Podcasts and Webcasts
Podcasts is a
form of online media made up of series of audio or video files that are
distributed over the internet. There are podcasts for radio shows, educational
programs, magazines and even comic books. What makes podcasts different from
regular radio shows is that a person can subscribe to a podcast. This is done
by using Really Simple Syndication or RSS. RSS is a format that sends the
latest podcast to an aggregator such as iTunes or Youtube. These aggregators
locate all the RSS series you have subscribe to and automatically downloads the
newest podcasts to your computer or media device. Of course you don’t have
subscribe to listen to a podcast, you can search on sites such as google and
type in the topic you are interested along with the word podcast and thousands
of options will be presented to you.[1] For years, what we listened to and who got to
speak was controlled by a few corporations. These corporations would choose
personalities and formats that would help their bottom line but often lacked in
originality. If you have ever driven cross-country and listened to the radio,
you will have notice this phenomenon. Whether you are in Newark New Jersey, or
Austin, Texas, you kept hearing the same talk shows and music channels, with
very little variation. And, this is just an opinion, but it feels like you keep
hearing the same voices speaking to you through the radio, even if there
different radio personalities Podcasts have level the playing field, as
Podcasts are not restricted by the Federal Communications Commission or (FCC).
And since Podcasts are not controlled by any large media conglomerate such as
Clear Channel, the topics one can find being discussed on Podcasts are only
limited by one’s imagination. Podcasts are often started by people with a
passion for particular topic.[2] UFC commentator Joe Rogan started a podcast
to bring in people to discuss subjects that he is interested in such as Mixed
Martial Arts, Boxing, Kickboxing and Gracie Jujitsu. However, over the years
Joe has brought in guest to discuss hunting, the environment and even people to
talk about Big Foot. And this is the beauty of the Podcast, while a person may
be known for one thing, the Podcast allows them to explore other topics they
might be interested. As opposed to TV or Radio shows where what gets talked
about is often not decided by the person hosting the show. Anyone with a computer and microphone can
create a podcast. And simply googling “How to create a podcast?” will give you
hundreds of options and suggestions.
Webcast is simply
the live broadcast of an event where one can either listen or watch &
listen to an event in real time. The difference between a webcast and a regular
television viewing is that webcast often invite people to comment in real time
to what is occurring on screen. A variety of organizations webcast;
corporations meetings are often webcasted to allow for offices in different
parts of the nation to see and hear their companies CEO or President discuss
where the company is headed. Medical facilities webcast surgeries in real-time
to demonstrate the latest techniques in surgery. And of course, television
shows will webcast shows to allow people who don’t have cable to still see a
major event or particular show in real time.
[1]
Evans, A. Martin, K., & Poatsy, M.A. (2015). Technology in Action.
“Podcasts,” Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Pg 83-84
[2] By
subscribing to the How to Podcast Ezine you will stay current the. (n.d.) How
to Podcast. Retrieved September 17, 2016, from http://www.howtopodcasttutorial.com/what-is-a-podcast.htm
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