE – for Research Education), we have been recording her stalwart team in the Audio Studio since Summer 2021.  

The guest crafts the questions and formulates answers. I ask the questions and get out of the way. Research Education staff, including Erin herself, have the option to come into the Audio Studio, (always my preference), or can call in via phone. As well as being the host, I record and edit the sessions. I then upload the finished podcast to UBox. 

We have recorded close to ten of these information intense podcasts. 

The REd Podcast: Research Integrity for U | Podcast on Spotify 

Just as we were coming back to campus, Dean of Architecture + Planning, Keith Diaz Moore, arranged to record his College’s podcast, Changing Places, in the Audio Studio. 

Keith interviews his faculty about their research. I record and edit the podcasts and, once again, upload them via UBox. I have heard some fantastic stories regarding Zoom Towns in Montana and Idaho, why city parks on the West side of Salt Lake City have no trees, and how the College of Architecture + Planning is addressing equity, diversity, and inclusion. We have recorded more than a half dozen episodes so far. 

Changing Places had a nice write-up in @theU (Nov. 1, 2021). 

Here is their link intending to bring podcast consumers to their webpage: Changing Places. 

Senior University of Utah leadership have embraced the value of podcasts as interlocuter between a dry, academic paper – that few will actually read – and the compelling drama of auditory digital stories. 

The dissemination of research takes many forms at the University of Utah.

Robert Nelson | Head of Media Studios
Creativity & Innovation Services / Media Studios
robert.nelson@utah.edu