Podcasting Hacks

Build a Great Political Show

Blogging changed the way American politics work. Podcasting will extend that reach. Find out how to make a political show that is compelling and entertaining.

Congress repealed the Fairness Doctrine in 1986 and the talk-radio world has never been the same. Before this repeal, the FCC had mandated that shows had to give equal time to opposing sides on an issue. After this was lifted, pundits such as Rush Limbaugh fundamentally changed the nature of talk radio by giving it a hard push in one direction, with no representation of the alternative viewpoint. Throughout much of the U.S., this has resulted in a strong shift toward conservatism on the radio dial. And only recently have newcomers arrived to present alternatives.

Podcasting provides another outlet for this strongly charged political talk-show format, and already a number of podcasts have replicated this formula. The first essential element in a political show is timeliness. The show the listener receives today should be relevant to the news of the day. To do that you need to keep up with the news. Here are several resources for current news and political information in the U.S.:

The White House (http://www.whitehouse.gov/), the House of Representatives (http://house.gov), the Senate (http://senate.gov), and the Supreme Court (http://supremecourtus.gov/)

These sites provide access to the press releases and opinions of the three major branches of the federal government: executive, legislative, and judicial. ...