An Open Source conversation on the media pioneer, Tony Schwartz, between Christopher Lydon and documentarian David Hoffman.
Listen:
http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Watson_…
In a similar spirit as Marshall McLuhan, the conversation uncovers Tony Schwartz’s opinions on the power of radio - many of which can be equally applied to the application of audio podcasts. There are a lot of tips here for the creation of podcast lessons, as well as the differences in using video.
Notes on the difference between radio and TV:
- People are born without ‘earlids’…what determines what people hear?…they hear what interests them, what concerns them….If we ‘pre-search’ peoples’ concerns and media channels - we will know that our message will be heard.
- There is a fundamental difference between seeing and hearing; with sight anyone can blink and look away, but with hearing and no earlids - listening depends on interest.
- Televisions is not a medium of information, it is a medium of effects - emotional effects, personal effects.
- The ear carries the heaviest freight, the eye is a distraction (almost need to neutralize image to get message across). The eye distracts, the ear is what we are really about.
- (levels of engagement) Compare your frequency of changing TV channels as compared to radio stations?
Notes on the ‘responsive chord’:
- Communication is not what I say, it is what you hear. It is not the words I use, it is how you interpret those words. For me to communicate with you I need to know how you feel.
- Don’t tell me what you think, talk to me about what concerns me.
- Sometimes you speak to people who don’t agree with you…start first with their position and gradually move them to your position.
- When speaking to people that already agree with you, just tap stored memory and remind.
- When you make yourself human (e.g. self-depreciation), you increase your credibility with the audience you are trying to reach.
And a gem of a quote by Lydon:
The human voice - that integrates so much chaos into a palpable human stream - is the answer to information overload.
These lessons are just as applicable to the creation of learning media as they are for mass media.