Podcasts. Drought and Surf & Turf taste tests. Highs and lows of a 3,000 klm road trip North

Dust storm, just South of Walgett NSW
Photo Credit: Campbell Cooney

Greetings from the warm, sunny and temperate hills of Queensland's Atherton Tablelands.

The trip meter on the car tells me that since leaving Melbourne I've travelled nearly 3,000 kilometres with a driving time of around 30 hours, with all of it apart from the final leg from Townsville, through the inland of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. Across the last two states the signs of the devastating drought are everywhere. I took the photo above as I approached Walgett in Northern NSW. That was the heart of the storm, but even 200 kilometres up the road across the border at Dirranbandi, the sky was still coloured by earth in it. Those with an artistic bent seeing this might get a hard on and start raving about the colours and majesty and all sorts of other bullshit. But I'd suggest they keep their mouths shut when talking to locals out there. All they see is their l...

Right now it's a sad and sorry time if you're a fan of radio. The ABC's had its feathers trimmed, if not not completely shorn off. Commercial radio's dominated by a mix of boofy fuckwitted brekky, afternoon and drive crews dismally failing at being funny, or opinionated overpaid senior citizens who are happy to embrace the paid for views of their biggest sponsors, and make them their own. Sad thing is that the number of people who listen to this crap means they stay on air. Further proof that good taste, and intelligence, are often mutually exclusive. Call me an elitist if you want, but I spent years reporting on the opinions and views of the fuckwits who dominate public life in Australia and elsewhere, without losing the ability to make up my own mind about something. I'm happy to take onboard what they say, and I've certainly been influenced by them, but I've never felt the need to embrace them without thinking about it, or putting my own spin on it. Anyway, where wa...

When it comes to poking fun at a program like "This American Life" it's something you do carefully.

As we've heard here its spinoff podcast "Serial" is already being played for laughs. Now "That American Life" is doing it to big daddy.


Photo Copyright: That American Life This American Life's great success is that it takes human stories, which at first you might think are totally unimportant, and turning them into something that becomes gripping listening, something which must be credited to its host Ira Glass. That American Life (Rittle confusing. I think I need a drink) presented by Ira Class (Get it? Actually right now trying to differentiate between these two podcasts and their two presenters is getting a little confusing. I think I need a drink) ) takes the same earnest human approach to subjects no one really gives a fuck about. For example the man who places a winning bet on a horse race, raking in around $20.00. Enough to make him seriously c...

I don't know where you're reading this, maybe in one of the capital cities of Australia, maybe overseas in Europe, the USA or even in Asia?

But I'll take a bet that wherever you are it's hard to avoid this subcultural group?

Photo copyright: zanachin,blogspot.com.au

You guessed it. The Hipster, the urban, quasi intellectuals, who, like every subculture before them, try so hard to look like individuals, they look exactly the same as each other. And in the race to fall into line with their mates (Mind you I don't know if mate's a word a real hipster would actually use? Please dispute or discuss at your leisure) are helping fashion labels and retail outlets make a fortune.
As well as driving up sales of fixie pushbikes, craft beers, artisan bread and rolls, soy based beverages, and skinny legged jeans the hipsters are providing a boon for the tattoo industry. Originally the domain of motorcycle clubs, waterside workers, musicians and prisoners, tatto...

I'm going to use one word to describe "The Serial".

F@@@*^g amazing!

Yes I know that's more than one word, but the first word's not used in polite company.



Photo Credit: serial.podcast.org


Since it came into being The Serial has garnered praise from anyone who's heard it. There may be someone out there who hates it. There probably is. It's a free world and idiots have just as much a right to oxygen as any of us.

The serial's produced by the same people who bring us "This American Life" the broadcasting juggernaut which sets the bar for great production and great stories, and in this new production they've nail it again.

This is one story told over a number of weeks, a radio mini series you might say. It centres on the US city of Baltimore, and looks at the plight of Adnan Syed, who in 1999 was charged with the murder of his ex girlfriend Hae Min Lee. Each week we learn a new element to...

If you think about it a podcast if the perfect platform for a documentary.

Short or long, a one off or a serial. It allows you to listen at your leasure, at home, in bed, in the car, anywhere you want, whenever you want to.

The thing about a documentary is that if you want to do it justice then you have to listen to it actively. It can't really be background noise. What that means is that if you listen to on the radio or watch on TV, which is where most if not all the great ons originate, more on that later, and your attention wanders then you've missed out. The same happens when you're listening at your own pace, then you can rewind or re-listen. Perfect!

In the weeks ahead I'll look at some of the ones I'm pointing out here in more detail. But right now here a pick of some of the greats.

First stop is the BBC World Service. Each week it airs some of the best documentaries from its reporters and contributors around the world. Most are...

Now I'm not a lecturer. But as the title for this blog'll tell you, I listen to a lot of podcasts.

I listen to them in the car, and when, like I'm doing now, writing for this, and for the other things I do to try and earn a crust.

So, if I don't mind saying so, I reckon I have an idea of what works. So if you're passionate about the idea, and you and your mates, or family have the idea to create something, then here's a few ideas.

Now don't expect a list of the best technology you can use, or the best way to get the word out, be it Apple iTunes or another source. I'll look at some of those in the future.

Also I'm thinking about putting new thoughts here on a continual basis, as well as the thoughts and ideas of any of you who'd like to share?

So here goes.

• After a while swearing isn't really that cool. If you're an Australian based reader of this you'll know that broadcasters, radio and TV, have a bit of leeway

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I hate to say it, but in my career in the media one disappointing fact I have become aware of is that while science is important the science world's terrible at selling itself and the achievements of its members. From day one, be it at university, or on the job, reporters learn that at its essence when you tell a story, you answer six questions; who, what, why, when, where and how. Depending on the story one of those will be more important than the rest, but none are ignored. But scientists seem to work hard at ignoring this when called on to communicate with the wider world. I’m sure when they’re in a room talking to each other what they say makes perfect sense. But when you try and take what they doing, and turn it into a digestible news story your head can feel like it’s about to explode. Then when you’ve got your story out, often having to guess and use deduction to make sense of the gobbledygook, the scientist has shared with you, you’re, inevitably, in trouble for getting it w...

In broad terms a podcast will into one of two categories.

The first is the rebroadcast of a radio or television program. It goes to air, then's made available as media on demand. Think Hamish & Andy, or Late Night Live on the ABC's Radio National network. Often now if it's a prerecorded program, the release is simultaneous.

Second is the podcast created to straight online. The Sweetest Plum produced in Australia by Declan Fay and Nick Maxwell a notable success., and one show we'll look at in the future.

This American Life fits into category one and in many ways it sets the bar for what can be achieved. But it's also got a solid claim to be part of category two. Hosted by the person who started it in 1995 Ira Glass, it's produced in the studios of WBEZ in Chicago, and rebroadcast around the US. Those programs are also available as a podcast globally. In the US, the program estimates it has a million downloads a week. If you take into a...