Written by Mark Coffin, Podcast Host and Springtide Executive Director
This week we bring you some important news about the future of podcasts at Springtide.
Where podcasts fit at Springtide
Springtide’s work is about helping people learn not just about how politics works, but also to learn how to practise better politics.
To Springtide, practising better politics means being more empathetic, more intelligent, more inclusive, and ultimately more effective at governing our communities in the ways that keep the complex (and sometimes messy) idea of living in a democracy alive.
The invitation to learn and practise better politics is one that we extend not just to politicians, but also to activists, journalists, public servants, and everyday citizens.
Choosing to learn and practise better politics should inform not just how we make big decisions and take large actions, but it should also influence the small political actions that we take in our everyday lives.
Our Podcasts
In order to better deliver on our commitment to help you learn better politics, our podcasts are going to be changing.
I want to make our podcasts more conversational, where each episode is a chance to dig into learning about one issue, problem or idea about doing politics better.
In our new format, I’m hoping to introduce a range of voices that you will hear from on a regular basis. My hope is that those voices that will bring more perspectives to the deeper kind of learning that we’ll all be doing together on the show.
For the listener, it’ll be something like a TV show where you see some characters every episode. Other voices will be more like recurring guest stars – someone who is familiar to the audience, but not there for every episode.
New Voices
There are two types of voices I’m particularly interested in bringing into the show.
(1) Those with direct experience from the world of electoral, advocacy and activist politics, and
(2) Voices with different life-experiences than those you would traditionally find in positions and spaces where political power is held.
In order to complete our podcast renovation, this show is going to go dark for about a month. At that point we to come back with a pilot episode of a new podcast style, and a clearer commitment about what you can expect from us and of the new podcast.
How you can help us
In the meantime, if you’d like to help us out on that journey, here are a couple of ways you can do it:
- First – good work takes good money. If you’re interested in what I just described and want to help make it happen you can make a one-time contribution, or start a monthly contribution here.
- Second – good work takes talent. If you’re listening to this, and thinking you want to help, then we’d like to hear from you.
- If you think you could be one of the voices we bring in regularly, and you have a perspective or experience that’s valuable for us to work in as we head on this journey of exploring how to practise better politics, get in touch. I’ll share a bit more about what we have in mind, and we can learn a bit more about you.
- If you have technical experience and skills, and can volunteer time to help us record, edit or produce the podcast, let me know.
- You can reach me at mark@springtide.ngo.
If you want to share any comments, feedback or suggestions on the future of the show, I’m eager to hear from you too.
We’ll be back in about a month!
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Support the podcast for as little as $3/month.
