Every Good Podcast Needs A Central Narrative

I've teamed up with Detroit comedian Mike Geeter to launch a new podcast about the Detroit arts and entertainment scene called The D Brief. In this column, I am sharing the lessons I learn from it for other radio broadcasters who want to do the same.

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Before Mike and I released our first episode of The D Brief podcast, we recorded a handful of practice episodes that would never see the light of day. We listened back to these episodes to see where there was room for improvement.

We recorded one of these practice episodes during the week that Eminem dropped an anti-Trump freestyle rap for the BET Hip Hop Awards. Because our podcast is about the Detroit arts and entertainment scene and Eminem is one of the biggest stars to emerge from this city, we decided to devote a segment of our episode to discussing it.

When we listened back to that segment, the discussion fell flat. In fact, it wasn't much of a discussion at all. It was more of a rehashing -- we simply explained what happened, without injecting our own opinions. Listening to it, we realized what every successful on-air talent knows: It's important to have a strong point of view. Without strong points of view, the discussion gets boring.

This reminded me of an interview I did with morning show consultant Steve Reynolds. Every year, I go to Hollywood for the Worldwide Radio Summit, where I interview leaders in the broadcasting industry for a podcast series. In 2016, I had a riveting conversation with Steve in which I asked him about the most common problem he sees when working with radio morning shows. Steve replied, "There's no central narrative or theme to the show." I asked him to elaborate, and he explained, "Television shows all have plots. Why don't radio shows have plots? Central narratives of what the show is about. Every show I work with has a working plot."

Steve cited B96 in Chicago as an example. When Steve worked with that show, they spent a lot of time thinking about what the central plot of the show should be. He describes the moment when the lightbulb went off over his head and he identified the theme of the show: The morning show featured Jay Nice, a Jamaican anchor; Julian, a Chinese woman; Shelby, a suburban white woman; and Gabriel Ramirez IV. Moreover, the station's crosstown competitors featured all white morning show casts. The theme of B96's morning show? Multiculturalism.

The DJs would embrace this theme by tackling topics from their different ethnic points of view. "Eighteen months later, they were number one," said Steve.

Listening to the practice episodes of The D Brief, it was easy for Mike and I to identify the central narrative of our podcast: the resurgence of Detroit. After decades of turmoil, Detroit is experiencing a resurgence. Our podcast would showcase this revitalization. As the metro Detroit native, Mike embodies Detroit's history. As the guy who is new to the city, I represent the influx of new people flocking back to Detroit. This dynamic became our central narrative: Mike was the wise sage explaining to the newbie how things worked in his city.

While the tone of our podcast is largely positive, this central narrative also allows us to tackle more serious issues, such as the gentrification of Detroit. Moreover, the fact that Mike is black and I am white enables us to touch on the racial issues that are part of Detroit's resurgence.

In the wake of our Eminem segment, when Mike and I do a final rundown of the show before we record, we now ask ourselves not just what we're going to talk about in each segment, but also what our point of view is in each segment. Over time, surprising points of view have emerged: Mike is a parent and I am not, while I am an adventurous eater and Mike is not. But often, our points of view boil down to a variation of "Seth is new to the Detroit area and Mike is a native." Embracing these points of view not only makes each segment more compelling; adopting a central narrative has also brought the show to life.

LISTEN: Hear the latest episode of The D Brief podcast.

More Glimpses Behind the Scenes:

1. Why Podcast Co-Hosts Need to Know Their Roles
2. Record Practice Episodes Before Your Podcast Launches
3. Creating Production Elements for Podcasts
4. Building a Radio Station Studio on a Podcaster's Budget
5. How to Check 200 Websites in 2 Hours