Listening & Making: Exploring Two-Way Podcasting

Podcasting has been considered more of a one-way communication means as the process of making a podcast usually does not involve opinions from the groundswell. Podcasts are usually created and made available for interested public to download with related technologies.

However, in organizational use of podcasting, it is important to address the needs and wants of the target audience. Making podcast more audience-oriented and interactive would be a great move to engage with viewers/listeners, which would help organizations develope preferred relationships with the target publics by making and using of podcasts. Here, I'd like to introduce a few cases to discuss some possibilities in bringing podcasting, specifically audio podcasting into a two-way communication pattern.

1. Involve audience in the creative process.
Just like magazines have special pages for readers' letters, and blogs have places to leave comments, podcasting programs needs to listen to what the listeners have to say/suggest about the works, and try hard to respond to the criques/suggestions with action. The Royal Airforce Museum in London are giving out lovely Teddy Bears as they are soliciting listeners' suggestions about which celebrity would be most ideal to record the next podcast series. I think this move is very beneficial to the organization-audience relationship established through podcasts. For organizations, it is a great way to understand the preferences of the target audience. It is also a positive message that says organizations care about the feelings and insights of the audience. For audience, this approach transforms the presumption about their duties involving podcasts- they are now not only expected to download and listen to the latest episodes, they are invited to add wit and wisdom to the creation of the episodes they are going to listen to. And, participation is awarded!

2. Get audience to generate their own podcasts.
Another great use of podcasts for organizations is to hold podcast competitions that encourage audience to initiate podcast creation efforts. Basically, organizations set themes and requirements based on which listeners/participants create and submit podcasts. NASA's 21st Century Explorer Program holds an annual podcasting competition. Participants of 2009 were required to record audio podcasts on what they think is NASA's greatest exploration achievement in the past 50 years. Similarly, Little White Earbuds, a website designed for DJs hosts an annual podcasting competion that encourages listeners to submit their mixing works for award consideration. I think organizations that has a mission of informing/educating target publics can do something similar in order to make podcasting experience interactive, though there is a premise- organizations need to have established a fairly good listener base.

Please let me know your thoughts about two-way podcasting. What else do you think would work?