Podcasts have never been more popular. More than 4 million podcasts are active today, and Gen Z listeners consume this kind of content at double the rate of any other generation.
Students are turning to the medium not only for entertainment but as a form of self-expression and for the opportunity to make something their own.
I took a deeper dive into the landscape of podcasts run by students and recent graduates to get a better sense of how young journalists are leveraging the medium today. Here’s a list of seven podcasts, on a variety of topics, which can also serve as inspiration for those interested in starting their own.
Santa Cruz County Queer History Podcast
Launched in February in honor of the 50th anniversary of Santa Cruz Pride, the “Santa Cruz County Queer History Podcast” consists of LGBTQ+ high school and college students interviewing older queer people about their history and experiences living through periods of non-acceptance. This show is run by students and intended for their peers, with new episodes released every Tuesday.
Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Mawrters at the Movies
Four Bryn Mawr College students, in partnership with the Bryn Mawr Film Institute (BMFI), launched “Mawrters at the Movies” in 2023. In each episode, the hosts, using their unique personal and academic backgrounds, share their insights and analyze BMFI releases and other films of their choice.
Available on Spotify.
Can You Hear Us Now: Inclusivity in the Media
Written and produced by groups of students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media, “Can You Hear Us Now: Inclusivity in the Media” highlights the history of diversity in the media industry, through personal statements, expert interviews and research. By discussing diversity-related topics in entertainment, social media and more, the show hopes to promote inclusivity.
Available on Spotify, Amazon Music, Simplecast and more.
True Crime Podcast Podcast
Grace Carroll and Kyleigh McPeek, who both graduated from Stanford University in 2024, decided for a thesis project to figure out why some true crime podcasts are so popular, why others are not, and the ethics surrounding them. They put their findings into a limited six-part podcast series called the “True Crime Podcast Podcast.” Each episode addresses a different aspect of the topic including the impact of a crime going viral, why women listen to true crime podcasts more than men, and more.
Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts and elsewhere.
Locked on HBCU - Daily Podcast on HBCU Football & Basketball
In 2021, Darrion Gray, a Texas Southern University graduate and former TSU Herald sports editor, launched “Locked on HBCU,” a daily podcast that provides updates, analysis and opinions on the biggest stories in sports at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Gray’s coverage goes beyond highlighting the big schools in HBCU sports, striving to offer insight into the smaller, less-covered HBCUs.
Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and more.
The Short Coat: An Inside Look at Getting Into and Getting Through Medical School
Have you ever wanted to go to medical school, or are you curious what the life of a medical school student is like? Students at University of Iowa’s Carver College of Medicine created “The Short Coat” with you in mind. Filled with laughter and honest conversations, this podcast gets candid about the world of medicine, its secrets, and the challenges that accompany trying to work in this field. The show is not affiliated with the university so its sleep-deprived co-hosts don’t hold back.
Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and more.
The Student Beat
Collin Carrithers, a student journalist and broadcaster at the University of Iowa started “The Student Beat” just last month. This podcast delves into the world of student journalism with a goal of spotlighting the stories of storytellers. In each episode, Carrithers interviews a student from a different college or university about how they got their start in the field, the stories they’ve produced, and the importance of the work student reporters globally are carrying out.
Available on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
If there are any podcasts we missed that you feel like should be included please don't hesitate to let us know.
Photo by Emmanuel Jason Eliphalet via Pexels.
Другие статьи
