Ann Heppermann

We are living in an era in which narrative audio series have thrived, with shows like This American Life, Radiolab, and other narrative audio series having dominated the podcasting space for decades. This phenomena happens all while journalism feels as though it is on a precipice, as more and more people get their information from a growing collection of media sources. This course will teach students the fundamentals of how narrative journalism and audio storytelling continues to thrive, while we explore where the field of journalism is going and how the entertainment industry continues to intrude. Students will learn practicalities of investigating stories, writing for the ear, audio editing and mixing, along with how to create a pitch deck and publish their works. We will also reflect on the theoretical and ethical considerations for narrative journalism. We will ask questions, such as: How does imposing narrative structures affect nonfiction storytelling? How do narrative shows deal with ethical missteps? What does it mean to have “a voice”? Does it matter who gets to tell the story? (The answer on the last question is “yes.” We will discuss why.) Producers, editors, and freelancers for This American Life, Audible, Radiolab, and others will visit the class to provide insight into their shows and answer student questions. At the end of the course, students will broadcast their works and have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to seasoned industry players.

The goal of this course will be to start a creative revolution. By diving deep into the audio-fiction landscape, we will explore and put forth the ways in which student voices can be used to create the next generations of creative audio fiction and podcasting. Our goal will be to change the current landscape of podcasting and audio fiction while challenging it and breaking systemic barriers. In this course, students will learn to write and produce groundbreaking contemporary audio dramas and learn how to publish them. We will listen to works from venerable podcasts, such as Welcome to Night Vale, The Magnus Archives, Alice Isn't Dead, and many others. We will also listen to audio fiction from collectives, such as Mermaid Palace, and provocative companies, such as Dipsea, that explicitly address identity and sexuality to challenge the status quo. Also, we will create our own critical discourse for contemporary audio drama—analyzing writings and essays from the fields of screenwriting, sound art, contemporary music, and literature—to help understand and analyze the works that we are creating. Creators from Welcome to Night Vale, The Magnus Archives, and other production houses will join our discussions to talk about their stories and creative processes. Throughout the semester, students will make works and create their own podcasts. At the end of the semester, students will broadcast their works and also have the ability to learn how to pitch their ideas to networks.

We are living in “The Golden Age of Narrative Audio.” Shows like This American Life, Radiolab, More Perfect, and numerous other story-driven shows not only dominate podcasts and airwaves but also have created the paradigm for emerging shows like 99% Invisible, Love + Radio, and many others. We’ve also entered the age of the serialized podcast with limited-run series like Missing Richard Simmons, Heaven’s Gate, S-Town, and others put out by podcast companies like Gimlet, Panoply, First Look Media, Pineapple Street Media, and WNYC Studios. This class will teach students the practicalities of how narrative radio journalism in the age of serialized podcasting works, while we explore what this narrative movement means for the future of audio journalism. Students will learn practicalities; e.g., pitching both multipart and narrative stories, using the actual “call for stories” from studios and shows like This American Life, Radiolab, and Nancy and from podcasting companies like Pineapple Street Media and Gimlet; the fundamentals of how to record and mix stories using the latest digital editing technology; what narrative editors expect in a series; and the skills necessary for a podcast internship. We will also reflect on the theoretical and ethical considerations for this “Golden Age of Narrative Audio.” We will ask questions, such as: How does imposing narrative structures affect nonfiction storytelling? How do narrative shows deal with ethical missteps? What does it mean to have “a voice”? Does it matter who gets to tell the story? (Answer on the last question is “yes.” We’ll discuss why.) Producers, editors, and freelancers for This American Life, Radiolab, and Pineapple Street Media will visit the class to provide insight into their shows and answer student questions. The class will also take a field trip to Gimlet or Pineapple Street Media to see podcasting in action.

We are living in “The Golden Age of Narrative Audio.” Shows like This American Life, Radiolab, and numerous other story-driven shows not only dominate podcasts and airwaves but also have created the paradigm for shows like 99% Invisible, Love + Radio, and many others. We’ve also entered the age of the serialized podcast with limited-run series and others put out by podcast companies like Audible, Spotify, Gimlet, First Look Media, WNYC Studios, and so many others. This class will teach students the practicalities of how narrative audio podcasting works, while we explore what this narrative movement means. Students will learn practicalities; e.g., pitching both multipart and narrative stories, using the actual “call for stories” from studios and shows like This American Life and Radiolab and from audio companies like Audible and Spotify; the fundamentals of how to record and mix stories using the latest digital-editing technology; what narrative editors expect in a series; and the skills necessary for a podcast internship. We will also reflect on the theoretical and ethical considerations for this “Golden Age of Narrative Audio.” We will ask questions, such as: How does imposing narrative structures affect nonfiction storytelling? How do narrative shows deal with ethical missteps? What does it mean to have “a voice”? Does it matter who gets to tell the story? (Answer on the last question is “yes.” We’ll discuss why.) Producers, editors, and freelancers for This American Life, Audible, Radiolab, and others will visit the class to provide insight into their shows and answer student questions—and students will pitch audio executives their ideas at the end of the course.

The goal of this class is to start a revolution. We are currently in a robust audio industry, one that continues to do well even during this time of COVID-19. Even as audio thrives, however, there is a problem: The field is dominated by nonfiction. Our goal is to change that. In this class, students will learn to write and produce groundbreaking contemporary audio dramas and, eventually, attempt to sell them to a network. We will listen to works from venerable podcasts, such as Welcome to Night Vale, The Truth, Homecoming, Black Tapes, and Bright Sessions. We will also listen to audio fiction from collectives like Mermaid Palace that explicitly address identity and sexuality to challenge the status quo. And we will create our own critical discourse for contemporary audio drama—analyzing writings and essays from the fields of screenwriting, sound art, contemporary music, and literature—to help understand and analyze the works that we are creating. Creators from Welcome to Night Vale, Mermaid Palace, Gimlet, Neon Hum, and Audible will join our discussions to talk about their stories and production processes. The class will also act as judges for The Best New Artist category for the 2020 Sarah Awards—the first international audio-fiction award in the United States. Throughout the semester, students will make works and create their own podcasts. At the end of the semester, students will pitch their fiction ideas to audio executives at Audible—and who knows, maybe land a deal!