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With a new month, we bring you… a new show!
Vocal Fry principal Katie Jensen has been working on Rights Back At You for over a year. It’s hosted by Daniella Barreto, the digital activism coordinator at Amnesty International Canada. Daniella wrote a post for the Vocal Fry blog about what she learned about making a branded podcast. The process took a year and nine months — as Daniella points out, that’s like having a baby… twice.
You should read her whole post, but here are some of her takeaways:
Plan and know your audience. I wanted this project to be by and for Black people, but Amnesty was not the place to do that. Black people already know these stories. So even though I struggled with accepting I was doing this at first – this is a show primarily for white people and non-Black POC. Its goal is human rights education. The sooner you can figure out who your show is really for and what its purpose is, the sooner you can hone in on tone, style, and delivery. Handwringing about your audience or making something for everyone is showkiller number one.
You can do way more than you think. Audio equipment terrified me. Amnesty bankrolled some decent gear, but I had never tried field recording on my own before. Jay Cockburn’s The Podcaster’s Audio Guide truly saved my bacon. Its accessibility, straightforwardness, and diagrams made getting good tape less intimidating.
It’s going to take longer than you think. Even longer than that. EVEN LONGER.
We’re really proud of Katie and Daniella – read Daniella’s post, and then go listen to the first two episodes!
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Here's what else we’ve got our eye on:
Vocal Fry producer Kattie Laur is going to be presenting at PodCamp 2023! It runs from February 24 to 26 at Toronto Metropolitan University. Kattie’s giving a talk on the state of Canada's podcast ecosystem. As the writer of the FANTASTIC newsletter Pod The North, Kattie has her finger on the pulse and is brimming with illuminating insights.
Sound designer Tristan Capacchione wrote a great post about accessible audio settings for film and television.
Buzzsprout looked at over 100,000 podcasts to find some answers to common questions about podcasts. Here are their results!
In Canadian media news, there seems to be a lot going on with Overstory Media Group, who just laid off four of the seven employees at Capital Daily, a local outlet in Victoria, British Columbia.
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If you’re the kind of person who says, “screw circadian rhythms! I make my own body time,” then you might be exactly the right person to apply for the early morning producer role at Global News. The shift is 3 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday to Friday.
The Canadian Press is hiring a full-time sports editor/reporter based in Toronto or Montreal. Both cities are freezing cold right now, but Montreal rent is still cheaper, if you’re in the position to make a decision. Apply by February 10.
Intrepid podcast reporters! The Verge is hiring a temporary, full-time reporter for Hot Pod, a very excellent podcast newsletter. It’s not entirely clear to me whether you have to be currently eligible to work in the U.S. for this position, but it does seem to be remote.
CBC Indigenous is hiring a temporary, full-time social media presenter. Apply by EOD today.
CBC Calgary is hiring a full-time, permanent associate producer for The Homestretch. Apply by EOD February 16.
CBC Radio is hiring a temporary, full-time producer for The Rundown. Apply by EOD February 7.
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I am a long-time, dedicated subscriber to Sonia Weiser’s newsletter, Opportunities of the Week, where she shares calls for pitches. If you need an amuse-bouche before you subscribe, a whole bunch of editors responded to her tweet asking for calls for pitches.
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This week’s recommendation comes from our very own max collins!
i sense that Katie Jensen may be too humble to brag about this amazing project herself, but i will be anti-humble for her. Rights Back At You is a new podcast from Amnesty International that examines police surveillance and anti-Black racism since the start of this decade. The first episode pulls you in immediately – host Daniella Barreto speaks with Derrick Ingram, a person who took part in the anti-police protests in June 2020. He recounts how, after he left the protest, he found himself cornered in his apartment by a swarm of NYPD officers and all of the intimidation gear they could carry. It's a look into how far modern police surveillance goes in quashing criticism, and within that is a story about a mourning community fighting back against oppressors to protect one of their own. On top of the fascinating episode premises, the sound design really is something else. Seriously, listen to it, and then listen to the rest of the season. It's so so so good.
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Listen to Rights Back At You on your fave platform:
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what's happening at vocal fry
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We’re looking for sources! The third season of Brain Canada’s podcast, Playing With Marbles, is underway! The season will be about under-30s mental health, and we invite you to be a part of it. Maybe you’re tired of hearing people flippantly say, “I’m soooo OCD,” or maybe you want to tell people what it’s really like to live with an eating disorder, bipolar disorder, or depression. If you’re under 30 years old, live with any of the conditions listed below, and want to talk about it during our upcoming season – we want to hear from you.
ADHD
OCD & body dysmorphia
Anxiety, panic disorders and phobia
Bipolar I & II
Criminalized disorders (substance and impulse control)
Depression
PTSD/Trauma-related disorders
Send us an email with a little bit about yourself and why you want to be on the podcast to info@vocalfrystudios.com. A member of the team will be in touch. Or, if you’re a clinician or researcher who knows someone that would be a great fit for this show, please feel free to pass along our contact details.
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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 February 10. Until then, here’s an update from producer Max’s new roommate, Slick.
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Yours in friends and fries,
Michal
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