The Media School is working with the Office of the Provost and IU Newsroom to roll out its first episode of “Through the Gates: IU This Week,” a podcast that will feature exclusive interviews and weekly campus announcements.
Media School dean James Shanahan, will be the host of the podcast series, and each week different IU students will collaborate with the podcast moderators to contribute news updates.
The podcast is set to be released every Sunday this semester. The first episode will air Jan. 24 and will feature IU President for Research Fred Cate and Vice Provost for Research Rick van Kooten.
The topic of discussion is the Grand Challenges Program, a research initiative that seeks to tackle critical issues in Indiana and worldwide.
The series aims to complement the content featured on the “Through the Gates” blog, which is managed by the provost’s office.
“We are really excited about the diverse range of people we’re bringing in to work on this project,” said Dan Brown, director of the Visual Communications Laboratory.
Brown, who is in charge of providing equipment and the technical production of the podcast, said the goal of the project is not only to have interesting interviews, but also to give updates to their listeners by showcasing faculty, campus events and advancements in research.
A program to look out for is the Jan. 31 discussion of the Mary Ellen Solt Collection at the Lilly Library, which will feature Kate Lilley, poet and inaugural IU visiting fellow in the creative arts.
On Feb. 7, the podcast will feature trombonist and seven-time Grammy nominee Wayne Wallace, who is also a faculty member of the Jacobs School of Music. He will discuss the 2016 Grammy Awards with Shanahan.
IU Provost Lauren Robel will also make an appearance Feb. 14 to discuss IU’s plans on maximizing and promoting diversity in the near future. She will expand upon her talking points from the 2016 State of the Campus address, which will be Feb. 2 in Presidents Hall at Franklin Hall.
“We want to reach out to build a broad listening base and provide a space for students and faculty to record a quality podcast on a variety of topics that interest everyone,” Brown said.
The idea of the project came from the Office of the Provost, which reached out to the Media School to help with logistics and content production and the IU Newsroom to provide the weekly news segments.
In addition to completing the news readings, Media School students and interns will help operate equipment and piece together separate interviews and sound bytes to make the podcast sound seamless.
“It’s interesting because this is a collaboration between many groups on campus,” said Anne Kibbler, director of communication and media relations at the Media School. “It’s similar to several cogs fitting together, making all the parts work.”
Kibbler said the producers of the podcast are planning far ahead for future episodes. They are also open to suggestions and new ideas on the speakers and topics that might be featured in upcoming broadcasts.
“I think it’ll be a really nice way for listeners to hear more about things that are going on campus from a different perspective,” Kibbler said.
