nhpr

Our fourth S in the 6S framework for hooking your audience and keeping them with you is surprise. It's the left turn when we're expecting a righthand one that makes us listen. It's the twists and turns of an involved, high-stakes plot that we love, or the ending of the movie or the novel that we didn't predict. As New Hampshire Public Radio Senior Podcast Editor Katie Colaneri says, it's the "holy shit" moment. Part 4 features Katie Colaneri, NHPR reporter Sarah Gibson and her This American Life Story, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Quorum," and Kelly Corrigan of the PBS show Tell Me More and the podcast Kelly Corrigan Wonders. 

Apply the six storytelling strategies for creating unforgettable content to your own work!  
Sign up for our interactive, virtual Hook Your Audience & Keep Them Coming Back workshop
Thursday, March 14, 2024
By developing skills from story structure to scene-making, suspense to specifics, you'll learn to create or improve the show, story, article or speech that expresses what you want to express, captivates the people you want to reach, and achieves quality and depth you can be proud of. You'll move from likes and follows to building trusted, engaged relationships with your audience. 

These practices work separately and together to ratchet up both the substance and the "wow factor" of your content, no matter the platform.

Did you miss Part 1 on Sound Vision? Listen here. 

Be sure to follow Sound Judgment so you don't miss the next bite-sized episodes on: 
Part 3: Scenes
Part 4: Surprise
Part 5: Suspense
Part 6: Specifics

All of these segments — each around 10 minutes or less — will come together soon for a full episode on How to Hook Your Audience and Keep Them Coming Back. 

You won't miss a thing if you sign up for my Sound Judgment newsletter, which includes the popular hands-on segment "Try This in Your Studio," kudos to creators who are lifting up the art and business of audio storytelling, news about the show, and useful resources. 


"Six S" Storytelling Resources

Shows and storytellers mentioned in this series: 

Bone Valley

Cohosts: Gilbert King and Kelsey Decker

Marketplace
John Barth, Creative Media LLC

The 13th Step, an award-winning documentary series on sexual misconduct in the addiction treatment 

Reporter: Lauren Chooljian
Story Editor: Alison Macadam
New Hampshire Public Radio

Daily Creative 

Host: Todd Henry
Producer: Joshua Gott

Famous & Gravy
Cohosts: Amit Kapoor & Michael Osborne

The Rich Roll Podcast
Host: Rich Roll
Guest: Charles Duhigg
Book: Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg

Crime Show
"Paging Dr. Barnes"
Host & Executive Producer: Emma Courtland

Katie Colaneri
Senior Podcast Editor
New Hampshire Public Radio

Kelly Corrigan Wonders
Tell Me More with Kelly Corrigan
"Bryan Stevenson"
"Samantha Power" 
Host: Kelly Corrigan

This American Life
"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Quorum"
Reporter: Sarah Gibson

Chameleon: Wild Boys
Host: Sam Mullins

Full Sound Judgment episodes featuring these storytellers

Bone Valley: How to Make a True Crime Podcast That Makes a Difference (Gilbert King, Kelsey Decker)

The Host Defines the Brand with John Barth

How to Make Serious Topics Fun with the Hosts of Famous & Gravy (Amit Kapoor, Michael Osborne)

Cinematic Storytelling with Crime Show's Emma Courtland

How to Pitch an Audio Documentary and the Unusual Origin of a This American Life Story (Katie Colaneri)

The Art of True Curiosity with Kelly Corrigan of Kelly Corrigan Wonders

How to Make Listeners Breathless for More with Wild Boys' Sam Mullins 
 

Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, scriptwriting and more. 

Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Storytelling Skills; How to Build Relationships through Storytelling, and more. 

Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com.

Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. 

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✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com

💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts

🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 

🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socials

Help us find and celebrate today’s best hosts
Who’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment.

Credits 

Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. 

Host: Elaine Appleton Grant

Podcast Manager: Tina Bassir

Production Manager: Andrew Parrella

Audio Engineer: Kevin Kline

Production Assistant: Audrey Nelson

The episode(s) discussed on today’s Sound Judgment: This American Life Episode 776, “I Work Better on Deadline.” Segment: “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Quorum.”

Reporter: Sarah Gibson, NHPR

Producer: Chris Benderev

How to be a great host: Katie’s takeaways: 

1. What are your holy shit moments? 
   We need holy shit moments. What are those surprises – in the story, or about the people in your story – that make you say, “Wow, you’re never going to believe this!” Holy shit moments help get your pitch accepted – and they generate word of mouth.
2. In your pitch, identify people – characters – who have high stakes and are in conflict with each other. Make sure you have access to them, too. Care about these people and frame your story through their eyes – in the This American Life story we dissected here, why it matters that one man imagines an eight-year-old breaking a violin, and another is terrified at the prospect of paying thousands to send his kid to a public high school. Snowshoes and violins make important things memorable. Issues alone do not.
3. Here’s a three step pitch process for longform narrative: First, write a text-based pitch. This can be a short query letter or a full-fledged slide deck. Then, produce a sizzle reel. Use your best tape from whatever you’ve collected so far. If audio production isn’t your strong suit, ask for help. Finally, get feedback from friends or colleagues. Choose good storytellers or folks who have a great understanding of your potential audiences. Revise as necessary.
4. Editors and program directors in public media have tough decisions to make about podcasts. Done well, they can grow your audience enormously. 96% of the NHPR Document feed’s audience is from outside New Hampshire (Katie corrected that figure post-production). But managed poorly, podcasts can rob newsrooms of talent and even hurt local news. As Katie says, the Daily News needs of the state are great. A longform project has to meet a high bar if we’re going to take a reporter out of the newsroom. The new greenlight process helps them decide how to vet story pitches and decide what’s worth listeners’ time - and reporters’ time. This process can help any newsroom, and any podcast network.

About Katie Colaneri

Katie Colaneri is the senior editor of New Hampshire Public Radio’s Document team, which produces longform narrative audio documentaries. The team’s most recent work includes season 2 of the acclaimed true crime podcast, Bear Brook. Before joining NHPR in February 2022, she was the assistant news director at WHYY in Philadelphia, where she helped lead the newsroom for about five years. During that time, Katie also grew the station’s podcast portfolio, launching a daily news podcast and leading production of the Peabody-nominated investigative series Half Vaxxed. Katie is a graduate of Wellesley College. 

Connect with Katie on LinkedIn
 

Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly publication about creative choices in audio storytelling. 

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Help us find and celebrate today’s best hosts!
Who’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Share them with us! Write us: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment.

Work with us

• We make original podcasts for NGOs, purpose-driven brands, and universities
• We also offer podcast strategy and consulting services
• Or contact us about our public media and individual training services for content creators and on-air talent

Visit podcastallies.com or email us at allies@podcastallies.com for more information. 

Credits 

Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. 

Host: Elaine Appleton Grant

Project Manager: Tina Bassir

Sound Designer: Andrew Parella

Illustrator: Sarah Edgell

Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, scriptwriting and more. 

Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Storytelling Skills; How to Build Relationships through Storytelling, and more. 

Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com.

Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. 

Connect:

Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram

✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com

💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts

🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 

🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socials

Help us find and celebrate today’s best hosts
Who’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment.

Credits 

Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. 

Host: Elaine Appleton Grant

Podcast Manager: Tina Bassir

Production Manager: Andrew Parrella

Audio Engineer: Kevin Kline

Production Assistant: Audrey Nelson

At the end of the COVID tunnel, the thought of light is very appealing — 2020 was a whopper. The pandemic has affected us all differently. We’ve developed our own ways of navigating hurdles and managing emotional stress. Middle and high school kids faced unique challenges as they missed iconic milestones and were robbed of social lives. While drugs and alcohol have always been a concern for parents, 2020 saw a rise in addiction among adolescents looking for a coping mechanism. Author Richard Capriola brings decades of experience to the conversation and shares ideas on how parents can best support their kids. His book, “The Addicted Child,” lays out the warning signs and offers seasoned advice to help turn this trend around.
 

Episode 43 of Modern Dadhood opens with a brief catch-up on Marc’s solo-dadding weekend and a realization that the release of this episode falls on the Friday of Mother’s Day weekend. The guys quickly formulate a plan to let their wives take over the next episode and mom it up for half an hour!

The guys discuss their (quite different) experiences with their second doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which leads into a conversation about the pandemic, the light at the end, and the impacts that the past year has had on people of all ages. The guys discuss the differences between younger children and high school aged adolescents and coping mechanisms for stress, depression, and trauma—including drugs and alcohol. Marc brings up a recent episode of NHPR’s The Exchange, covering a similar topic with guest Jessica Lahey, before playing back a recent conversation with author Richard Capriola.

Richard is a father one grown son who has spent much of his career counseling young people with alcohol and substance abuse issues, and recently published the book The Addicted Child, A Parent’s Guide to Adolescent Substance Abuse. Rick joins to promote his book, and we discuss topics including:

•  Raising his son as a widower
•  The importance of writing a simple and clear guide for parents
•  The harm in labeling someone an "addict"
•  When is the right time to discuss substance misuse with your kids?
•  The neuroscience of adolescent substance use
•  What has changed from the "Just Say No" era to now?
•  Warning signs to watch out for in our kids
•  The importance of listening to words and the feelings behind them
•  What assessments are, and why they're important
•  The impact of the pandemic on young people
 

The episode culminates with a no-explanation-needed installment of Did I Just Say That Out Loud? in which Adam finds himself doing... some dirty work.

Stay tuned for Episode 44, when our wives will take over the podcast—and do whatever the heck they want with the time!

[Episode Transcript]

Links:
Richard Capriola [website]
The Addicted Child [Amazon]
DrugFree.org
Red Vault Audio
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Stuffed Animal [Marc's musical project]

There are tons of investigative, True Crime podcasts. But how many actually contributed to solving a cold case?
This week we feature Bear Brook, an investigative series that profiled, and helped solve, a 30-year old quadruple-murder.
Host and reporter, Jason Moon, joins us to discuss the science, amateur sleuthing and all the details of this very complicated case.