Show One-Liners

QC POD: The people and ideas that make the Queens College Community

First-Person: Every opinion starts with a story. Intimate conversations about the big ideas shaping our world, hosted by journalist Lulu Garcia-Navarro.

La Brega: There’s no direct translation of “la brega” in English, but for Puerto Ricans, it’s a way of life. To bregar means to struggle, to hustle, to find a way to get by and get around an imbalance of power. It’s got a creative edge, a bit of swagger; as Puerto Rican scholar Arcadio Diaz has observed, it’s a word that belongs to the underdog.

99% Invisible is a sound-rich, narrative podcast hosted by Roman Mars about all the thought that goes into the things we don’t think about — the unnoticed architecture and design that shape our world.

The Turnaround is a show about our greatest living interviewers, hosted by Jesse Thorn and produced by Maximum Fun and Columbia Journalism Review.

Episode One Liners

QC POD’s Eden Ayala explores our obsession with the true crime genre.

Logan Lane gave up her smartphone. That changed her life.

La Brega, Lisa Lisa, “I Wonder If I Take You Home”: When Lisa Lisa asked the question, she inspired an entire generation of young women to start talking.

Code Switch, “Reckoning With The NFL’s Rooney Rule”:  The large majority of NFL players are people of color. The coaches on the sidelines? Not so much. In this episode, we’re looking at the NFL’s famous diversity plan and what it might tells us about why so many corporate initiatives like it don’t work.

Episode Descriptions

The Turnaround: Today’s guest is Reggie Ossé, also known as Combat Jack. He’s the host of The Combat Jack Show, one of the best hip-hop podcasts around. On the show, Reggie chops it up with a who’s who of the rap world, not only about music, but about race, politics, and a whole lot more. Reggie says he kind of fell into interviewing for a living. He’s actually a lawyer by training and used to represent some of the biggest hip-hop stars, even Jay-Z. Because he’s been immersed in the culture for decades, he brings to each conversation a deep knowledge and respect for his subject that few interviewers can match.

First-Person: How many hours do you spend on your phone each day? Probably more than you’d like. In our technology-saturated world, we rely on our devices for what feels like an endless list of daily tasks — everything from staying up-to-date on Twitter to killing time at the post office. The idea of reclaiming any degree of independence from our smartphones can often feel impossible.

For the 17-year-old Logan Lane, the solution was to quit cold turkey. Lane grew up in Brooklyn and was a screen-addicted teenager who spent hours curating her social media presence on Instagram and TikTok. Then, a little over two years ago, Lane started questioning whether living a life of constant connection was actually a good thing and made the decision to ditch her smartphone altogether. She began assembling a “Luddite Club” — a group of teenagers who reject technology and its creeping hold on all our lives.

Your feedback on your workshop group’s blueprint posts is due today. Consider the following as you read and comment don their posts:

• Would you listen to an episode like this? What would draw you in? Is there anything the creator can do to capture your attention more immediately? 
• Is the episode concept focused? Would narrowing it make it more effective?
• Will some of the interview questions elicit stories from guests? 
• How might the one-liners be sharpened or made more lively? 

Of course, you may have other ideas for feedback. This is just a guide.

Preparing for class tomorrow is pretty straightforward:

• Be sure you fill out a Podcast Analysis Worksheet for the episode of Lulu Garcia Navarro’s First Person. I gave out hard copies in class, and I’ve posted a PDF to the calendar and to our Documents page.
• In Weldon’s NPR Startup Guide, review p. 35-36 on blueprints, one-liners, and titles, p. 136 on sound collection worksheets and 105 on sound collection lists and interview lists, and 160-161 on interview questions.
• On the Calendar, review what’s due Friday and Tuesday.

That’s it!