Audio Storytelling & Podcasting

Over the course of five days, NPR Story Lab senior producer Michael May will guide participants through reporting, editing and mixing an audio feature. The workshop will cover interviewing and gathering sound, writing and editing a script, and cutting and mixing audio. We will also discuss what makes a podcast successful, and participants will create a blueprint for planning, producing and marketing their own podcast.

Instructor
Michael May is the Senior producer of the
NPR Story Lab in Washington, D.C.

FAQs

• Who is this workshop for?
  Anyone just starting out in radio who wants to make a podcast or learn the basics of audio storytelling. If you’ve dabbled in audio storytelling (or even had something on air), but want to learn proper reporting, editing and production techniques, this workshop is also for you.
• Who is the instructor?
  Michael May is the senior producer of the NPR Story Lab in Washington, D.C. He works with NPR newsroom staff to pitch and produce podcasts, videos, web stories, and new series for broadcast. Previously, he taught radio at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies and is the winner of three National Headliners Awards, two Edward R. Murrow awards and a Third Coast Audio Festival Gold Award for his radio work.
• Who is the teaching assistant?
  Nora Saks is a radio reporter and producer based in Butte, Mont. She is the producer of Richest Hill, a podcast for Montana Public Radio about one of America’s most notorious Superfund sites.
• What will I leave the workshop with?
  A 3-6 minute broadcast quality audio profile about an interesting person in the community and a project blueprint to launch your own podcast.
• What equipment is provided? What do I need to bring?
  We will provide audio gear, computer (Mac) and editing software for the duration of the workshop. You’ll need to bring an external hard drive (500GB or 1TB).
• Can I use my own laptop instead of the desktop computers?
  Yes, as long as you have the latest version of Adobe Audition installed on your laptop.
• What audio editing software will I learn?
  Adobe Audition
• How long are workshop days?
  Class starts at 8am or 9am each day and usually finishes around 5pm. Final production days may run later since our goal is to make sure you have a finished, broadcast-quality audio piece by the end of the workshop. Plan to work hard and leave tired.
• What about meals?
  We will provide lunch on day two of the workshop. All other meals are on your own. Missoula has lots of great restaurants and cafes within easy biking and walking distance of the Montana Media Lab.
• Will I need a car?
  That depends on you. We’ll provide you with a bike for the week to get to and from the Lab and for late night ice cream runs. If you want to report your audio profile on someone outside of Missoula, you will need a car. Otherwise, you’ll find that Missoula is incredibly bike friendly, and you can get just about anywhere you need to go on two wheels.
• What is the maximum enrollment for this workshop?
  12
• Can I take this workshop for college credit?
  Yes. You can earn two undergraduate or graduate journalism credits from the University of Montana for an additional $155 processing fee.
  
• What’s your refund policy?
  Because our workshops are planned months in advance, we are unable to issue refunds unless the Montana Media Lab cancels your workshop. If that is the case, you will be issued a full refund.