Nine journalism podcasts to help you get through the pandemic

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Podcasts used to be the ideal time-filler during our daily commute but many found it hard to listen to their favourite shows while working from home. The good news is that the past couple of years have inspired some hosts to launch brand new podcasts to educate, inspire or simply entertain the journalism community.

Journalism.co.uk rounds up a selection of the shows for journalists to check out.

Coffee with a Journalist

If intimate chats with tech journalists about their lives, careers and how many emails they get are your thing, podcast Coffee with a Journalist fits the bill. It is hosted by Beck Bamberger, co-founder of OnePitch - a platform that matches publicists and journalists for media collaborations.

Uploads are weekly, and recent guests have included journalists and staff from BuzzFeed, Glossy, Decrypt and more.

We Are Black Journos

Diversity and inclusion are crucial in industries that have typically only promoted a specific demographic of voices - journalism being a culprit of this. Founded by Hannah Ajala, who now works at BBC World Service, We Are Black Journos aims to elevate and inspire both established and aspiring black journalists.

Since its launch in May 2021, the podcast has covered progression, asserting yourself, and the reality of everyday journalism work.

Subscription Stories: 'True tales from the trenches'

What better time than a new year to take some inspiration from outside of the news industry, and get inspired about new, sustainable business models?

Robbie Kellman Baxter is an expert on subscription strategies, having published several books on the topic, most recently "Forever Transaction", a dive into retaining readers and subscribers.

She spoke last month at our Newsrewired conference about how news organisations can retain their new 'coronabump' subscribers through a variety of engagement strategies.

In this new podcast series, she interviews leaders in different fields - entertainment, software, hardware, news, retail, hospitality - about their successful member acquisition and retention methods.

Freelancing for Journalists

It has been a tough few years for freelance journalists. With projects still getting cancelled and income looking uncertain, the stress can get to you.

With that in mind, freelance journalists Emma Wilkinson and Lily Canter launched this podcast to offer fellow freelancers advice and support.

The first few episodes in March 2020 looked at coping with the impacts of coronavirus but the series has since become a complete guide to freelancing covering networking, branding, LinkedIn and loads more. This podcast is perfect for freelance journalists of any experience level.

The Data Journalism Podcast

Data is everywhere - all journalism, not just digital, relies upon it. Top data journalists influence and change the way the news is told. If you are interested in how they do what they do, hosts Alberto Cairo and Simon Rogers of The Data Journalism Podcast discuss exactly that with new data journalist guests every episode.

Conversation with Data

Speaking of podcasts by and for data journalists, you do not want to miss Conversation with Data, a show by DataJournalism.com hosted by editor Tara Kelly. Every two weeks, Kelly talks to renowned experts about all things data journalism.

Lately, the podcast has been recorded live on Discord, which allows listeners to ask their questions in real time and bring back the joy of live audience participation. How cool is that?

Digital News Report 2020 by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism

The publication of the Digital News Report is an annual fixture in our calendars. The research maps the latest news consumption trends worldwide and is a point of reference for news organisations when planning their editorial strategy.

In this newly launched podcast, RISJ's head of leadership development Federica Cherubini chats to the report's authors about their findings. An unmissable podcast for anyone looking to gain a better understanding of audience behaviour.

The Tip Off Podcast

Sometimes the truth is stranger (and more interesting) than fiction; proving this is The Tip Off Podcast, which takes listeners behind the scenes of top investigative journalism stories from recent years. The writers behind each article recount their tales of "car chases, slammed doors, terrorist cells" and more whilst digging for a scoop.

Hosted and produced by ​​Maeve McClenaghan, reporter for The Bureau of Investigative Journalism both international and UK, this podcast was voted Best New Podcast 2018 at the British Podcast Awards. Series 9 is coming up soon.

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day

If you are a journalist, you have likely dealt with rejection and disappointment many times. It is how you learn and grow from these bad experiences that matters, which is what How To Fail With Elizabeth Day aims to show. Each week, author, journalist and broadcaster Elizabeth Day interviews someone new from a range of backgrounds about how their failures helped them succeed better.

Though not strictly journalism-related, plenty of journalists, broadcasters and writers have appeared on this podcast during its ongoing, 13-season-strong run. Ruby Tandoh, Dolly Alderton, Paris Lees, and Emma Barnett all star in previous episodes.

Still hungry for more? Here are six more podcasts for you to check out during the pandemic

You can also subscribe to the Journalism.co.uk podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud and Spotify

This article was originally published on 24 June 2020 and updated on 18 January 2022 with new podcasts. Media Tribe, The Mobile Storytelling Podcast, Recovery: how the world rebuilt after past crises, and Out of Office ceased publishing new episodes and were removed but you can still enjoy the archived episodes.

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