Kids are remarkable. And capable of so much. “3rd Grade Audio” is a prime example of how simple it can be to make a really new radio story. Sometimes all it takes is the imagination of a 3rd grader. transom.org/2014/3rd-gra... @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social @rob-rosenthal.bsky.social @prx.org

It's true. Radio is the most visual medium. Former @npr.org reporter John Burnett made pictures for listeners writing from his notes -- color notes he took while reporting. He was wicked good at it. @prx.org @transom.bsky.social

In this archive episode from 2018, legendary NPR reporter John Burnett answers a perplexing question "How to make an immigration story visual when no mics are allowed in the courtroom?" Answer: Fill your notebook with color notes. @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social @rob-rosenthal.bsky.social

Years ago, Jamie Yuenger produced a story with some extremely vulnerable tape from someone she spent the time moose hunting with. @rob-rosenthal.bsky.social @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social asks Jamie how she got the tape and they discuss the ethical complication and resolution. Listen here:

My ears perked up listening to "Ghost of a Chance" from @startribune.com. What caught my attention was the relationship between the host (Melissa Townsend) and the reporter (Eric Roper). I thought "Hmmmm.... I think that's a new approach." Have a listen. @prx.org @transom.bsky.social

One of my hopes (one of MANY) is that when you listen to Sound School you say to your self "Hunh. That's interesting. I should try that." @serialproductions.bsky.social. @nytimes.com. @prx.org. @transom.bsky.social

New one-on-one consulting sessions offered, tips for audio fiction, knitting with dog hair (!), and the latest from both @taliaaugustidis.bsky.social and @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social -- it's all in the latest newsletter over on Substack!

Writing like it's a television drama complete with instructions for a camera operator. That's an unusual maneuver for a podcast. One I'd never heard before. Neither had Susan Burton until she wrote that way herself for #TheRetrievals from Serial and @nytimes.com. @prx.org. @transom.bsky.social.

Quote Joe Strummer & you immediately get my attention: "Punk rock isn’t something you grow out of. Punk rock is an attitude, and the essence of that attitude is ‘give us some truth.’” — Joe Strummer bit.ly/2025HPNSympo...

I write and write and write and then... "poof!" I'm stuck. Robert Smith of @npr.org's @planetmoney.bsky.social has the same problem. Robert says he arrives at the end of a story with "empty pockets." As a fix, Robert created at taxonomy (word of the day?) of memorable endings.

At the risk of not making any friends, I find this approach to sound design cheesy: "I flew to Los Angeles...." (sound of jet taking off) "A dog barked in the distance..." (sound of dog barking in distance) Let's talk about how to avoid this. @prx.org, @transom.bsky.social, @radiolab.bsky.social

In this @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social throwback, @rob-rosenthal.bsky.social talks tracking tips with @martinepowers.bsky.social of @washingtonpost.com. It is bound to make your narration stronger, clearer and more conversational.

A constant piece of advice for producers is "Find a good talker." But what about shy people? @erikalantz.bsky.social and her sister, Elin Lantz-Lesser, producers of The Turning, are experts at helping shy people open up. @prx.org @transom.bsky.social transom.org/2025/revisit...

It takes a brave father to answer pointed questions & a brave son to ask them. Sally Herships of @radiobootcamp.bsky.social takes the mic to ask producer @zachmack.bsky.social how he talked to his dad about his unwavering belief in conspiracy theories. @npr.org @prx.org @transom.bsky.social

On the latest @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social, @rob-rosenthal.bsky.social hands the mic over to @sherships.bsky.social and @zachmack.bsky.social to discuss the making of Alternate Realities. Prepare for conspiracy theories and polarizing family disagreements.

"Journalism is supposed to be providing information to audiences that is accurate and useful for democracy. Well, if that’s the end goal, then your systems and your processes, your practices, should align with reaching that goal.” @columjournreview.bsky.social

Insane. The Resonate podcast festival is ALREADY sold out about 30 minutes after tics went on sale. Damn. Somehow, I managed to get a ticket. Woot! Hope to see y'all there! www.resonatepodfest.com/home

"The Great Withering" continues. Pineapple Street Studios: gone. Also, 45 staffers at @wgbh.org, laid off. Including my friend @ebbswest.bsky.social the Managing Editor at @wcai-npr.bsky.social. This episode from the archive is for him. @prx.org @transom.bsky.social transom.org/2025/revisit...

A standing ovation for my friends at @radioworkshop.bsky.social !! Stellar review in @columjournreview.bsky.social. Radio on, people!!

"Oh. This is award-winning reporting." I had that exact thought listening to @leilafadel.bsky.social on @npr.org reporting from Syria after the fall of Assad. Listen to how Leila musically weaves scenes, stand-ups, narration, & translations. @transom.bsky.social @prx.org transom.org/2025/writing...

Journalist @leilafadel.bsky.social's stories from Syria after the fall of Assad are essential listening. And, as Rob notes in this episode of @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social, the way she braids together scenes, stand ups, and narration is top notch. @npr.org @prx.org transom.org/2025/writing...

"Last time on..." "Last time on...." "Previously, on...." "Last time on..." Oy. Such a cliche. Can't we write better? The answer is yes. Hear an example from @basialc.bsky.social in the #podcast "Pig Iron" from @tortoisemedia.bsky.social. @prx.org @transom.bsky.social transom.org/2025/writing...

Instead of the "Last time on (insert name of podcast)" trope, try something else. On the latest @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social, Rob spotlights reporter @basialc.bsky.social's clever "episode handshake" in "Pig Iron." @tortoisemedia.bsky.social @prx.org transom.org/2025/writing...

“The Vietnam Tapes of Lance Corporal Michael A. Baronowski” by Christina Egloff includes live field recordings from the war that are remarkable. Make time to listen to this archive episode of @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social. transom.org/2013/the-vie...

Who could muster magic with a razor blade, a china marker, and three reel-to-reel tape machines? Larry Massett. And all he did was record "A Trip to the Dentist." @transom.bsky.social @prx.org

"If you're bored with something for 2 minutes, do it for 4. If you're bored with it for 4 minutes, do it for 8. And if you're still bored, try following a cow for a day." Pejk Malinovsky's exercise in audio mindfulness on this 2020 ep. of @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social. transom.org/2020/being-p...

“Take a look at your past work. See if there’s a story worth revisiting…I’m convinced you’ll hear the potential value of revisiting a story you’ve produced after listening to this episode.” - @rob-rosenthal.bsky.social, host of @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social: transom.org/2015/whats-c...

I want to steal @shaunraviv.bsky.social & Johnny Kauffman's maneuvers. Their writing for "Noble," a podcast named the best of 2024 by the @newyorker.com, is superb. I point to what I like in the latest Sound School. @prx.org @transom.bsky.social. transom.org/2025/writing...

The tape might be good, the scoring superlative, the narrator amazing. But if a story lacks strong writing, it might still fall flat. On this episode of the @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social, a review of the *brilliant* writing in the podcast "Noble." transom.org/2025/writing...

In a blow to press freedom, the U.S. Justice Department announced on Friday its decision to rescind guidelines that protected against the seizure of journalists’ phone records and other reporting material. Source protection is vital to reporting on public interest issues.

You've got all the good tape you need. Now what? How do you structure the story? Bradley Campbell has a few suggestions on the latest from @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social. Includes visual aids -- diagrams sketched on cocktail napkins! @prx.org bit.ly/4iu3MNp

Bradley Campbell thought "If I could just figure out story structure, I'd have the keys to the kingdom!" So he grabbed a pen & a napkin & started drawing. This archive ep includes a new napkin drawing from Bradley. @npr.org @thisamericanlife.org @radiolab.bsky.social @prx.org @transom.bsky.social

Head over to our “Over the Transom” newsletter featuring the “Document” team from @nhpr.bsky.social, @taliaaugustidis.bsky.social's latest compilation of upcoming audio opportunities, champs of radio history on @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social, plus tips on using music. bit.ly/3Gv96CE

This Tuesday. On Sound School. @npr.org @prx.org @transom.bsky.social

Next on Sound School: @prx.org @transom.bsky.social @thisamericanlife.org

It's so incredible to hear two relevant, well-written and powerful pieces of radio featured at length. One historical fact-check since I spoke with Rob: the Norman Corwin excerpt is actually a re-staging, recorded Nov. 6, 1945 (even though the audio I had was labeled the original airdate of 1939).

Set the "Wayback Machine" for the 1930s! @bartona104.bsky.social & Sarah Montague take us on a short walk to radio's old days. Put your ears on for classic works by Norman Corwin and Archibald MacLeish. @prx.org @transom.bsky.social transom.org/2025/champio...

More audio ancestry this week! @bartona104.bsky.social & Sarah Montague join Rob on @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social to unpack some radio classics w/ brilliant archival tape. Are you a Radio Old Soul? This one's for you! @prx.org @thenewschool.bsky.social transom.org/2025/champio...

Seems like a no brainer. Empire City wins best history podcast at @thepodcastacademy.bsky.social #ambies2025. Hear how @chenjerai.bsky.social approached the storytelling in this live ep of Sound School. @wonderymedia.bsky.social @crooked.com @prx.org @transom.bsky.social transom.org/2025/amen-ch...

Hats off to Dan Tabersky, @wonderymedia.bsky.social, and Pineapple Street for their @podcastacademy.bsky.social #ambies2025 win. "Hysterical" earned Best Podcast. I thought the storytelling was great but why did Dan drop a few swears in his narration? He has answers. transom.org/2024/to-swea...

Two-way... tape synch... shotgun... dead cat... EQ... butt cut... This is the lingo of audio producers. But, chicken bomb? #cluckyeah @thisamericanlife.org @prx.org @transom.bsky.social transom.org/2025/beware-...

This episode is such a good one! I’d never heard about the *chicken bomb* before & now I’m on the lookout 🐣👀

Let a hundred chicken bombs bloom (boom?)! On this ep of Sound School we mark the 20th anniversary of "chicken bomb" entering the audio storytelling lexicon. With help from Ira Glass of @thisamericanlife.org. @prx.org @transom.bsky.social #cluckyeah transom.org/2025/beware-...

Coming soon.... Beware the Chicken Bomb. #cluckyeah

On the next Sound School: Beware the Chicken Bomb. Drops next week (no pun intended). #cluckyeah @prx.org @transom.bsky.social @thisamericanlife.org

Tocante a conversa com Chenjerai Kumanyika no @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social ! Teve um momento que achei que o papo estava acontecendo naquele momento, que eu ouvia ao vivo. Daquelas situações que te deixam com perguntas pra ir se refazendo sempre: quem (e até mesmo qual) é o "você" que fala?

The Chicken Bomb. 🐔💥 🍗 What is this cryptid of radio production and should you be hungry or scared? The backstory is coming up on @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social and we're looking for your best worst bombs. Send 'em: (MP3s / VMs): info at transom dot org! #cluckyeah @thisamericanlife.org @prx.org

It's your lucky podcast day! A bonus episode of Sound School! I take my conversation with @chenjerai.bsky.social one step further digging a little deeper into the big question from the last episode: Who is the "you" telling this story now?" @prx.org @transom.bsky.social transom.org/2025/amen-ch...

The @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social episode with @chenjerai.bsky.social was too good to quit, so Rob released a bonus ep. to keep the conversation going. Find it in your feed or over on the Transom post: transom.org/2025/amen-ch... @prx.org

Later today, check your feed. A bonus ep of Sound School coming your way. What's it about? You'll see. :) @prx.org @transom.bsky.social @chenjerai.bsky.social