Podcast
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What is it ?
Stemming from the term “broadcast”, a podcast is a digital media file that is distributed over the Internet and listened to on a portable media player (like an iPod) or a personal computer.
Video Podcast (sometimes shortened to vidcast or vodcast) is a term used for the online delivery of video on demand video clip. The term is an evolution specialized for video, coming from the generally audio –based podcast.
More information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_podcast
http://www.commoncraft.com/podcasting
Why use it?
Pod casting’s initial appeal was to allow individuals to distribute their own radio-style shows, but the system quickly became used in a wide variety of other ways, including distribution of school lessons, official and unofficial audio tours of museums, conference meeting alerts and updates, and by police departments to distribute public safety messages. Podcasting is becoming increasingly popular in education. Podcasts enable students and teachers to share information with anyone at any time. Video Podcasts can be used in all these ways as well.
More information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting
Why the community service and volunteer field should use it :
How to boost your community service or volunteer program by podcasting:
- Highlight issues and concerns and/or have a discussion with experts in the field on a topic of interest to your organization.
- Easily create audio or video testimonials as part of your volunteer recruitment strategy.
- A leader at your non profit or NGO talks about what is going on in the organization.
- Short, informational pieces about one issue combining voiceover by a narrator or host, accompanied by interviews with people you serve.
- Weekly updates about what is going on in your organization, followed by interviews with experts in your field.
- Have your constituents create the podcast
- Use recordings from presentations
How to do it?
1. Keep your podcasts short at the beginning.
· No longer than 10-15 minutes till you test what works best.
· But, in time , if the subject, and podcasters, can support it, you can go up to 30 or 45 minutes.
2. Stick to a single topic for each podcast.
3. Keep your non-profit’s podcast voice personal and chummy.
4. Outline your podcast, before you start recording.
5. Verbally identify your podcast at the start of the podcast with “Date, issue number, topic/guest, etc.”
· You need this meta data to give it context.
· Someone may listen out of sequence months or years later.
6. A conversation is more engaging than a monologue.
7. When you interview a guest, don’t hog the mike.
· Remember the reason you’re doing the interview is that your guest has something to say. Let him or her say I, with you serving as facilitator.
8. Be professional, with your equipment, and your editing.
· You wouldn’t throw a poorly printed campaign into the mail, so why would you produce a hard to hear, unedited podcast.
9. Make it easy for listeners to get new podcasts.
· Include iTunes and Odeo subscribe links on your nonprofit’s blog and website to make it easy to subscribe.
Examples
Community service volunteering examples:
Check out the Service Learning Clearinghouse Podcast: Bring Learning to Life: A Service-Learning Podcast – www.servicelearning.org
Community Engagement and Strengthening podcasts from The Leadership Practice available on the Resource Center
www.nationalservice.gov/resources/community-engagement
Keep in mind
When creating your own podcast, it is important to make sure all necessary rights and permissions are secured for the material included in your podcasts.
More information: http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Welcome_To_The_Podcasting_Legal_Guide
