The Glue Between Digital and Audio

Sydney-based Janine Googan is the Programme Manager of SBS Learn English and has been in the audio industry for seventeen years. She shares why she loves being the glue between digital and audio.      

SBS Programme Manager Janine Googan. Image supplied.

Reporter

How long have you been working in audio/ podcasting and how did you get your foot in the industry?

Since 2006. I started as a digital designer and was previously working for the ABC in the triple j digital team. Back then podcasts were so brand new, and we were focused on turning on air programs into digital forms. It took a while before we realised that we could create content that never even aired on traditional broadcast radio. I've also spent a lot of time working on the product development side of the industry, launching the ABC Listen app. It's been interesting to have a broad understanding of both the editorial and technical sides of podcasting.
                    
What do you love most about your job, and being in the podcast industry?
I’ve always loved working in the gaps (or glue!) between digital and radio/audio. I think radio and digital people share the same spirit – an eagerness to experiment and a sense of fun. Perhaps this is because radio people are used to thinking on their feet because they are used to going to air live, and digital people have to work with constant changes. It’s a similar skill.
                    
Paint a picture of your daily work routine/ work processes.
SBS Learn English make podcasts, videos and online material to help new Australians improve their English and live well in Australia. Every day we are writing, recording, editing and reviewing content. My role is specifically to set the direction and keep the wheels turning. It’s busy and I love it!

Recently, we launched the video series Meet Leila and Ziad at Melbourne Polytechnic and it was great to get out into the community and engage with English learners. I have a philosophy that you need to see your audience interact with your content to really know if you are hitting the mark. So, we also regularly visit classes and have industry partnerships so we can interact directly with learners.

Janine Googan is helping non-English

List some of the recent podcasts you’ve been working on - any favourites?

We’ve been working on some new podcasts that are bilingual which we are really excited about.

Citizenship – This is a podcast adaptation of a video series we’ve made to help new Australians pass their citizenship test. Key languages such as Hindi, Filipino and Cantonese will use audio from the videos but combine this with in-language interviews from people who have just taken their citizenship test. This combination of authentic experience and practical information in two languages will be unique.

Is English hard? No! (英文难不难) – This is a conversational podcast following a new Mandarin speaking migrant as she navigates life in Australia. We go into specific issues that are difficult for Chinese people learning English and talk through cultural differences. It’s funny and friendly.

What do you think are some of the biggest challenges for the podcast industry today? Working out how much to visualise content. We have unique vodcasts like Our Deaf Ways on SBS On Demand in AUSLAN, and NITV’s podcast Goodways which is a light-hearted fun conversation between First Nations people, also available in a video format.

What opportunities do you think podcasts create?
Learning and connecting when life is busy. The beauty of podcasts is that you can multi-task whilst listening and audio creates the best images in people’s minds.

If there was a change you would want to see in the industry what would it be?

Open access and less gated platforms.             

What’s your number one bugbear when you listen to a podcast?
When there’s too many ads playing one after the other and it breaks up the flow of listening. SBS podcasts don't have mid-roll ads on short-form content and when they are inserted the placement is chosen by producers, not a machine, so it's not a jarring listening experience.
                    
What’s your favourite podcast of all time, and why?
All time would still have to be NPR’s This American Life – it sets such a high standard for how to tell personal stories. But my recent favourite has been Appearances – a one woman show by Sharon Mashihi that moves between fiction and documentary.

Pick one of the two options and explain why you have a preference for one type of podcast genre over the other — Comedy or True Crime? Narrative Documentary or Talk Personality?

Narrative documentary – I love getting drawn into a good story. Podcasts have the ability to really take you deep into a topic.

                    
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