Tuning in to Soundwriting

The Bandwidth of Podcasting

by Eric Detweiler

oscilloscope visualization display sound waves as electrical signals: two jagged green lines on a black background
1. The Giant Pool of Podcasts 2. Medium, Format, and Genre 3. A Taxonomy of Podcast Genres 4. Digital Drivetime 5. Distribution and Circulation 6. Who's There? 7. Seriality, Scale, and Collaboration 8. To Be Continued? 9. Credits and References 10. Appendices: Resources for Teaching Podcasts in Rhetoric and Writing Courses & Podcasts by Rhetoric and Writing Scholars

10. Appendices

Appendix A: Resources for Teaching Podcasts in Rhetoric and Writing Courses

Audacity Basics: Recording, Editing, Mixing: This popular video by Kyle Stedman walks viewers through the basic functions of Audacity, an open-source audio-editing program that's a good free option for teachers and students interested in podcasting. See also Mathew Gomes's chapter in this collection.

HowSound: A podcast produced by Transom. Episodes address different aspects of "radio storytelling," including "Avoiding Pesky Recording Problems," "Basic Sound Design," and "Narrating for an Audience." Relevant for students working on assigned audio projects as well as teachers and scholars interested in creating their own podcasts.

Teaching Podcasting: A Curriculum Guide for Educators: This guide from NPR walks teachers and students through some of the basic steps involved in planning and creating a podcast.

There's More: A student-produced podcast from the University of San Diego that "collects diverse stories about how USD community members pursue a purpose-filled life by confronting humanity's urgent challenges." A potential model for students working on their own podcasts.

VandyVox: A podcast that "showcases the best of student-produced audio at Vanderbilt University." While its episodes are mostly standalone rather than serialized, it provides nice examples of student-produced audio projects for both teachers and students.

Appendix B: Podcasts by Rhetoric and Writing Scholars

Part 9. Credits and References