Compiled by Tess Connery and Grace Gollasch
Sean Szeps on winning big and the evolution of Come Out Wherever You Are
Last week, Come Out Wherever You Are took home the award for Australian Podcast of the Year at the Radio Today Podcast Awards. The show is hosted by Sean Szeps, gay father and proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, who is seeking to educate and empower listeners.
Podcast Week’s Tess Connery spoke to Szeps about taking out the award and what it means to bring queer stories to the world.
The recognition of the Australian Podcast of the Year award means a lot to Szeps, who says that he “probably feels more excited than the average media personality or creator” due to the fact that he creates content for a more niche audience.
“I’m not naive to the fact that broader concepts that speak to the masses not only reach the masses, but it’s also easier to market. When you create content that speaks to a smaller percentage of the population, it’s harder to get that message out and it’s more of an uphill battle to create it.
“I feel like whenever minority groups or diverse audiences are celebrated for the content they create, especially when you’re talking about a big award like a podcast of the year, it feels like a win for all diverse audiences. It felt like it was bigger than me”
The new season of Come Out Wherever You Are will be an expansion from the current format that people know and love. The pod will now be published twice weekly with a new episode format, which Szeps says comes from the desire to give the audience something different as the show’s popularity grows.
“The only downfall of the show’s format is that you’re hearing coming out stories every single week – sometimes those stories are quite similar. We thought, well, what can we do that provides the listener with something just a little bit different?
“What was most compelling to me was how interested I am in culture and news, specifically pertaining to LGBTQI+ issues. There isn’t a lot of content out there in the podcasting space that dedicates itself totally and completely to sharing the information that matters most to queer people in this country. That second episode felt like an opportunity for us to still give the listeners what they love, along with a news segment.”
With just over 12 months of Come Out Wherever You Are under his belt, Szeps says that the addition of the second episode is just the latest evolution the show has undergone since its launch.
“I went in expecting that more people were prepared to answer these questions. It was a rude awakening for me that so many queer people, especially professional media-trained creatives, aren’t asked these questions about their life.
“I thought we were just going to talk about the emotional highs and lows of the coming out story, and what ended up happening was wanting to have a much more intellectual conversation about why – why do we suppress it? Why don’t we think about it? We all come out all the time, why aren’t we talking about this in a bigger way on the media landscape?”
Sean Szeps
Whilst the show is inherently about LGBTIQ+ people telling their stories, Szeps says that it’s important listening for everyone – no matter who you are or what your background is.
“This show on paper – the name of the show, the logo, even the descriptions of each episode – really scream this is a show for queer people. You would imagine that the primary listenership is members of this community, but in actual fact, we’ve come to find that people who are listening to this show are doing it for research.
“There are a lot of parents who have really young kids – maybe they might suspect that their child is a member of our community – but mostly they just want to be prepared to be great parents in a more inclusive, accepting world.
“If you think the show might not connect or relate to you, take into consideration your son, your daughter, your niece, your nephew, your colleague at work, or your next-door neighbour. Are you prepared to handle the possibility of them being anything other than a heterosexual cis human? If the answer is no, especially if you’re surrounded by young people, then I think this show is really, really important.”
[Listen to Come Out Wherever You Are here]
Chris Dawson, subject of The Teacher’s Pet podcast, found guilty
Chris Dawson, the subject of The Australian’s highly successful The Teacher’s Pet podcast, has been found guilty of murdering his wife, Lynette.
Lynette Dawson disappeared without a trace in 1982 and her whereabouts have never been determined. At the time, her husband Chris had been accused of grooming the family babysitter, a then sixteen-year-old schoolgirl. The state made the case that the motive for Lynette’s murder was to replace her with the schoolgirl, and to avoid the financial devastation that a divorce would bring.
One of Australia’s most high-profile trials came to an end after a five hour ruling on Tuesday. Justice Ian Harrison said that he was satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that Lynette had not voluntarily abandoned her family to start a new life in secret – a claim that has followed the case for years.
Justice Harrison concluded that he believes Lynette to be dead, and that the only explanation for her disappearance was a “conscious and voluntary act committed by Mr Dawson with the intention of causing her death.”
Lawyer for Chris Dawson, Greg Walsh, has already brought up the suggestion of bail application ahead of the sentencing date. He has since announced that the decision will be appealed.
Released as part of The Australian’s podcast suite in 2018, The Teacher’s Pet – hosted by journalist Hedley Thomas – has since recorded close to 30 million downloads. Since its release, it has hit the top spot on the podcast charts in Australia, the UK, Canada, and New Zealand.
The podcast has been unavailable since 2019 in preparation for the trial to go ahead. Despite the publicity the podcast brought to the case, every effort was made not to influence the decision handed down.
The spin off podcast, The Teacher’s Trial, has been giving listeners updates on the proceedings since May this year.
[Listen to The Teacher’s Trial here]
Entries open for the 2022 Australian Podcast Awards
Entries are now open for the 2022 Australian Podcast Awards, powered by iHeart.
The Australian Podcast Awards celebrate the best of Australian podcasting, from the smallest shows to the biggest hits. This year, there are five types of categories for podcasters to enter.
The categories include the Show Awards (usually based on podcast genre), Sales & Marketing Awards, People Awards (for individuals), Listeners’ Choice (chosen by listeners) and Special Awards.
Those eligible to enter must have created at least six episodes of a single podcast before July 31st 2022 – still available to download in podcast form. Submissions must be a single MP3, up to a maximum of 15 minutes long (except Best Fiction & Best Documentary), including (up to) a maximum of 5 clips, from at least 3 different episodes (unless stated), and be taken only from material first published between Aug 1 2021 and July 31 2022.
Entries close Monday, September 27 at midday AEST. The announcement of nominations and the launch of the Listeners’ Choice competition will commence in October, and the awards ceremony will be held in November.
here are two price bands for each entry in the awards:
• Independent podcasters (where the podcast’s turnover is less than $200,000 per year), educational institutions or charities: $49+GST
• Corporate podcasts (if its part of any business/corporate entity, OR is an independent podcaster that earns more than $200,000 per year): $199+GST.
[For full guidelines, head here]
10 Play and LiSTNR present Shockwaves: The Bali Bombings
In a collaboration between Network 10 and LiSTNR, Shockwaves: The Bali Bombings is a six-part podcast series hosted by Ali Donaldson – Senior Journalist at 10 News – as she explores how the devastation of the 2002 Bali Bombings spread to Australia. 20 years on, the bombings continue to affect the lives of Australians.
In the Kuta district of Bali, an area immensely popular among Australian tourists, two bombs were detonated, wreaking havoc at two nightspots, the Sari Club and Paddy’s Bar. 202 people were killed, 88 of which were Australian, marking Australia’s worst peacetime atrocity.
Donaldson has a history with the Bali Bombings, as she was one of the first Australian journalists on the ground once the news broke. Donaldson interviews one of the youngest Australian survivors of the bombings, as well as medical professionals and those on the ground when the bombings occurred.
Donaldson said: “I was sent to Bali 20 years ago to cover the bombings for 10 News and was struck by the incredible acts of humanity in the face of such horror. I’ve stayed in touch with people and this year spoke extensively to some of the survivors, investigators and medics.”
38 Indonesian people died, with hundreds injured. The podcast hears stories from local hospital workers, hospitality staff and survivors who share their stories of resilience, their journey through the trauma and the many different forms survival takes.
[Listen to Shockwaves: The Bali Bombings here]
Saturday Afternoon Fever podcast gets ready to kick off new season
Comedian Matthew Hardy, the author of Saturday Afternoon Fever is joined by Australian stand-up comic Lawrence Mooney to read from his best-selling book about a footy fan whose dreams are denied.
Produced by audio content company, Ampel, the final quarter of season one launches September 1, with episodes dropping on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
As they read Saturday Afternoon Fever, Matthew and Lawrence constantly digress into the wonderful, hilarious, nostalgic worlds of their childhoods, teenage years and into their idiotic young adulthoods. As contemporary men, they discuss relationships, the modern world, ethics, history and philosophy. The big question – will they ever finish the book?
Executive producer & founder of Ampel, Josh Butt wrote in a LinkedIn post: “Last year, Mooney and Hardy started a podcast reading Hardy’s book Saturday Afternoon Fever – a book that even 20 years later has never stopped selling, hosted by two incredible comedians who never stop making jokes.
“If you’re into Melbourne, AFL, the 80’s, or a couple of great mates making funnies about life, we’re getting ready for the last quarter of this first season of Saturday Afternoon Fever in the most footy way possible, by doing a “best of” show.”
[Listen to Saturday Afternoon Fever – Matthew Hardy & Lawrence Mooney here]
Advertising Week shares lineup of new podcasts
Advertising Week has a slew of new podcast episodes joining the site.
On the latest episode of The TrustMakers, Justin Blake, executive director of the Edelman Trust Institute, is joined by Franz Paasche, senior vice president and chief corporate affairs officer at PayPal to discuss PayPal’s approach to stakeholder engagement, its history of taking a stand on societal issues and how the company acts upon values.
[Listen to The TrustMakers here]
Structured by Snackable, in the latest episode of the Great Minds podcast, Matt Scheckner sits down with Martha Boudreau, executive vice president & chief communications and marketing officer, AARP. Boudreau reflects on her time at FleischmanHilliard, her role at AARP, as well as shares her opinions on missed marketing opportunities of brands and ageism in the workplace.
Based on the best-selling book, the Uncommon Thinking: Friction Fatigue – How Earned Marketing Beats Consumer Ad Exhaustion podcast is a presentation from Advertising Week New York 2021 and features unique insights on how Earned Marketing can reignite brand love.
[Listen to Uncommon Thinking here]
The pandemic has dramatically changed how we live, work and shop and as a result, people have developed new needs, preferences, and values. Sam Budd, CEO and Founder of Buddy Media, explains how live, in-person events have changed to fit those needs and how brands should be thinking about live events again both now and in the future.
Hayu and Just the Gist partner to bring new True Crime miniseries
Hayu has partnered with the podcast, Just the Gist to bring an exclusive True Crime mini-series to listeners.
Whether it’s famous scandals, celeb dramas, conspiracy theories or True Crime, the Just the Gist podcast leaves out any of the boring bits and brings just the gist. The co-branded mini-series will unpack themes prevalent in Hayu’s true crime offering via three shortcast episodes; a first for SCA’s Just the Gist.
Lisa Wakefield, Hayu Global’s vice president of marketing, brands and partnerships said: “It is clear that enthusiasm for True Crime content is not slowing down in Australia and we’re excited to highlight Hayu’s offering to new audiences through our partnership with Just the Gist. Similar to Hayu, Just the Gist highlights pop culture and the True Crime genre, and this three-part mini-series has been designed to intrigue and entertain listeners and to lead them to a whole array of content on Hayu.”
Episodes will explore mysteries and crimes that made headlines across the globe and delve into the ‘why’ behind murders.
The three-part mini-series launched on Friday 26 August with subsequent episodes live Monday and Tuesday this week.
[Listen to the mini-series here]
