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PIC: Siobhan McHugh and Carolina Guerrero, CEO of Radio Ambulante Studios, Lisbon.
Colombian podcast executive Carolina Guerrero attended a narrative podcast workshop I gave at the Global Editors Media Summit, Lisbon, in 2018 and we found lots to talk about afterwards. I love Carolina’s work at Radio Ambulante, so when my book The Power of Podcasting was coming out in 2022, I asked her to read it and give me a comment for the cover. ‘An invaluable resource for anyone interested in understanding today’s global podcasting phenomenon. I learned so much,’ she generously responded. I’m more used to being reviewer than reviewed, but it got me thinking about being the subject of the review. So I’ve reflectively collated a range of reviews of my book here.
In 2025, I was delighted to learn that my book was included in Harvard’s respected Nieman Storyboard’s recommended Books on Storytelling Craft – along with renowned authors Stephen King, Toni Morrison and … Aristotle!
I’ll freely admit the book is a strange mix: a sprawling /ambitious attempt to understand how podcasting has reinvigorated audio storytelling and ignited an appreciation of the power of voice and sound. One chapter is history, the next is how-to, line-by-line minutiae of actual before and after scripts I’ve worked on and an unpacking of the invisible teamwork that makes a premium narrative podcast sing. There are deeply personal anecdotes, professional insights and academic musings. There are wildly unscientific assertions, such as my belief that audio folk are in general a better class of media person, with a tendency to be more empathetic and decent.
The common denominator is my passion for all things audio (purple cover is a clue). But really the style and scope reflect my own varied experiences across 40 years’ immersion in audio, first as a radio producer in RTE in Dublin, then as a freelance documentary-maker with ABC Australia, then a transition to academia and the painful journey to theorise what was previously a purely practical/intuitive/creative pursuit – and finally the glorious new era of the podcasting revolution, which for narrative podcasts took off with Serial‘s explosion onto the scene in 2014. Now I’m in the happy position of being a maker/creative AND a theorist/critic, a teacher AND a researcher, but most of all perhaps, an evangelist for audio storytelling and the power podcasting brings to that.
PIC: Siobhan back in RTE in 2022 – where the audio journey started, 40 years before.
THE REVIEWS
Matěj Skalický, a Czech radio journalist and academic writing in Media Studies: A Journal for Critical Media Inquiry, embraces the non-linear, not easily categorised nature of my writing about all that. And even laughs at my jokes! He does admonish me mildly for not paying more attention to the Polish literary reportage tradition (sorry Poland! Maybe the sequel he suggests?), but otherwise – what more could you ask than this thorough and perceptive review? A rare and special moment, to feel heard.
McHugh’s book is a wonderful contribution to the global research of podcasting. In its many insightful stories about well-known podcast series, it acts as a manual of what a narrative podcast should be and how to make one. While the book eschews pure scholarly language and its lack of quotation style makes it less acceptable in traditional academia, it is ultimately also much more enjoyable to read.
Matěj Skalický, ‘WHY DO WE ALL LOVE PODCASTS?’
The analysis of the author’s podcast series is the most valuable part of the book, revealing the behind-the-scenes procedures of making an award-winning podcast. By showing the characteristics of intimacy and authenticity, the specifics of narrative and storytelling, the evolutionary development from radio broadcasting, and the triumph of targeting the younger audience, McHugh allows the reader to truly understand the power of podcasting. The questions of why everyone loves them so much and how to make them are not so mysterious anymore. McHugh shows the power of podcasting and allows the reader to harness it, as promised; everyone who reads the book will fully understand what a complex, yet flourishing phenomenon podcasting is. And what is more, as McHugh notes, it is also God’s gift to ironing.
I also appreciated this long and insightful piece by Astrid Edwards in The Australian Review of Books, which credits my book with arguing for (the best narrative) podcasting as a literary/art form.
The strength of the work is clear when exploring the history of the medium. These sections are, to put it simply, fascinating. There is a dearth of information (whether written or audio) about the evolution of podcasting as a storytelling medium, and McHugh provides a tantalising entry point. For lovers of storytelling – whether fiction and non-fiction – these in-depth sections are a delight. McHugh delves into the history of radio (including news commentary and sports broadcast) to explain the elements of podcasting as an artistic medium.
Astrid Edwards in The Australian Review of Books
Podcasting is also a form of literary journalism… McHugh’s analysis of how the New Journalism movement of the 1960s and 1970s influences narrative podcasting today begs to be read. The Power of Podcasting is a reminder that audio storytelling is an art form. It can change minds and influence opinions, and its reach is vast.
PIC: Siobhan giving a talk on narrative podcasts at the National Radio Festival of Vietnam, 2022
ACADEMIC CRITIQUES
Reviews in academic journals, all positive, interestingly took different perspectives. Writing in The Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast and Audio Media, Gurvinder Aujla-Sidhu notes that I set out to distil the magic of narrative podcasts. She concludes: ‘She certainly achieves that, her passion and knowledge for audio storytelling captures the reader.’ A former radio journalist-turned academic, Gurvinder is buoyed by my rash advocacy of audio makers:
I particularly liked the assertation [sic] that ‘we storytelling folk are generally a good bunch, softer than the average media apparatchik, more inclined to care about fairness and social justice’. It is a point that stayed with me after reading it; good journalists need to be empathetic and have people skills in order to tease out highly personal and often private stories out of individuals. Within podcasting the host/presenter needs to understand that storytelling in audio is an intimate art. People trust podcasters with their precious memories, stories and experiences and the skill is how that story is brought to life.
Gurvinder Aujla-Sidhu in The Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast and Audio Media
Gurvinder also singled out my book’s attention to diversity and social inclusion in podcasting.
This makes this book stand out from others on podcasting as the overview is global in its outlook and is genuinely interesting because the developments are occurring in real time… Chapter 9 offers a deep dive into the drive to include diverse voices in the podsphere. There is an examination of the podcast market in China, a look at diversity at the BBC, PRX and The Equality in Audio Pact and its impact upon The Prix Europa.
Reviewing in Portuguese for Radiofonia: Revista de Estudos em Mídia Sonora, PhD candidate Helena Cristina Amaral Silva is buoyed by my focus on sound. A rough translation: ‘It is with a keen eye on the seductive power of sound and the countless possibilities that the use of sound elements offer to podcasting productions that the author turns, in the work, to storytelling podcasts.’ Silva concludes:
The work presents a broad overview of productions in podcasting of a storytelling type, and constitutes a reference for researchers, professionals, amateurs and other people who are interested in the subject…The debates outlined show the innumerable challenges of the sector, but also shed light on the many possibilities offered by podcasts, productions that since their beginnings demonstrate potential for promotion of diversity, inclusion and voices that do not find space in the mainstream media.
Helena Cristina Amaral Silva in Radiofonia: Revista de Estudos em Mídia Sonora
Manuel Álvaro de La-Chica Duarte a PhD candidate in podcast studies at the University of Navarra, Spain, who is researching the role of the podcast host, is interested in the how-to aspects. Writing in Austral Comunicación, he notes:
McHugh propone un gráfico con el que muestra lo que ella denomina «los pilares del podcasting». Según su esquema, el poder dela voz reside enla unión de tres elementos: el conocimiento, el entretenimiento y la empatía que construye el anfitrión del programa. Estos tres elementos-que llevan directamente a pensar en el logos, pathos y ethos de la retórica clásica- McHugh los interrelaciona también para destacar otras características de los podcasts.
Manuel Álvaro de La-Chica Duarte in Austral Comunicación
McHugh proposes a graphic showing what she calls “the pillars of podcasting.” According to this scheme, the power of the voice resides in the union of three elements: knowledge, entertainment and empathy that the host of the program builds. These three elements -which lead directly to thinking about the logos, pathos and ethos of classical rhetoric- McHugh also interrelates them to highlight other characteristics of podcasts.
En definitiva, McHugh ha escrito un libro sobre podcastque, por su propia forma de narrar, podría ser un podcast, puesto que lo escribe desde esos tres pilares que menciona al principio de su obra. Por un lado, ella misma forma parte de la historia que está contando. Por otro, utiliza un lenguaje muy oral para mostrarse cercana y construir una intimidad con el lector. Y, al mismo tiempo,cuenta desde la autoridad professional le da el haber formado parte del equipo de producción deesos podcastspremiados. Además, la elección de escribireste libromezclando reflexión con casos concretos es un recordatorio continuo de que, por mucho que se analice el medio,no hay reglas de oro para el éxito de un podcasty cadauno de ellos debe buscar la forma de conectar con sus audiencias en sus circunstancias concretas.
Manuel Álvaro de La-Chica Duarte in Austral Comunicación
McHugh has written a book about podcasts that, due to her own way of narrating, could be a podcast, since she writes it from those three pillars that she mentions at the beginning of her work. On the one hand, she herself is part of the story she is telling. On the other, she uses very oral language to be close and build intimacy with the reader. And, at the same time, it comes from the professional authority of her having been part of the production team of those award-winning podcasts. In addition, the choice to write this book mixing reflection with specific cases is a continuous reminder that, no matter how much the medium is analyzed, there are no golden rules for the success of a podcast and each one of them must find a way to connect with their audiences in their specific circumstances.
In Australian Journalism Review, veteran digital media analyst and PhD candidate Margaret Cassidy writes:
Siobhán McHugh is uniquely placed to write this book. She is both a highly respected and award-winning audio and radio producer and an audio studies academic and practical audio skills trainer. As a well-honed storyteller, she uses an informal style, personal anecdotes and content reviews to introduce the reader to many of the great audio producers around the globe and their works.
Margaret Cassidy, Australian Journalism Review
The Power of Podcasting is both a practical examination and a brief history of the relatively new audio medium of podcasting. This combination provides not only an absorbing introduction for media scholars and practitioners who are entering the field of audio storytelling, but a useful textbook for audio and podcast undergraduate classes and a fascinating read for both industry practitioners and keen listeners. However, beyond this, McHugh’s book is first and foremost a love letter to long-form audio storytelling.
A review in H-Net for the H-Podcast (a site I’ve only just stumbled across) celebrates my ‘narrative /memoir’, declaring (perhaps over-stating!) that ‘Siobhan McHugh has been an integral part of podcasting’s evolution since her foray into radio in 1981.’ Reviewer Dan Morris continues: ‘The Power of Podcasting recounts the incredible journey podcasting has taken from its birth through today. While that tale could be told by many, hearing it from someone with such intimate knowledge brings a sense of warmth and personality. It is like unearthing a time capsule and being part of the action all at once.’ I do like that descriptor – I am still actively making podcasts (The Greatest Menace dropped a cracker bonus episode in February), but I also draw on decades of tradition and best practice. Dan goes on:
To tell the full story of podcasting she has created four distinct narratives… the history and evolution of podcasting, the art of crafting an audio story, lessons for podcasters, and McHugh’s personal experiences. The Power of Podcasting draws you in from the very first words. McHugh storyboards a plotline from an audio editor’s point of view and explains the options she has in building that story… The creation of a soundscape, interviewing skills, the use of pauses to add emphasis, and deciding how to cut interviews down to mere phrases are all explored in great detail throughout the book. Sometimes it feels like the reader is getting a front row seat to the greatest behind-the-scenes moments of podcast editing.
Dan R. Morris, H-Podcast, H-Net
McHugh’s memoirs constitute the book’s third plotline. Few have been as involved as she was in the evolution of the medium. Stories she has worked on, memorable interviews, impactful moments of podcasting, and highlights of award-winning podcasts are peppered throughout the 282 pages.
And in RadioDoc Review, where I have stepped aside as editor for now, reviewer Robert Boynton, Professor of Literary Journalism at New York University, notes that my book ‘begins from a place of sheer wonder’.
It ‘brings the reader in the process of creating a podcast, with all the economic and social challenges that entails.’ This ‘audio-first’ book ‘considers podcasting as a cultural phenomenon, embedded in the practices of journalism and nonfiction storytelling… McHugh writes as a practitioner with an insider’s understanding of how podcasts are made.’
Robert Boynton, RadioDoc Review
It’s wonderful to know that the book is appealing to such a wide audience. It was not written as a strictly academic text, but it is deeply researched, and universities are using it to support their teaching of podcasting. Among them are Muhlenberg College, PA, USA; Toronto Metropolitan, formerly Ryerson, Canada; University of Sheffield, UK; University of Sydney (800 podcasting students across four courses), University of Technology, Sydney; Macquarie University, Sydney and RMIT, Melbourne, Australia.
PIC: Siobhan delivering a guest lecture, University of Sydney, 2023.
I particularly like when my work crosses over to industry and beyond, to general podcast listeners. I was amused to see award-winning Sardinian indie podcast producer Cristina Marras tweet that my book was ‘incredibly approachable’, DESPITE (my caps) my being an academic.
And when I stumbled across this review on Amazon, from someone totally new to podcasting, it made my day. Thank you debs 1221!
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Have for Getting Up to Speed on Podcasting
New to the podcast landscape I found this book to be a great resource to learn a timeline and history of podcasting with some wonderful and interesting anecdotes along the way. The author provides a list of great resources available online, in book form and podcasts of great interest. I know I still have a lot to learn about podcasting but feel that this was an amazing pick to take my first foray into podcasting. One word of advice, bookmark or jot down important things you want to remember and research more about later. I’m now combing back through the book to find the many things I told myself I’d explore later but when the list kept growing, it became harder to recall… It’s an amazing contribution–highly informative plus an enjoying read!
debs 1221 – reviewed in the United States on 27 February 2022
See more book reviews/comments, from podcast studies scholars and noted podcast industry people, here.
TALKS/MASTERCLASSES/KEYNOTES/SEMINARS/CONSULTANCY
I am open to speaking engagements, and teaching/research offers, in the academy and/or industry. I am also available as a consulting producer, to advise on narrative podcast development and production. Contact me at podcastpolly@gmail.com for rates and availability.
PIC: The Greatest Menace wins a Walkley Award, Australia’s highest journalism award, 2022. Siobhan is with TGM co-creators Patrick Abboud (also host) and Simon Cunich, and Paul Horan, Audible Australia.
Siobhan McHugh 