William Murray recommends a number of podcasts to listen to over the coming weeks and months in this short article for commonspace.eu
Whilst we all try to handle the stresses of COVID-19, movies and TV series are no doubt playing an important role as a form of escape, and this is certainly not something to feel guilty about. However, after having binge-watched the lion's share of on-demand streaming services, some will no doubt be looking for other ways to passively occupy themselves.
Just 16-years-ago, the Oxford English Dictionary got in touch with Ben Hammersley, a British journalist, to officially verify his coining of the word 'podcast' - a term he had suggested in an article during the emergence of the on-demand, internet-based, digital audio files [1]. Since then, podcasts have grown significantly in popularity, going from what Hammersley has described as "mostly unlistenable" MP3s, to an industry that is expected to pass $1 billion in advertising revenue by 2021 [2]. One of the attributes considered crucial to the growth of the podcasts is their accessibility - both the availability of a huge variety of programmes and the ease by which people can produce their own content. However, with such an abundance of options - and some podcasts, of course, being much better than others - it can be a little difficult to know where to start.
Below you will find a selection of some fantastic podcasts that we at commonspace.eu recommend to our readers. These range from serious journalistic offerings to relaxing, leisurely listens:
- For those looking for an interesting perspective on many of the world's ongoing conflicts... Message Heard's 'Conflicted' is a series of detailed conversations between Jihadi bombmaker turned MI6 double agent, Aimen Dean, and Middle-East expert Thomas Small. From Dean's first-hand experience, this podcast looks at everything from the war in Iraq to the ongoing civil wars in Syria and Yemen [3].
- For those looking to relax... Each episode of BBC Radio 4's 'Soul Music' looks at a different piece of music and what makes it so special. Its extensive back catalogue includes everything from Mozart's Requiem to Bob Marley's Redemption Song, alongside a variety of personal anecdotes by musicologists and everyday people, about what makes each piece so important to them [4].
- For those interested in history... Dan Carlin's 'Hardcore History' is a series of longform podcasts, exploring major moments in world history. "Carlin's work weaves historical information with deep questions and Twilight Zone-style twists to help illustrate the power and continuing relevance of the past." [5]
- For those interested in international criminal law... Recorded at The Hague Humanity Hub, Janet Anderson and Stephanie van den Berg's 'Asymmetrical Haircuts' is a podcast where two journalists speak to experts and commentators about international criminal justice [6]
- For those looking to switch off... Produced by Headgum, 'The Complete Guide to Everything' (TCGTE) podcast is not quite what its title suggests. Described in one review as "like having friends without having actual obligations," TCGTE is a light-hearted, often sarcastic, conversation between two close friends over everyday topics [7].
- For those looking to binge listen... Hosted by celebrated journalist, Sarah Koenig, 'Serial' is often hailed as being the podcast that made podcasts popular. To this day, it remains the world's most downloaded podcast. Koenig's investigative journalism shines spotlights on a 20-year-old murder case, a historic case of military justice, and the American justice system more generally [8].
What podcasts are you listening to? Do let us know @commonspace.eu
Source: William Murray, Project Officer and Coordinator at LINKS Europe, for commonspace.eu
Featured References:
[1] BBC News - 'How podcasts went from unlistenable to unmissable': https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49279177
[2] Forbes - 'Podcasting Is Going Mainstream': https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradadgate/2019/11/18/podcasting-is-going-mainstream/#686ee5cc1699
[3] Message Heard - 'Conflicted': https://messageheard.com/conflicted
[4] BBC - 'Soul Music': https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008mj7p/episodes/player
[5] Dan Carlin - 'Hardcore History': https://dchhaddendum.libsyn.com/
[6] 'Asymmetrical Haircuts' - https://www.asymmetricalhaircuts.com/what-about-asymmetrical-haircuts/
[7] Headgum - 'The Complete Guide to Everything': http://tcgte.com/
[8] 'Serial' - https://serialpodcast.org/
