Brian Russell has inspired me to see the potential of podcasts for activism again. Participating in an interview and seeing the production process, I am convinced more than ever that this is a tool for small groups.
To make a Podcast that sounds good, you want to do a little production. Your first purchase should be a decent microphone, and your second should be an external mixer. These two devices let you control the volume of your voice on the recording, and let you mix in other sound sources such as CD's or audio from your television. You'll also need some recording software. I've used Audacity on the Mac, and Sound Forge on the PC. There are many different programs that allow you to record audio, varying in price from free to expensive. Use your judgement, and if you need some advice, check out Hitsquad.com.
The key is to think about the high quality audio content that you and your core group need to save to help others understand why your campaign is important, how your group or crew governs, etc.
Independent voices have emerged that really challenge the system, and are a decentralized force to be reckoned with. The net allows a model of mass communication that is not based primarily on commerce. We have a voice, and we have the tools on our desktops to publish and distribute our words.
If you had a radio station, what kind of stories would your try to distribute?
Increasingly, your target audience will have the capacity to listen to digital music. Folks are talking about handing out USB keys, cds, or embedding voice in email. There is a day in the not to distant future where you might be able to offer folks cards or channels to dial in on their cell phones so they can catch up on an issue while on the move.
Voice and sound are an important channel of information. We are finding cheaper ways to capture, polish, store and distribute in this age of connectivity. If you want advantages in your campaign you are going to need strategies that tap this functionality to engage, inform and inspire.
