She's at @vox.com now, but back in 2017, when I talked to Noel King, she was working at @npr.org's @planetmoney.bsky.social and she offered this writing advice: Imagine you walk into a bar to tell a friend a story about the economy. @prx.org . @transom.bsky.social . transom.org/2026/revisit...

More New Year inspiration on Sound School. This time from Kabir Jugram. For his first audio documentary, Kabir waded into a thorny topic that cut close to home - the problem South African men have expressing emotions. @radioworkshop.bsky.social. @transom.bsky.social @prx.org

After 2025, I sure as heck could use some inspiration. Well, I found some. Interviews w/ two young producers. The first is 28-year-old Anna Van Dine who deployed an unusual maneuver in a documentary she made for @vermontpublic.org. @prx.org. @transom.bsky.social. transom.org/2026/what-if...

@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.

How honored am I? T H I S M U C H! I had an article published in the excellent RadioDocReview re: intriguing changes at Radio Slovenia & how they're including more storytelling in their reporting. Thanks: Siobhan McHugh, @abigailwincott.bsky.social, @aasiyalodhi.bsky.social, & Matej Praprotnik.

Let's hear it for newbies! My conversations w/ new & emerging producers are always enlightening. Like my chat with Champika Fernando. The narrative maneuver she pulled at the end of a profile she produced was.... well... magic! Especially for someone just starting out. @prx.org @transom.bsky.social

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...

We're really excited about our new project, The Listeners, and doubly excited to start if off with Scott Carrier.

My ears swirled at Resonate in October but I was at a loss for words to describe what I heard. Which reminded me of Jazmine Green's lament about the limits of the words we use to describe our work. Check-out Jazmine's suggestions for a more expanded audio lexicon. @prx.org . @transom.bsky.social.

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

Thank you @franklangfitt.bsky.social for reporting from Indian Country. @npr.org.

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

Powerful stuff in this @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social episode - the voices of young people talking to Samantha Brown. I’m not a crier but I had a big lump in my throat listening to this. podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/s...

Sound School goes LIVE this week! From #SLOVENIA! My partner, @samanthabroun.bsky.social, interviews high school students she's never met. She cuts the chats to an essential 2 minutes. Schools play the stories to connect young people. It's called "Small True Things." @prx.org @transom.bsky.social

On the latest @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social, @rob-rosenthal.bsky.social interviews Samantha Broun on “Small True Things” on the main stage at the annual Audio Festival in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Sam goes into her motivation for giving young people a caring and curious ear. @prx.org

Back in 2022, @rob-rosenthal.bsky.social interviewed Angela Evancie, the executive producer of “Brave Little State.” The show is a hidden gem about Vermont life. They engage listeners along the way. Learn more here. @prx.org @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social @vermontpublic.org @jbcrane.bsky.social

"For the love of radio, get out of the studio." That's one of my mantras on Sound School. This morning, @npr.org's @danielestrin.bsky.social proved my point with yet another stellar report from from the field. #shoeleather

Susan Stamberg sang her own song at @npr.org. You could always tell it was Susan behind the mic. She died at the age of 87 in October. In honor of Susan, we present this archive episode of Sound School where she lays out her best practices for visual arts reporting. @prx.org @transom.bsky.social

Susan Stamberg sang her own song at @npr.org. You could always tell it was Susan behind the mic. She died at the age of 87 in October. In her honor, we present this archive episode of @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social where she lays out her best practices for reporting on the visual arts. @prx.org

Coming up: • I revisit my intvw w/ Susan Stamberg, one of @npr.org's "founding mothers." • @samanthabroun.bsky.social digs into her project with teenagers, "Small True Things." • + episodes w/ young reporters from VT & S. Africa whose radio hearts give hope. @prx.org @transom.bsky.social

Back in 2016, @rob-rosenthal.bsky.social interviewed @stephaniefoo.bsky.social about a gripping and at times, hard to hear piece she did on @thisamericanlife.org called “The Favorite.” It’s about producing a personal essay, even if it’s super challenging to do so. @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social

Funny is hard. Wicked hard. Knowing when to land a joke and when not to in a story about grief is even harder. Yet, somehow, Neena Pathak has an uncanny ability to thread a needle through funny and deep heartache. @prx.org. @transom.bsky.social. @signalhillfm.bsky.social transom.org/2025/when-fu...

On the latest @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social, @rob-rosenthal.bsky.social and Neena Pathak talked about grief and humor… and where the truth lies in all of this. It’s a great conversation that highlights a heartfelt audio piece entitled "Desperado." @prx.org @signalhillfm.bsky.social

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