Siobhan McHugh
My podcasts include the award-winning Phoebe's Fall, Wrong Skin (with Fairfax Media), Heart of Artness. I founded RadioDoc Review to critique podcasts. As A/Prof I research and teach podcasting at uni
Location Australia
Activity
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Terry Gibson
Welcome, Terry. I think podcasting may well help - provide a way to tell stories that may give you some relief. Have you tried listening to this excellent storytelling/interview podcast which addresses depression head-on? It's called Terrible Thanks for Asking. https://www.ttfa.org/
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Ronaldo Miranda
Welcome back, Ronaldo!
-
Siobhan McHugh made a comment
Here's a brand new podcast that just won the RODE MICS competition for best podcast idea: a timely take on mixed race themes. https://www.myrodecast.com/listen/entry/1135
-
Siobhan McHugh made a comment
Well done, everyone, for getting this far. Lovely to read about your responses. And to see you talking to each other too. Good luck for next week!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Cloe Ofori
Cloe, try using eye contact and facial expressions to make those affirming responses. You can 'say' a lot through that.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to CHIKA OGBUDIKE
Not all podcasts have obvious hosts or interviewers - some, like Love And Radio in the US, choose to edit out the person who did the interviews and just assemble the story as a non-narrated montage.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Emma Golby-Kirk
That title will stand out!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Vivian Andrade
@VivianAndrade do you mean people who had their LIVES reconstructed through art?!
-
So true, Cheryl! Getting the music right is a complex art. Choosing the right kind, putting it in the right place, knowing how long to let it run for...
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Joan G
Great summation, Joan!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Bernardo Barcellos
Glad you are feeling better, Bernardo. It is indeed very sad - but that is the reality of war. And there is a lot of caring in the story too.
-
Usually you use a post-it note to note in short-hand a narrative 'beat' or small part of the story. You thread these 'beats' together to make a section of an episode, or maybe a whole episode. You might use a different colour post-it to add a sound idea.
-
Hugely important!
-
Good point, Elizabeth. You can do a lot of groundwork before committing to making the podcast. Interviews in particular are helpful, to start to see what common themes there might be.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Christian Bowyer
Yes, I enjoyed this one too, Christian! Learned a lot re immigrant life in Brixton and places.
-
S-Town is an absolute gem, Victoria! I've just written a very long article about this, how S-Town is like a non-fiction novel for your ears.
-
Sounds a great idea, Petronilio!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Marcela Alza
A podcast about your father could be terrific, Marcela - lots of sounds of cooking, and passion about food! History of a place also works very well. Just be sure to go outside (if you are permitted) and record sounds of the places you mention.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Matej Žitňanský
Fascinating idea, Matej! You might like to read my piece here on crafted audio works as non-traditional research outcomes; https://www.flowjournal.org/2019/04/beyond-journal-articles/
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Siobhan McHugh
@BethS a big reason why podcasting is highly valued as a media format is precisely because of the engagement it gets! We just operate at a different level: audio is relatively low-key. It only exists in real time - so you are either listening or not and most people who opt to listen, stay with it. Research shows most listening is done in the home (Edison...
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Samuel J
It is still open!! Welcome.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Siobhan McHugh
@RandaHamo welcome! I think you might be our first Kurd. Very glad to have you here and good luck with making your podcast.
-
Oh he's good!
-
Exactly! Editing is an invisible art.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Jhoan Domingo-Acuin
Thank you, Jhoan.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Tatyana Didkovskaya
Tatyana, the easiest way is to set up special social media accounts for the podcast (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc) and mention them at the end of the show - ask listeners to get in touch and share their feedback. If the feedback seems useful, then by all means change accordingly!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Tricia Keith
Tricia, Jan was a journalist, covering the war for wire agencies like Reuters. She was what we would now call 'embedded' with the US army for a time. And yes, Australians were involved as allies of the US.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Sajad Faramarzi
Sajad, The Guardian (UK) ran an interesting experiment in 2018 using multimedia add-ons to a podcast called Strange Bird, in this episode where women talk about their sadness about miscarriages. The idea was to supplement the audio with information, facts, stats etc. The extra information is a good idea, but running it simultaneously on the phone detracted...
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Gouri S
Haha yes I much prefer myself as audio :)
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Allen Higgins
That's pretty on the money, Allen - except that I don't think of the audience as 'controlling' the podcast. Audience reaction is usually via social media, and is welcome as feedback, but it does not generally 'control' the content in the sense of having editorial influence. Sometimes audience will offer fresh insight into a story covered in the podcast: the...
-
Siobhan McHugh made a comment
Hello everyone,
Here is a great article on latest REMOTE RECORDING techniques during COVID-19.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Logan Thomas
Good luck, Logan!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Matthew C
I think it was read that way because it seemed to be suggestive of where Phoebe's head was at. She is at the very least being sardonic: 'when I wake up, I will transform into the most incredible human being you've ever seen. Not.'
-
Siobhan McHugh made a comment
Everyone, please go to the online version of John Biewen's article below, to hear the audio (not the pdf)! https://transom.org/2011/john-biewen-be-quiet/
-
Listen via the URL not the pdf! https://transom.org/2011/john-biewen-be-quiet/
-
It works here! https://transom.org/2011/john-biewen-be-quiet/
-
The audio in Biewen works in this URL - maybe not the pdf. https://transom.org/2011/john-biewen-be-quiet/
-
Logan and Marcus, I just checked - and in the online version here, the audio plays fine. Maybe it's just dead in the pdf?
https://transom.org/2011/john-biewen-be-quiet/ -
Siobhan McHugh replied to Britta Beneke
Try this podcast made entirely of field recordings - it's lovely! https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/field-recordings-field-recordings-e8YXkD7hxt0/
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Jill Rogoff
Try this podcast made entirely of field recordings - it's lovely! https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/field-recordings-field-recordings-e8YXkD7hxt0/
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Oluwafayokunmi Faith Oke
There are no hard and fast rules for this! Some podcasts have only one voice and it can work: e.g. Jeff Wright reading The Odyssey. He is animated and it's a great story, a powerful Greek myth. Some might include a vox pop, where you go out and briefly canvass the opinion of people in the street - that could add six voices in two minutes.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Freya Young
Freya, there is a legal concept of 'fair use' when you are critiquing something, but it likely varies from region to region, so you'd need to check the law in your own setting. Details in link below. Having said that, if it is a genuine educational/critical context, I doubt anyone would sue you. But someone did try to sue a besotted father who posted a video...
-
Yes that's absolutely right, Chico - nobody should use copyrighted music without getting permission. But there are also some cases where composers allow people to use their music with only a credit, as we describe - the Free Sound site.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Christeph Johnson
I think that was also attributed to Groucho Marx!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Isata K
Well observed, Isata!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Daniel Effinger
You will never regret it, Daniel!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Anne Millbrooke
Wow, Anne, you are diving in deep! Thanks for posting that. P.S. Date is 2010, not 1910. I'm not THAT old! :)
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Britta Beneke
No, they can be as long as a piece of string! More seriously, whatever sustains the narrative. In our latest, The Last Voyage of the Pong Su, the ten episodes range from 24 to 45mins. You decide the eps according to a theme, and then chase down all the strong stuff around that particular theme, and cut it together coherently. If it comes out really really...
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Henrietta Broderick
Haha, thanks Henrietta!! I am an earrings person for sure.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Henrietta Broderick
Yes, I think it's the way she collapses from sounding so very fluent and confident, to being vulnerable: the devastated child who had to be put in the orphanage, remembering the agony of her father. I love how Susan has no compunction with having me share this - she is proud to 'own' it in the name of speaking her truth.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Henrietta Broderick
Thanks Henrietta. I think fondly of my 'tofu' moment and the catharsis it brought Jim!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Freya Young
Yes, Lea has a distinctive 'smoky' voice that feels very real!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Kris Andres
Sounds fun. In Ireland, there is a saying that reminds me of this: 'the first item on the agenda of any Irish political party? The Split!'
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Andres Ortega
Sounds intriguing!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Sam Wright
Maybe listen to Blindboy Podcast for comparison? Young Irish guy who riffs brilliantly on all kinds of domestic and international affairs.
-
@FreyaYoung there are quite a few like this. Be warned, some have quite explicit language and/or themes.
Alone, from CBC Canada
Silent Waves (Australia)
Millennial (US)
No Feeling is Final (mental health theme)
Not By Accident (Aust)
David Sedaris episodes on This American Life (humorous)
My Only Story (South Africa) - beautifully written account of a... -
Siobhan McHugh replied to Thanusya Shanmuganathan
@ThanusyaShanmuganathan you are most welcome to disagree with others on the course - it is interesting to see diverse perspectives. But please do so respectfully. @CalebKuye is equally entitled to share his opinion and makes a valid point.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Simon Packham
@SimonPackham very interesting, thank you!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Sandie J
Very interesting perspective, Sandie, thank you!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to James Calhoun
Insightful, James, thank you.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Cayden Harper
Beautifully expressed, Cayden.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Andres Ortega
@SuzyDonald I agree context was needed - and it was given in the radio documentary where this originally aired (Minefields and Miniskirts, ABC Radio National). I am using the excerpt here in a different way, as an illustration.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Michael Mullins
@MichaelMullins interesting point! The crackle on the tape came from the cellar, where unbeknownst to me, Jan's husband was playing his ham radio and it inserted a frequency on the tape. These days, we could 'clean it' digitally - but I prefer to keep the imperfect sound, because to me it retains the integrity of the moment, which was so intense.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Thanusya Shanmuganathan
Thanusya, I wonder have you misunderstood. This is a woman giving a spontaneous description of something terrible she experienced. It is not scripted, or acted. So whatever way she delivered it is fine - it is her story, to say any way she wants, with whatever 'modulation' comes naturally. Personally I found her articulation beautiful, despite her shocking pain.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Andrew Wood
Andrew they're here! On front page of download I think. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jesv_GhLcpVrdi4rwDet4SGMyE5wxmn0
-
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Linda Harding
Linda, it is a bit early to say The Teacher's Pet brought justice. The contrary view is that because the husband, Chris Dawson, was so obviously proposed to have murdered his wife, that a fair trial by jury would be impossible, as it has had so many listeners. This could end up denying Lynette's family justice in the end - though a judge-only trial is...
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Louise Muddle
Louise, the link to the audio clips is on the front (cover) page of the article. They are here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jesv_GhLcpVrdi4rwDet4SGMyE5wxmn0 -
Siobhan McHugh replied to Sana Hasan
And wear headphones to monitor what you are actually recording!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to elisa mereghetti
Ouch!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Patricia Ryder
Google is now offering a free transcription service that I hear is not bad. You have to 'correct' it but it's a headstart.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Abdul Wahab
You're welcome, Abdul!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Jill Rogoff
Good tips, Jill, thanks!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Henrietta Broderick
Henrietta, radio is a first cousin of podcasting. Some podcasts are in fact also radio shows, recycled as podcasts - as was Science Friction. The difference though is in the way a listener comes to them: deliberately, as a selected option, rather than randomly, by switching on a radio at a particular time and taking pot luck; and also, people usually listen to...
-
Welcome, Goldaneh - that's a really interesting idea. I visited Iran in 2010 and was surprised to see so many beautiful Audrey Hepburn types on the streets of Tehran! Young women wearing a hijab, with maybe a belted gaberdine - clearly a strong sense of fashion.
-
Great unifying theme, Kelwin.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to ANNE LUTGEN
Most podcasts have a website and you can put images up there.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Katharina F
Personal stories like these have a natural Before and After that makes them compelling. Maybe see if you can build interactions BETWEEN the people now, as adults? Get Person A to tell Person B what happened to them in the interim, and ask B to comment on A's experiences - and on it goes. Record their interactions and see if they develop...
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Alma Wardrope
There is a lovely program you might listen to, Alma, about tiny libraries in New Zealand. It was conceived by Julie Shapiro, who now heads the excellent Radiotopia podcast network in the US. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02xnbgj
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Ranno Kasemaa
I like the sound of the post-Soviet Union one, Ranno!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Geraldine R Montgomerie
Both great ideas for podcast treatment, Geraldine, as they have in-built potential for sound. The community nursery is classic: you could record the various characters (members) pottering about, and gradually introduce us to each of their stories, while overlaying narration by you that fills us in on how it happened, what it does etc.
The second one sounds...
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Christopher Reed
Sounds good, Christopher. Have you heard of one that is on a similar line, Song Exploder? http://songexploder.net/episodes
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Katharina H.
Both great ideas, Katharina!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Daniela Gervasi
Sounds great, Daniela!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Amber Khan
You might like to listen to No Feeling is Final, an award-winning Australian podcast where the host, Honor Eastly, talks openly about her own battles with suicidal thoughts. It takes you right inside her stay in a psychiatric hospital. Confronting and honest. And funny at times! https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/no-feeling-is-final/
-
Hi Jill, sorry you didn't like Serial or Phoebe's Fall. Re the two presenters 'encouraging voyeurism', as a co-producer, I can assure you that is absolutely not the case. In fact Richard Baker developed the podcast because Phoebe's mother, Natalie, asked him to do a major investigation into Phoebe's death - she felt Phoebe's case had not had fair treatment by...
-
Glad you liked it, John! It really is remarkable.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Suresh Vasnani
Just make that clear in your podcast description and episode intro - that you'll be moving around in topic. Try to think of a unifying frame: 'these are all things I'm passionate about and I hope if you listen you'll understand why'.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Abdul Wahab
There's a good report on this by Reuters, Abdul: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2019-03/India_DNR_FINAL.pdf. And I think The Quint tackles fake news pretty well?
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Deborah DeSnoo
Fascinating project!
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Tim Rawe
Tim, you can get other people to read aloud letters, diaries etc. You can also describe photo albums etc. And record ambient sound to vary texture - e.g. if they describe being on a farm, get out in the countryside and gather some sound.
-
Siobhan McHugh replied to Anne Aubin
Very transferable, Anne. The simple but vital key to good interviewing is deep, empathetic listening.
-
Yes indeed, Ganna. e.g. Silent Waves, where the 24 y.o Australian host describes coming to terms with her very dysfunctional family. Trigger warning: themes of sexual abuse. It's a difficult topic, very well handled. https://silentwavespodcast.com
Or Alone, from Canada: where a woman describes her journey in and out of...
-
There is no set duration, Juliana. It's completely up to what the story can sustain. e.g Alone, from Canada, is a podcast with a single voice - the writer telling her own story of her life pre and post-divorce - and it is now into its third whole season, 28 x c.30min episodes! That's because she writes and executes this memoir-style very well - though at time...
-
Yes indeed, Britta, and there are some great podcasts on these issues. e.g Ear Hustle is a wild ride from inside San Quentin prison in San Francisco, always engaging and full of insight. One of the hosts was actually pardoned by the Governor of California and set free because the podcast did so much good for prisoners! https://www.earhustlesq.com/
Birds...
-
Also In The Dark re getting Curtis Flowers out of jail - see comment above
-
I agree Victoria, that In the Dark S2 is a brilliant feat of investigative journalism and storytelling. This in-depth review in RadioDoc Review really unpacks how it was done: https://ro.uow.edu.au/rdr/vol5/iss1/5/
And thanks for rec of Elis and John, will have a listen!
