Top 10 Podcasts for Journalists in 2016

It’s no secret that the podcasting world has seen quite the renaissance in 2015. It has never been easier to download your favourite podcast to take with you anywhere on your smart phone or tablet. Podcasts are an indispensable journalism resource and will become increasingly so in 2016. The modern journalist simply must keep abreast of the gadgets, software and trends shaping the industry today. The good news is that podcasts make this easier to do than ever-before! Here are ten amazing shows to wrap your ears around in 2016:

10. Content Warfare

Ryan Hanley presents ‘Content Warfare’, this serialized podcast features some of the world’s most prolific creators of online content. Popular topics include content creation and marketing, audience building and social media. This is a good one for anyone working in the digital media space who is keen to keep abreast of the latest trends and tools available out there.

9. @Sree show

Technology journalist Sree Sreenivasan was named Fast Magazine’s most creative person of 2015 for a reason, his podcast @Sreeshow is full of great hands-on advice for the digital journalist. Sree is prolific in the industry and taught at Columbia Journalism School for over 20 years before becoming Chief Digital Officer at the Met Museum of Art in New York City. He gives great advice everything from making the most of social media, photography and design, to tips on the latest mobile technologies. Worth a listen.

8. The High-Income Business Writing Podcast

Ed Gandia is a B2B writer who presents a show which looks at the nitty-gritty of what it takes to succeed in copywriting or business writing. This twice-monthly show is very much aimed at those working in the (freelance) business writing space. Gandia uses real-life case studies to demonstrate the best ways to find better clients, prepare content, or streamline your business as a freelancer (and much more). This is an entertaining and very hands-on podcast and is one to follow in 2016.

7. On The Media

This weekly hour-long radio show/podcast seeks to explore “how the media sausage is made”, as it “lifts the veil on the process of making-media”. And, it does. Hosts Brooke Gladstone and Bob Garfield take us behind the world’s headlines as they skeptically entertain us by revealing how the biggest stories are put together – whilst uncovering the not-so-obvious political narratives in everything we consume in the media. This is an eye-opener and should be required listening.

6. The Freelance Game

Veteran freelancers Andrew Hayward and Nathan Meunier co-host “The Freelance Game” podcast which covers the industry generally (with expertise in video gaming journalism). This very entertaining podcast specializes in dispensing advice on all areas of a freelance writer’s life. If you need advice on pitching to editors, interview strategies or diversifying your income as a freelancer then you need to check this out.

5. The Media Podcast with Olly Mann

The Media Podcast is recorded in London’s Covent Garden and is brought to us by Olly Mann (writer, gadget correspondent, LBC Radio presenter and occasional TV news commentator). Our affable presenter is our guide to all-things broadcast, print and digital media-industry related. The show frequently features leading UK-based journalists and should be required listening for anyone interested in the inner-workings of the British media.

4. How to Cover Money

The How To Cover Money podcast is a weekly podcast bought to us by Arizona State University’s Reynolds National Center For Business Journalism. Hosts Micheline Maynard and Mark Remillard offer advice on how to make money from stories (even if you aren’t a business journalist). This is a serialized podcast which comes from a business journalism perspective (but provides help for all journalists by offering useful strategies for covering and making money from stories more generally). A very good reference for anyone interested in business or financial journalism.

3. Journalism.co.UK

This is one of Britain’s leading media-related podcasts for a reason. Listeners are invited to take a look at the latest trends in digital journalism. The show often features industry experts who give an insight into how British newsrooms are handling these changes. Topics covered include everything from how to get into specific areas of journalism such as technology or broadcast, to tips for student journalists. The web-site (journalism.co.UK) is also worth a look and can be a great place to find media jobs.

2. The Media Show (BBC Radio 4)

Guardian columnist Steve Hewlett presents BBC Radio 4’s own ‘The Media Show’, a podcast which features discussions into areas such as censorship, business, ethics as well as general analysis of the fast-changing media world. Expect new episodes every Wednesday. This one is well-funded, well-produced and ensures influential guests on a regular basis. Recent guests include the Chief exec of Trinity Mirror, the owner of The Huffington Post, and the CEO of Virgin Media.

1. The Longform Podcast

Our number one podcast to follow in 2016 goes to The Longform Podcast. Each week hosts Max Linsky, Aaron Lammer and Evan Ratliff (CEO of media software company Atavist) invite a renowned journalist or editor to take us behind the scenes of a news story (whilst providing a master-class in journalism). If you want to get to know the people reporting the stories, or if you’re interested in how the world’s best staff writers or freelancers got started, then you need to listen to this podcast. Recent guests include a Pulitzer Prize winner, war-correspondents, and senior writers for the world’s leading publications. Longform deserves five-stars and wins the award for number-one podcast to follow in 2016.