At the beginning of the pandemic, one of my freelance gigs was working on a corporate podcast. A few episodes looked at how shifting from work from home to a hybrid workplace would impact company culture.

One of my favourite podcasts at the time was The Cut from New York Magazine. I loved it because they opened the mic to employees of the magazine – whether they were writers, reporters, or admin staff – to share personal stories, opinions, and experiment with each other. I got to hear the company culture come alive and also got a better understanding of the force creating work that I loved. 

This is what I referenced to my client at the time. In order to make a great show and have a meaningful conversation about company culture, they should open up the dialogue to more than executives and senior management. Talking to entry-level employees and sales staff is where they could really showcase their company values and how they work. As a B2B podcast, that’s how the podcast could likely impact their bottom line, too. 

They ended up doing just that. After inviting employees onto the podcast, the executive team got a lot of valuable insight into how employees wanted their company to be run in a new hybrid world.

My contract ended before I could find out if there had actually been any systemic change in the company culture. But based on what I’ve heard from my partner and friends who work regular-people corporate jobs, seeing meaningful action based on employee feedback is rare. Being an actual part of major decision-making can feel like a pipe dream.

That’s why the recent announcement from Maximum Fun podcast network has been really exciting to witness: they're changing to a cooperative ownership model by the summer.

“Worker-owners collectively control the business,” MaxFun wrote on their website. “In MaxFun’s case, this control is going to take the form of worker-owners directly voting on major company decisions, and electing a Board of Directors from fellow-worker owners. As in the case of any company, the Board is responsible for steering the company’s strategy and overseeing management.”

The worker-owner model is in stark contrast to what we’ve seen happening in the podcasting ecosystem lately. There’s been a lot of uncertainty for podcast professionals working at major networks and media conglomerates across North America. 

This year alone, Spotify announced that it would lay off 6 per cent of its workforce; NPR announced it would lay off 10 per cent of its staff; and recently, The Globe laid off seven women, only to open up those positions again months later. 

Many people in podcasting are scratching their heads wondering who the heck knows what. Most of the conversations I have with fellow podcasters are spent wondering who is making the god-awful decisions that lead to “podcasting is dead”-style headlines and way too much money invested in “blockbuster” podcasts instead of employees.

MaxFun’s current owner, Jess Thorn, could have been yet another podcasting leader to sell off the network to a major podcasting player like Spotify or iHeart. He said as much in the announcement video on their website. Instead, he sold it to his employees, opting for a more democratic and equitable way of doing business. 

I gotta say, if this is the new trend of leaders in podcasting I am all for it.

The Globe and Mail's executive producer, Kiran Rana is going on maternity leave and needs someone to sub-in! This 12-month contract position includes benefits and parental leave. The job posting says that The Globe has an on-site chiropractor and registered massage therapist, which is an enticing tempting offer. No pay info or deadline to apply was provided.

If you’re looking for part-time work, Pacific Content is hiring a “casual producer” on a contract basis. Candidates should be based in Vancouver or Toronto and will be working on original audio programming with the showrunner and executive producer. Since this is a contract position, it doesn’t look like it comes with benefits. No payment or deadline info is provided.

Are you looking for a news job in Winnipeg? Global Winnipeg is hiring a full-time digital broadcast journalist / news producer! You’ll be chasing and writing stories for web content and social media. Deadline to apply is March 28. You’ll have to ask for pay info in the interview.

102.1 The Edge is looking for an on-air/social media contributor based in Toronto. It looks like Corus is all in on the trend of podcast and radio clipping on TikTok, in case you haven’t been sucked into the Virgin Radio “Ghosted” series like I have. Applications include an audition reel, and the deadline to apply is April 7. No pay info provided.

Dear Next Gen by Montage is looking for a freelance social media manager to help promote the podcast. For just two to three hours per week, you’d create posts for Instagram reels and stories. This could be a nice little gig to take on if you’re looking for extra pocket-money on a weekly basis.

Atypical Artists has created a resource page full of incredible info for making audio dramas, from a production handbook to budget templates, and way more. Check it out here. 

The National Media Awards Foundation has announced their second annual BIPOC Mentorship Program. The program is aimed at equipping early- and mid-career BIPOC publishing professionals across Canada with skills and support by pairing them with a senior publishing professional. You’ll be a part of the second (and last) wave of the year, which runs from April to June 30, 2023. Applications close next Friday, March 31!

We’ve all collectively decided we’re not working for “exposure” anymore right? Here’s an amazing thread with 4 ways to *professionally* say, “I’m not doing that for free.”

GETSOME, a podcast aiming to ignite a sexual revolution, has launched its second season! If you’re curious about the difference between mainstream porn and feminist porn, check out the first episode with porn director and psychotherapist Sonya JF Barnett.

We want to hear from you! What are you looking for in your podcast news? Let us know on Twitter, Instagram, or by email at info@vocalfrystudios.com.

Thanks to Emily Latimer for editing this newsletter and to Katie Jensen for designing it.

We’ll see you again on March 31! Michal will be back. Until then, here’s an update from max collin’s new roommate, Pancake, the crested gecko. She is “flat and round like a pancake” and is on a diet for that reason. A special thanks to max too, for getting me out of my writer's block!

Yours in friends and fries,
Kattie