Podcasting Historias: Public Outreach through Digital Storytelling in Iberian History

Volume 43 Issue 1

Author(s): Foster Chamberlin

Recommended Citation:

Chamberlin, Foster (2018) “Podcasting Historias: Public Outreach through Digital Storytelling in Iberian History,” Bulletin for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies: Vol. 43 : Iss. 1 , Article 7.

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Abstract:

Podcasts are now a standard way for the public to consume audio media, and some academic history podcasts now boast thousands of listens per episode. Yet research on academic podcasting has concentrated on its educational uses while neglecting to ask how historians can best use podcasts as a tool for public outreach. This article aims to fill that gap by arguing that historians can best practice podcasting as public history by understanding the medium as part of the digital humanities, that is, by creating engaging, original audio content accompanied by an interactive website rather than simply posting recordings of lectures or conference panels. Drawing on recent research on both the digital humanities and podcasting, insights from podcast hosts, and the podcast recordings themselves, the article first briefly surveys the histories of the digital humanities and podcasting in order to highlight parallels between the two and provide definitions for both. The piece then turns to short reviews of various podcasts, exploring what academic podcasters can learn from the most popular commercial history podcasts, how popular academic history podcasts became successful, and what podcasts are currently available that concern Iberian history. Finally, the author enumerates what steps are involved in creating a podcast, urging Iberian historians to get involved in the digital humanities in this way, helping to create a web of different podcasts that will enhance the public footprint of as many historians as possible.

Tags: digital humanities, Iberian history, media studies, Podcasting, Portugal, Public History, Spain