Sound School throwback: there's a lot of difficult stories about loss, trauma, & pain in the news. How do you report on them in audio? Rob speaks to Debbie Elliot, a reporter who's covered everything from mass shootings to climate disaster, to find out. transom.org/2018/reporti...

I wrote a (long) thing! I must also credit the LA Reporting Collective conversations that really informed a lot of this, especially @papayathemariah.bsky.social at @lapublicpress.bsky.social, @adamrose.bsky.social of @freedom.press, and photojournalist Zaydee Sanchez. And my work at @fi2w.org!

APPLICATIONS OPEN! Join Transom in Amherst for a week-long intensive on making audio documentaries. Scholarships are available. Students will stay at Cherry Hill, an intentional cohousing community built around shared space & close-knit community life. transom.org/2025/traveli...

“A cow a day keeps the boredom away”. That’s Pejk Malinovsky’s reason for making an audio documentary about 11 hours in the life of a cow. Find out what he meant on this archive episode of Sound School! transom.org/2026/revisit...

In light of all the ICE activity, we’ve been sharing archive pieces on responsible reporting while working on something for this moment. Now it’s here. @quincetessence.bsky.social's manifesto on reporting on ICE asks key questions about power, authorship, and care. transom.org/2026/values-...

In case you missed it, our monthly newsletter All Hear is out! It's full of grants, competitions, fellowships and other opportunities for audio creators, sound artists, podcasters, and radio journalists worldwide. allhear.substack.com/p/all-hear-m...

A song written after a Vermont teen’s death is now sung around the world. People have sung “Hold On” in Minneapolis in front of ICE agents, in Europe, and Australia, for courage. Inspired by The Listeners, Erica Heilman tells the story. rumblestripvermont.com/episodes/hol... (cw: suicide)

Julie Shapiro and John Delore made a pilot for the Audio Flux podcast. How did they go from pilot in 2024 to podcast in late 2025? On this episode of Sound School, a deep dive comparing the pilot to the first episode of the pod and the thinking behind their choices. transom.org/2026/dialing...

A key part of an eye-catching pitch is finding engaging characters. And that’s where a a good pre-interview comes in. Sally Herships writes about what a pre-interview is, why it matters, & how to make the best of it for audio. transom.org/2016/art-pre...

“The H5studio is a worthy successor to the H5 - with significant improvements in sound quality.” These are big words of praise from our very own Jeff Towne – though they come with a few caveats! Towne breaks down the pros & cons of Zoom’s new recorder. Read the review! transom.org/2026/zoom-h5...

We’re sharing archive pieces on responsible reporting & community trust as we prepare resources for audio storytelling with immigrant communities amid ICE activity. @lewispants.bsky.social’s 2020 manifesto wrestles with power, objectivity, & who gets to tell stories. transom.org/2020/lewis-r...

Transom is turning 25 and we’re marking it the best way we know how: by getting together for a weekend of exceptional audio. Join us in Woods Hole, MA for a very special gathering: • Workshops + talks • Deep listening • Food + beach + rest Sept 17–19, 2026. Details coming soon. Save the date.

If you liked Will Coley’s tips on pitching, you’re going to love his deep dive with Rob Rosenthal on the topic, with real examples and advice from other freelancers. Listen to the latest Sound School now! transom.org/2026/the-nak...

So you’ve made a beautiful piece of audio, or maybe have the makings of something special–how do you get your stories in front of people that can play it on the air or the nearest RSS feed? Will Coley breaks down the art of the pitch: transom.org/2026/pitchin...

“If you want to learn something and feel scared, find a bunch of people who are just as scared about it as you are and join forces. Transom did the work of finding these people for me.” Our latest TTW has just ended. Read participant Swati's reflection on the week: buttondown.com/a-week-at-th...

As we prep resources for reporting on and with immigrant communities amid increased ICE activity, we’re resharing archive pieces on trust & responsibility. Jesse Hardman wrote a how-to on civic media that’s built on deep listening instead of parachuting in: transom.org/2023/are-you...

How do you cover traumatic events? From the archives: hear Rob talk to NPR’s Debbie Elliot about her reporting on the Sutherland Springs church shooting, Hurricane Harvey, and the Charlottesville marches. transom.org/2018/reporti...

How do you build trust, report humanely and create audio responsibly in besieged communities? That’s something Transom’s been thinking of in light of increasing ICE raids across the country. Please msg or comment what you’d like to see from us on these topics.

Transom students this week are learning how to make an audio documentary in Bombay Beach. One student, Swati Singh, started writing a newsletter about her time there. Check it out! Thank you to our sponsor Hindenburg for their support. buttondown.com/a-week-at-th...

“Remember salt in addition to sugar... Let listeners be confused sometimes…listeners are not babies ...Now that you’re old, and now that the world is ending, try to be useful.” Erica Heilman’s personal “Rules for Radio” are sharp, poignant, & funny too. You can read these and more below on Transom.

Deadline tomorrow!

In audio, what we do is simple: we record & we share. It can feel small. But it isn’t. Sometimes, the act of documenting can turn the tide. Erica Heilman from Rumble Strip knows a thing or two about telling stories about neighbors. Here’s her rules for how: transom.org/2026/my-rule...

DEADLINE FEB 20th: Join Transom in Bloomington, IN for a week-long intensive on making audio documentaries, with our partners at WFIU and the Hundredth Hill Artist Retreat. Scholarships are available. It will be a week you won’t forget – get excited! transom.org/2025/traveli...

Young men in South Africa are taught to be stoic: a survival skill in a country shaped by youth unemployment. Reporter Kabir Jagram talks to Rob about what emotional silence costs, and how he turned it into a powerful radio documentary. transom.org/2026/reporti...

On Mar 11! An evening of live, true stories told by Brattleboro-area community as part of Retreat Farm’s America at 250 series. Selected storytellers will get workshop training days before the event. New & underrepresented voices esp. encouraged to apply! retreatfarm.ticketspice.com/being-american

Happy Friday! Our latest issue of Over The Transom is out: transom.substack.com/p/over-the-t...

Violent encounters & raids involving ICE are in national headlines. But what happens after the dust settles & the people most impacted are left to pick up the pieces? In 2007, Virginia Lora’s audio doc about an immigration raid in New Bedford, MA explored this question transom.org/other-pieces...

DEADLINE IN 2 WEEKS (Feb 1st). Calling all audio storytellers and documentarians! Surrounded by quiet, trees, and water, we’re partnering with Blue Mountain Center to provide a 1 month residency at no cost with meals provided. Info below 👇🏽 transom.org/workshops/bmc/

Residencies! What are they? Why should you do one? And how do you get accepted–then make the most of them? Avery Thompson answers these questions and more, specifically for audio storytellers! transom.org/2026/the-art...

The latest edition of Talia Augustidis' "All Hear" newsletter is out and it's full of fantastic audio opportunities. This month's spotlight is on the Transom x Blue Mountain Center residency program. How about a month in the Adirondacks to work on whatever you want? transom.org/2026/all-hea...

Come join us for audio and island vibes off the coast of CA -- there's still time to apply for our Transom Traveling Workshop on Catalina Island! 🏖️ 🕶️ 📻 Go from zero to finished audio story in just one week. Applications close tomorrow night! transom.org/2025/traveli...

@rob-rosenthal.bsky.social thinks your New Year’s Resolution should be to attend a Transom Traveling Workshop. To help you along, this week’s @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social features two stellar stories produced by new and emerging audio producers at a Transom workshop in Nashville back in 2019.

Audiophile, disability activist, Macarthur Award winner, & writer, Alice Wong died this past November. Here, friend & colleague @lulumiller.bsky.social honors Alice's remarkable life and legacy. In it, there's a link to the companion episode on @radiolab.bsky.social. transom.org/2026/13-ques...

All Hear just dropped! In it, @taliaaugustidis.bsky.social highlights exciting upcoming opportunities, such as NYC’s Artists & Mothers Grant, the @radiophrenia.bsky.social Open Call and the Sonic Dash. Plus, the Tiny Spaces Deep Connections Open Call. Check it: allhear.substack.com/p/all-hear-d...

In a 2022 manifesto from Robert Krulwich, he writes, “Play — the ability to have fun, to get free, to dance a little while exploring the subject — that’s the magic; and radio/audio can do it as well, and sometimes better, than any other medium.” So… go for it. And play! transom.org/2022/conside...

On the latest “Sound School,” listen to the story Champika Fernando produced at a Traveling Workshop this summer in Amherst, MA. And be sure to listen for the surprising maneuver they pulled at the end of the piece. transom.org/2025/its-mag... @prx.org

This audio piece from 2013 is honest and beautiful. We can’t recommend it enough. Listen to Andrew Forsthoefel walk across America and meet some really special people. transom.org/2013/walking...

Our newsletter just DROPPED! In it, info about The Listeners, making Scott Carrier’s “Old La Sal,” as well as two sermons from @jayall.bsky.social in 2016. Plus, a few Traveling Workshop updates. Check it out here: transom.substack.com/p/over-the-t...

George Orwell said that the process of learning bad writing habits is reversible. In this article on @openculture.bsky.social, he outlines six rules he follows. Such as, “never use a long word where a short one will do.” Read the rest here: www.openculture.com/2025/12/geor...

On this archival episode of @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social, @rob-rosenthal.bsky.social discusses the composer and sound ecologist R. Murray Schafer with another amazing maker, Hildegard Westerkamp. Their work may change the way we think about sound. Listen. transom.org/2021/the-wor...

Join Transom, KZMU and Community Rebuilds for a one-week audio documentary intensive in Moab, UT! Only a few days left to apply. Scholarships are available. Take a risk and join us in the canyons of southeast Utah – a place full of rich, complex stories. transom.org/2025/traveli...

Today! We challenge you to get into conversation with someone and be way more attentive than ever. “When was the last time you gave whole-hearted, undivided attention to someone for a sustained period of time? It has always been a gift, but it is increasingly precious.” – @jayall.bsky.social

We are so excited to present to you, The Listeners: Hyper-local documentaries that reflect communities back to themselves in real and honest ways. If you're an independent, pitch us a piece over at Transom, and we might be able to fund it. Learn more here: transom.org/the-listeners/

ATTN all California-based early-career audio makers! Applications are live for our Catalina traveling workshop! Expect a week of audio documentary learning from David Weinberg, Ariella Markowitz and your peers. Learn more here: transom.org/2025/traveli...

Scott Carrier, radio legend, takes us inside a remote town in Utah. It’s a quiet story about landscape and longing. About the people who make up this complicated and beautiful place. Listen to “Old La Sal”, the inaugural story for our new project and callout, “The Listeners.” bit.ly/44NfSwU

Today! We have a challenge. Cut your entire narration out of whatever story you’re working on. See how it fares. And then do your best to turn your story from mush to magic. With love, Transom

We have a throwback episode of @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social for your day today. It’s a conversation between @rob-rosenthal.bsky.social and Jazmine T. Green about the lack of language we currently have to describe “podcasts.” Listen here: transom.org/2025/revisit... @prx.org

Applications are live for our summer residency in collaboration with the Blue Mountain Center! One month. Undistracted time, quiet, good food, and a beautiful space to pursue your work. Apply here: transom.org/workshops/bmc/

Our “Over the Transom” newsletter just dropped! In it, expect Traveling Workshops updates, covering up an unwanted tattoo, Small True Things, and the late great Alice Wong. substack.com/home/post/p-...

In 2023, @rob-rosenthal.bsky.social interviewed @quillawrence.bsky.social for @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social. Quil made a non-narrated audio obituary about a U.S. veteran Pete Reed. Listen to the conversation here: transom.org/2023/produci... @prx.org