Is "Niche" A Bad Thing?
I’m just back from a conference in Toronto hanging out with about 4,000 anthropologists, give or take. I feel like I just crashed into a foreign country and I don’t mean Canada. Stay tuned for field notes and interviews from people trying to understand the places they’re from or the homes they fled, the companies they work for or the hospitals that treat them (yes, we’ll even have anthropologists on the doctor’s table). Subscribe here - free or paid - for stories that will try to make the strange familiar and the familiar strange, or, failing that, to make square things cool.
In the meantime, two things I’m listening to on my holiday drive:
👂To Listen👂
Movement, a new podcast+ about “the intersection of migration and music” hosted by Ethiopian-American singer-composer Meklit Hadero. Check out “Separating Our Culture From Our Trauma” ft Alsarah or “Sing Every Song Like It’s Your Last” ft Gino Yevdjevich. Travel stories, stories of migration - finding home, leaving home, renegotiating what home is - told in a way that isn’t sad (and will have you dancing in the driver’s seat).
The Ten Minute Bible Hour, where fly fisherman & scholar Matt Whitman takes us through one book of the bible at a time, broken down with literary insight and old-fashioned edge-of-your-seat storytelling in episodes that are - as promised - ten minute snackers. And to those of you who are saying, wait, a Bible podcast… why listen to a Very Old Book when there’s so much New News to keep track of… just take a listen to the latest series on the book of Esther.
Podcast Ponderings
Way smaller stakes, but of interest in my little industry, is this thoughtful read about the path forward for public radio and podcasts from Ben Brock Johnson, executive producer of podcasts at member station WBUR Boston. As you know, the rocky waters buffeting public radio podcasts are not limited just to NPR. Ben argues that public radio is having its “Moneyball” moment, mistakenly seeking the next big hit when it should be supporting unique and engaged audiences, like you all, or like the crowd at a Rocket City Trash Pandas minor league game.
Reading Ben’s article, I found myself googling the etymology of niche (from the French nicher - to nest - or niche - recess), thinking about the times that some unnamed people at NPR said that Rough Translation was “too niche.” How could it be niche when we were bouncing around to so many parts of the world? Niche maybe in the USA which is why I’m so amazed and grateful to all of you for being here and for getting curious with me. However you give thanks on Thanksgiving, or even if it’s just an ordinary Thursday where you are, I toast you and I’ll be back here soon.
I think about this a lot and I really do think that Americans think everything not to do with the US of A is too “niche.”
Ben Brock’s article says it well. NPR stations are best equipped to do the best podcasting work, with professional voice journalists like yourself, top of the line equipment, editors and sound engineers. Where are the critical reviewers? Where is the interest from advertisers? I live in Europe and am very happy to be able to avoid a lot of the advertising when I listen to US-based podcasts, but would gladly support my favorite shows by subscribing. I supported Rough Translation with earmarked donations as well, and am devastated that it no longer exists. Someone has to figure out the business side of things in order to bring the best podcasts to ‘niche’ audiences.