Podcasting: Do-it-yourself NPR, AudioActivism.org and the W. Post angle

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Rochelle, who on a more clueful planet would be a regular NPR audio essayist, should check out a story in the Raleigh News & Observer on podcasting.

The lead example? An audio essayist in Durham, North Carolina, who bought a $17 microphone and now has 400 subscribed listeners. In listenership Mur Lafferty is no competition for All Things Considered, but still an example of the possibilities of the media–even if she probably overpaid for the mike. Heard a sample essay from Mur. Watch out, NPR! As in Rochelle’s case, I hope Mur keeps plugging away.

My favorite podcaster: Brian Russell

My favorite podcaster of the moment, however, is Brian Russell of Chapel Hill who does AudioActivism. For me he’s the ultimate narrowcaster–not a slick radio professional but someone who addresses my interests. I loaded up my MuVo TX/FM with some of Brian’s MP3s. Then I enjoyed several long walks in the aural company of Brian and other Tar Heel bloggers such as Ed Cone and Roch Smith as well as Paul Jones of iBiblio (Roch is to to the left in the photo, though I’m not sure how that works in political ideology). Brian’s tutorials on topics such as net.audio and citizens journalism were also gems.

Brian’s newest fellow podder: John Edwards

Next I left a comment in Brian’s blog about UNC Prof. John Edwards’ cowardly refusal to speak out against the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act and the DMCA. Brian understood instantly. Perhaps the good professor can use his new podcast to break out of his apparently Hollywood-bought silence.

If not, let’s hope that local podcasters such as Brian can get the UNC community talking about Edwards’ hypocrisy. Imagine the spectacle of a “populist” poverty-warrior who refuses to speak out against anti-school, anti-library legislation–which is making literature a less and less important part of wired children’s lives. I don’t care if Prof. Edwards is the first pol to use the Net for 3D holograms. Let’s not ever confuse political hipness with the tech kind put together by hired hands. Brian is doing true grassroots podcasting. Prof. Edwards is kicking off his ’08 campaign with audio press releases.

Not Murrow–but learning from him

Fittingly, the Ourmedia linked to AudioActivism from the home page. Lest fame get to him, though, Brian has kept in mind the related wisdom of Ed Murrow.

Now–if only Brian can get over a nasty case of the flu that’s making it hard to talk. It’s the podcast equivalent of a writer with two broken hands.

L Street and the Blog People

So why the mention of the Post in the headline above this post, small-p? And isn’t it interesting how I live in Alexandria, VA, but keep writing so much about Carolina?

Part of the explanation is that I went to school down there, and that there are notable blog-related experiments such as Greensboro101. But there is another reason. The Post sucks, massively, as a way for me to keep up with the local blogging scene and Alexandria civic affairs in general.

Instead of writing about the local Brian Russells, it has trouble looking past the sexy Wonkette (not that bloggers should necessarily trust the Post to get the stories about them right anyway). What a contrast to the Greensboro News-Record (where Editor John Robinson and bunch of staffers blog and unbashedly link to local bloggers fond of civic affairs) or the N&O (which I hear is eager to catch up with the N-R).

Memo to self

I really should keep reducing time devoted even to the RSSed Post and grok around more for local bloggers and podcasters. The Post is like a big noisy freeway dividing neighborhoods. It steals time and attention from hometown-level debates that it ought to cover in more depth.

No, I won’t buy the excuse that the Post is a national, international and metro paper. With improved RSS and email, L Street could do one hellava job of serving Alexandria, VA, and other individual suburbs if it wanted. I even believe it’s malarkey to think blogs will definitely replace the Post and the New York Times. The giants have far more resources for endeavors such as investigative reporting at all levels, the micro one included, if editors will be inclined.

Post- vs. Wonkette-style affairs

But, even discounting the above potential, I badly need to start reading the Wonkette more and the Post less. No, the Wonkette isn’t a vehicle for discussion of civic affair–more likely, the dirty-laundry kind–but get you the general drift.

Granted, MSM journalists question the Wonkette’s accuracy. But no perfection at the Post either. Otherwise the Post wouldn’t let the typical reader think that “public domain content can be encumbered. I’m still waiting for a clarification despite a clueful explanation from a Post lawyer. And of course, Col. Michael Getler, the ombudsman-PRman at the Post, never responded to email and a phone call. This is bizarre. I’m actually wishing that the lawyer could be the ombudsman instead. Even in the VIP column, gasp, the setting where the Post made the public-domain gaffe, L Street should be more serious than the Wonkette.

Demotion for Getler: I can just envision Getler coming up with some endearingly self-effacing remark and saying, “Hey, I’m not a general, just an ombudsman sitting off to the side. Isn’t Leonard Downie, the executive editor, more of a general?” General, er, Colonel, I think you’re right. That’s why, on the basis of this imaginary objection, I’ve demoted you. A nuance, of course. You’re both top-downers in the old Pentagon tradition–as shown by Downie’s arrogant bluster on behalf of bloated newspapers in an era when more and more readers hate the format, especially the Net-reared young.

Prediction: The Post will eventually do podcasting or the equivalent in a big way–and end up treating the grassroots variety about as tenderly as L Street has treated e-books.