Podcasts by High School Journalists: The Dispatch Podcast
What is your name?
Austin Civatte
Where can your podcast be found?
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dispatch-podcast/id1478924516 or https://anchor.fm/jbhsdispatch
Please describe your podcast and why you thought it would be a good topic to have a podcast on.
Our podcast covers current events, trends, and unique student lives across campus. Every episode is different and highlights a new group of students talking about what they are passionate about. We typically are Arts and Entertainment focused, with student feature pieces mixed in as well.
How has the podcast changed since the first show? What are some things you’ve learned and done to make it better?
I, as the host of the podcast, have learned quite a lot from the beginning. The creation of the first episode was a stressful experience for me because I was not nearly as prepared as I now know I need to be. Each episode now has a great deal of planning going into it before I head into the recording room, I now know to write a full script for each episode so I am not fumbling with my words and questions. My ability to improvise and cover for potential awkward moments in front of the microphone has also greatly improved over time, making the newer episodes flow a great deal more.
What tools do you use to record, edit and publish your podcast?
We are currently using a Blue Yeti Stereo USB microphone for recording. The editing is fairly simple, so we use iMovie for cutting the audio and adding the music elements. We publish our podcast through Anchor, a free podcast hosting platform, and Anchor distributes it to Spotify and Apple for us.
What advice do you have for others looking to make a podcast?
Practice — For me, getting comfortable in front of the microphone and learning how to engage your guests and prevent awkwardness is one of the most important aspects of recording a coherent episode, and that all comes with confidence and practice. Don’t be afraid to reach out to others for ideas and feedback to improve, they probably see potential problems that you don’t, that you can easily fix. Be prepared– Write an entire script if you have to. And lastly — get a schedule together. We record in class, so I record on Monday, edit Wednesday, and publish Friday. Having a solid schedule to stick to helps me stay organized and make that weeks episode the best it can possibly be.
