My Master’s Thesis, but it’s a podcast (about podcasts)

Podcasting is a medium that has become embedded in the everyday lives of millions, increasingly rivaling other forms of media—and yet, research has not kept pace with the proliferation of podcasts. In particular, podcast literature infrequently prioritizes the perspectives of podcast creators and listeners. In My Master’s Thesis, but it’s a podcast (about podcasts) (https://mymastersthesisbut.buzzsprout.com/), I interview creators and listeners in an effort to identify some of the ways in which podcasts shape individual lives, and broader communities and cultures—and to understand how podcasts serve “to make our selves feel oriented” (Weiner 2014). This 8-episode podcast strives to explore these ideas in a way that is accessible, yet still academic. The research and interviews focus on three overarching (and intersecting) purposes that podcasts serve: allowing for new/renewed forms of storytelling; enabling accessible, creative, and engaging forms of learning-education; and providing listeners with meaningful forms of companionship and community.