121: How to Break Into Radio & Podcasting w/ Lauren Ober, American Public Media [Espresso Shots]

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Lauren Ober is a podcast host with American Public Media (APR) on a show under production at this time.  She formerly hosted the NPR show “The Big Listen,” a “broadcast about podcasts,” where she got to observe and report on the podcast industry budding before her own eyes. But before Lauren found her passion for radio, she worked as a newspaper reporter until a career hiccup prompted her to take an audio storytelling workshop with Transom that changed her career forever.  Lauren describes her career path as “winding,” and Washington D.C. has been a major landmark for her: she got her undergrad at American University in Justice and Public Affairs. After getting her MA in Journalism at Syracuse University, she later returned to the city to freelance and work for NPR member radio station, WAMU. Since then, Lauren has racked up three years of hosting with “The Big Listen,” a nationally distributed NPR show that ended in May of 2018. She is now starting work on a new (not yet announced) show for American Public Media that will air in May of 2019.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE:

• What are the big DOs for young people interested in breaking into journalism and podcasting
• What are the differences between high and low production quality podcasts
• Whether you need to major in journalism as an undergrad or get a grad school degree to get ahead of the competition
• How to be an amazing intern or junior staff member to catch your supervisor’s attention
• Why doing ‘grunt work’ is actually really valuable
• Why you should read The Shipping News to learn more about journalism