Option from List of Various Media: Media Choice
Podcast Option
For this project you choose which project you want to do: Podcast, Blog, or Wiki
Worth 10% of your final grade. Turn in on paper & online.
Due: email of podcast info due 10/12 (by midnight) paper, transcript/show notes, & podcast 10/26
The purpose of this assignment is for you to become more familiar with “reading” and “writing” a particular form of online publishing: Podcasts.
This assignment has five main parts:
Part 1: Due 10/12 (by midnight). Figure out what you want to do your podcast on. In a brief email to me describe your podcast. Tell me:
- What is your Podcast about?
- Who is the audience of your Podcast?
- What is the purpose of your Podcast?
- What genre or type of Podcast will you be doing?
- What style and tone will you be using?
- What is your engagement with the subject? Why did you choose to write about this subject?
- What content will your podcast have?
- Will you have a single podcast or multiple?
If you do not want to submit your podcast via iTunes University, present your argument for not doing so in this email (see below).
Part 2: Find and follow a Podcast of your choice (topic appropriate for class discussions) for 3 weeks or listen to the most recent 3 podcasts.
Part 3: Due 10/26, start of class. Create your own Podcast on the (appropriate) topic(s) of your choice.
For audio podcasts:
- If you are doing all original content for the podcast: 2-5 minutes
- If you are creating a podcast of your fiction, poetry, or other writings: 3-6 minutes
- If you are doing a podcast of other peoples' writing: have at least 1.5 minutes of original content (intro, outro, etc.) and at least 3.5 minutes of other content. Shoot for 5-8 minutes.
- If you are doing a music podcast (with previously recorded music): have at least 1.5 minutes of original content (intro, outro, etc.) and at least 5.5 minutes of other content. Shoot for 7-13 minutes.
For video podcasts:
- If it is edited: Do half the above recommendations for audio podcasts
- If it is unedited: Follow the above recommendations for audio podcasts
To meet the recommended length requirements you can do a single podcast or multiple podcasts.
If you are doing a music podcast or reading others’ writing, you
should, ideally, have permission to use these media or use public
domain or creative commons material. I recommend choosing creative
commons music for a music podcast with the correct licensing. If you do
not have permission to use your materials, discuss this with me.
If you use any outside material—other’s writing, music, images, or
whatever—make sure you give credit for these. Full source info can be
provided in a transcript or show notes, but author/artist and title at
least must be provided in the podcast.
Audio podcasts must undergo a moderate level of editing. Verbal ticks
and repetitions of the same wording should be removed. Sound levels
should be consistent. Popping, microphone noises, and background noises
should be minor and not too distracting. These do not have to be
perfectly edited, but should have some editing.
While most podcasts are posted to a blog, you do not need to do this; however you may, if you so desire.
Part 4: Due 10/26, start of class. Along with your podcast do a full transcript or show notes. Submit this on paper or on the accompanying blog, if there is one.
Part 5: Due 10/26, start of class on paper. Submit a paper discussing your Podcast experiences. This has two main parts:
- Summary: Provide a summary and analysis of the Podcast you
followed for 3 weeks/3 episodes. Discuss the types of casts, any
comments, frequency of comments, type of Podcast (political,
technology, sports, news-based… see Morris & Terra Podcasting for Dummies,
Chapter 3 (as noted in class) for various types, audience, purpose, and
tone/style. Include the URL to the Podcast you followed.
- Reflection: Also, reflect on your own experiences doing a Podcast, including:
- What type of Podcast did you do?
- How did it go?
- How easy/hard was it to come up with material?
- What audience, purpose, and tone were you aiming at? Why?
- How did you handle tone? Ethos? Style? Delivery?
- Why did you choose to Podcast about this subject?
- Did you do a full transcript or show notes? Why?
- What extras, such as music, did you use and why?
- What parts of a podcast did you use (see our slides from class on parts of a Podcast) How do Podcasts compare to other types of electronic writing and publishing?
Also, let me know where to find your podcast. This paper should be 1+ pages (not less than 1 full page) in 10-12 pt font single-spaced.
