Sound Judgment - podcast cover

Sound Judgment

Elaine Appleton Grantwww.soundjudgmentpodcast.com
Become a better storyteller, in audio and beyond. Sound Judgment takes listeners into the studios — and the minds — of your favorite audio storytellers. In each episode, lifelong journalist Elaine Appleton Grant and a top host, producer or editor dive into their creative choices. It’s a revealing conversation about the storytelling craft, and it’s show and tell: Elaine plays back clips from her guest’s podcast. Tune up your storytelling by learning from today's best creators! www.soundjudgmentpodcast.com podcastallies.com soundjudgment.substack.com Threads: @elaineagrant
Last refreshed:
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

The Heist: How to Produce an Award-Winning Investigative Series with Sally Herships

The episode discussed on today’s Sound Judgment: The Heist: https://apps.publicintegrity.org/theheist/ Episode 2: Mnuchin's World was reported and hosted by Sally Herships. Our editor was Curtis Fox, with help from consulting editor Alison MacAdam and Center for Public Integrity’s Tax Project editor Allan Holmes. Production help from Lucas Brady Woods, Brett Forrest, Camille Petersen, and Ali Swenson. Theme music and original score by composer Nina Perry and performed by musicians Danny Keane, D...

Apr 20, 202349 minSeason 2Ep. 8

How to Pitch an Audio Documentary and the Unusual Origin of a This American Life Story

The episode(s) discussed on today’s Sound Judgment: This American Life Episode 776, “I Work Better on Deadline.” Segment: “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Quorum.” Reporter: Sarah Gibson, NHPR Producer: Chris Benderev How to be a great host: Katie’s takeaways: What are your holy shit moments? We need holy shit moments. What are those surprises – in the story, or about the people in your story – that make you say, “Wow, you’re never going to believe this!” Holy shit moments help get your...

Apr 06, 202345 minSeason 2Ep. 7

Why Should Audiences Trust You? with Audio Branding Host Jodi Krangle, Part 2

Did you miss Part 1 of my conversation with Audio Branding's Jodi Krangle? Listen to it here. Takeaways from today's episode: 1. Imposter syndrome and the art of the interview When she started hosting, Jodi Krangle, who makes her living using her voice, had to overcome one big negative belief. “I didn’t think I was a speaker of any kind!” she says. It was hard for her to speak her own words, believe she had something worth saying, and be passionate enough to get her thoughts across. That was all...

Mar 30, 202348 min

Grow Your Audience with Voiceover Talent Jodi Krangle

We’re doing something different on this episode. Jodi and I interview each other – and discover some real similarities and big differences between voice acting & hosting. One of the biggest similarities: As hosts and voice actors, we need to communicate emotion authentically. That’s where the joy and the success lies – and where many of the problems do, too. Parts 1 and 2 of this conversation with Jodi Krangle are running on Sound Judgment and also on Audio Branding. Thanks to Audio Branding...

Mar 23, 202344 minSeason 2Ep. 6

Bone Valley: How to Create a True Crime Podcast That Makes a Difference

If you like this episode, you’ll also like Episode 3: Cinematic Storytelling with Crime Show’s Emma Courtland and Episode 1: Emotional Bravery on Last Day with Stephanie Wittels Wachs. Scroll down for takeaways you can use from today’s show. About the creators Gilbert King and Kelsey Decker are the team behind Bone Valley , a groundbreaking, 9-episode true crime podcast from Lava For Good . The series explores the case of Leo Schofield, a man convicted of murder in a gross miscarriage of justice...

Mar 09, 202352 minSeason 2Ep. 5

Juleyka Lantigua: What if all of your editorial choices were to serve one person?

Juleyka Lantigua is the Founder/CEO of LWC Studios, which received a Peabody Award nomination and won a Third Coast Award “Director’s Prize.” A Fulbright Scholar and Tory Burch Fellow, Juleyka holds a Master’s in Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing. Connect with Juleyka at LWCStudios.com. The episode discussed on today’s Sound Judgment: How to Talk to [Mamí and Papí] About Anything , Episode 112, “Convincing Mamí My Depression is Not About Her.” A note about Sound Judgment: We believe that...

Feb 23, 202352 minSeason 2Ep. 4

The Dinner Sisters: Navigating a Breakout Opportunity—and Devastating Grief

Dinner Sisters Producer and Co-Host Betsy Wallace is an editorial director for podcasting at WebMD. Her career pivot into podcasting started in 2018 with the first episode of the Dinner Sisters, a cooking podcast she produces and co-hosts with her sister, Kate. Through the Dinner Sisters, Betsy has cooked and reviewed more than 500 recipes from popular food blogs, interviewed dozens of New York Time bestselling cookbook authors and competed on Season 15 of The Food Network’s Great Food Truck Rac...

Feb 09, 202352 minSeason 2Ep. 3

Standing Ovation Host Jay Baer: How to Craft a Million-Dollar Story

Scroll down for takeaways you can use from today’s show. Enter the Sound Judgment Listener Name Contest! On Standing Ovation, Jay calls his listeners “clappers.” Glynn Washington of Snap Judgment calls his listeners “snappers.” What Should I Read Next? host Anne Bogel talks to her “readers.” What should we call you? Enter our contest, inspired by Jay Baer. Here’s how it works: Submit your ideas (as many as you would like) here. Deadline: Saturday, February 4. Prize: We’ll choose the best, most f...

Jan 26, 202349 minSeason 2Ep. 2

Snap Judgment's Glynn Washington: Lessons from a Master Storyteller

Before creating the Snap Judgment radio show, Glynn worked as an educator, diplomat, community activist, actor, political strategist, fist-shaker, mountain-hollerer, and foot stomper. Snap Judgment is heard on about 500 public radio stations in the U.S. and on podcasts everywhere. Scroll down for takeaways you can use from today’s show. The episode discussed on today's show "Zoo Nebraska," a Snap Classic, Season 13, Episode 18. The story of a chimpanzee and a man whose dream brought disaster to ...

Jan 12, 202345 minSeason 2Ep. 1

Six Unexpected (Life) Lessons from Great Hosts to Prepare You for 2023

The Six Biggest, Most Surprising or Useful Lessons our Hosts Identified in 2022 1. The host defines the brand of your show. 2. Hosting changes the host—not just as a storyteller and performer, but as a human being. 3. Great performances are valuable, whether that's a million-dollar signature story in a keynote speech or the captivating storytelling and connection skills of a great host. 4. We must challenge unconscious bias about the kinds of voices that are perceived as acceptable. 5. Narrative...

Dec 29, 202222 minSeason 1Ep. 9

How Top Hosts Hook Listeners in 60 Seconds or Less

Listeners to Sound Judgment know I’m on a quest to unpack how today’s best hosts make their magic — and to define the universal skills and qualities of “hostiness.” What makes some hosts stars, while we don’t remember the rest? Today, we name and explore the first of these universal skills: #1: Sparkling, Attention-Grabbing Intros Compelling hosts know how to grab and hold listeners' attention from the very first seconds of an episode. A great intro, also called a "lede," relies on the elements ...

Dec 15, 202220 minSeason 1Ep. 8

Secrets of Hosting In-Studio and Live from the Queen of Book Podcasts, Anne Bogel

Anne Bogel has spent the last six years of her life doing something uncanny: Every week on her hit show, What Should I Read Next , she excavates a guest’s reading life in fine detail. Then she recommends books that always seem to be the perfect choices for that guest, no matter who they are. It’s not just her unusual ability to pair book with reader that keeps her show at the top of the charts. It’s also the way Anne approaches hosting – as the art of practicing deep hospitality for her guests. ...

Dec 01, 202247 minSeason 1Ep. 7

A host on a mission with ¿Quién Tú Eres? host Pabel Martinez

Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our once- or twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Scroll down for takeaways you can use from today’s show. Pabel Martinez is a native New Yorker, storyteller, and former tech executive. Throughout his career, Pabel struggled balancing two jobs…tech employee and actor. As an actor, he would focus on assimilation because he was trained to believe that many parts of his identity were unprofessional. Pabel would dedicate ...

Nov 17, 202235 minSeason 1Ep. 6

Finding your voice with Shelter in Place host Laura Joyce Davis

Laura Joyce Davis, Host/Executive Producer, Shelter in Place Laura Joyce Davis is the host and executive producer of Shelter in Place , which won the “Changing the World One Moment at a Time” award at the International Women’s Podcast Awards. She is a full-time lecturer and managing editor at Stanford University's Storytelling Project , the CEO and co-founder of Narrative Podcasts (an online course), and one of Podcast Magazine 's Top 22 Influencers in Podcasting in 2022. Her work has been recog...

Nov 10, 202247 minSeason 1Ep. 5

Cinematic Storytelling with Crime Show's Emma Courtland

Emma Courtland Emma Courtland is an award-winning podcast producer and oral historian. In 2020, she created Crime Show, an episodic documentary series "about people -- and sometimes crime." The show peaked at #2 on Spotify's podcast charts. Her work in audio has been recognized by the Podcast Academy (Nominee - Best Host, 2022), the Clue Awards (Nominee - Outstanding Episodic Series, 2022) and the National Council on Public History (Winner - Excellence in New Media). Emma holds a BA in English f...

Oct 27, 202244 minSeason 1Ep. 4

Master the Secrets of Successful Cohosting with Pantsuit Politics

Scroll down for takeaways about co-hosting well from Sarah and Beth About the guests: Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers host the popular podcast Pantsuit Politics, which was named one of 2021’s best shows by Apple Podcasts and has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Good Morning America 3, The Guardian, Elle Magazine, and Parents Magazine. They are also the authors of Now What? How to Move Forward When We’re Divided (About Basically Everything) (2022) and I Think You’re Wrong...

Oct 13, 202241 minSeason 1Ep. 3

The host defines the brand with John Barth

How to be a great host: John Barth’s takeaways 1. What is “hostiness?” This is where John shines as both a talent recruiter and a content developer. As he says, he’s always looking for ‘the blue M&M” — “that special voice.” “It’s a combination of very different factors. There’s a likability in someone's voice or style. There's this innate sense that I’d really like to spend more time with them. There’s also this range of curiosity and joy and versatility that comes across when you encounter ...

Oct 04, 202244 minSeason 1Ep. 2

Emotional Bravery on Last Day with Stephanie Wittels Wachs

Stephanie Wittels Wachs is a longtime actor, voice-over artist, theater teacher, author and the co-founder, with Jessica Cordova Cramer, of Lemonada Media. Last Day is only one of Lemonada’s 30-plus podcasts and growing. Wittels Wachs and Cordova Cramer founded Lemonada three years ago. Its tag line matches Stephanie’s personality: Humanity. Unfiltered. A note about Sound Judgment: We believe that no host does good work alone. All hosts rely on their producers. We will strive to give credit to p...

Sep 29, 202243 minSeason 1Ep. 1

Introducing Sound Judgment

The beautiful voices included in this trailer are: John Barth Former chief content officer, PRX Current principal, Creative Media LLC Stephanie Wittels Wachs Host, Last Day Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer Lemonada Media The episode Stephanie mentions is A Love Story from Last Day, Season 2 Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter Read it first here. Who am I go behind the scenes to help explain the craft of hosting? Read my bio here. Improve your storytelling Check out our popular works...

Sep 04, 20222 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android