I have found a new way to enjoy quality reporting and story telling. Why didn’t anyone tell me sooner about the intriguing audio stories that can be found just a click away?
Last weekend, I visited two of my best friends from college, and they live about four hours away in Minneapolis. When I was preparing myself for the journey home, I mentioned how boring it can be to ride in the car by yourself. Both of my friends are journalism majors, like me, and we had more than half of our classes together. Three peas in a pod — Kayla, Kim and Kayle.
I think it goes without saying that our professors didn’t appreciate our similar names, and when we sat next to each other every day, it didn’t make their lives any easier. Anyway, Kim asked me if I had ever tried listening to podcasts. I told her no, and I really had no idea how to access them, and I assumed they cost money, just like when downloading songs.
To my amazement, Kim said you can download a series of podcasts in a matter of minutes and they are free. I was really impressed when I figured out I had a podcast app on my phone I had no idea about, (I guess everyone has it automatically on the iPhone). After I got over my technical difficulties, she told me about a podcast series she thought I would really enjoy. It’s called “Serial.”
“Serial” is a podcast from the creators of “This American Life,” and it’s hosted by Sarah Koenig. Koenig, a former Baltimore Sun reporter, tells one true story over the course of a whole season, usually about 12 to 14 episodes. What makes it even more interesting is that Koenig is also figuring out the story along the way. She doesn’t know the outcome.
Koenig uses her reporting skills, her impeccable interpersonal skills and her networking abilities to dig for facts. Then she lays out the story for all of her listeners. In one of the series, Koenig is trying to discover if a convicted murderer is really guilty after a 17-year-old student was accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend in 1999. The defendant, Adnan Syed, has insisted he is innocent from the day he was arrested in 1999.
Koenig digs into the case and discovers significant flaws and gaps, and that there is no physical evidence connecting Syed to the murder. Long story short, I don’t want to ruin the ending, but Koenig organizes a series of interviews with Syed from the Baltimore penitentiary, and it makes for an incredible podcast series.
I especially admire how Koenig tells her stories. She is animated and clear in her speaking, and it’s basically just like having a novel read to you. I finished the series about Syed, and I’m on to a second series by Koenig, which is just as good, and it’s sometimes hard for me to stop listening.
I’m grateful for friends who share the same journalistic interests as me because I feel like I discovered a gold mine. I truly believe the podcasts have fired me up to be a better and thorough reporter.
Contact Kayla Langmaid
at klangmaid@newtondailynews.com