Compiled by Trent Thomas
How the Law Society of NSW is breaking down the law for listeners
The Law Society of NSW and LiSTNR has launched a new podcast, Lawfully Explained, that helps break down some of the most common legal issues for the public.
The series will feature a range of legal experts talking about everyday legal issues in an easy to understand format.
Podcst Week’s Trent Thomas caught up with Amy Dale, the content and communications manager for the Law Society of NSW to talk about the new 16 part series.
Dale said the podcast was part of a larger Lawfully Explained campaign aimed at raising the profile of the legal profession and connecting the public with its members.
“The main thinking behind the campaign is that people very often need the advice of a lawyer, they just don’t know where to start. And people often need help in understanding what the law is. They need help understanding their rights. If they do have to go to court, it can be a daunting experience. It’s helpful to know, what does the courtroom look like. The intention of Lawfully Explained is in the title of the show, to explain the law, but it is also to demystify the law for people.”
Dale said the podcast is aimed towards non-legal professionals, and as one herself she uses her own perspective when talking to experts.
“I’m not a lawyer. So pretty much all the questions I ask are things that people like me would ask. We get lawyers to help answer them in a way that people can understand. Often there can be a belief that lawyers speak another language or that they can talk in jargon, but this is a way of saying no, no, this is how things operate in a courtroom, this is some information on what your rights are on certain issues. Do you have a dispute with your neighbour? Do you need help during a will? Here’s the information that you need to know.”
Dale said that podcasting was a good addition to the Lawfully Explained podcast due to its ability to reach a large number of people.
“Having it in the medium of podcasting is just such a powerful way to reach more people as possible. Podcasting seems to be getting more and more popular. It’s a great way for people to get information and also want to have fun conversations. Sometimes people think of the law as this very scary place. We also want to demystify that idea. Having these conversations in a fun way makes it accessible to so many people and hopefully explains it to them.”
The podcast points listeners to the website, lawfullyexplained.com.au, and a useful tool where people can search for a lawyer in their area.
[Listen to Lawfully explained here]
LiSTNR launches audio fiction pillar headlined by Zöe Foster-Blake
LiSTNR has announced that it will launch an original podcast audio fiction pillar with the book The Younger Man by Zöe Foster-Blake as the first title to be developed.
Developed in partnership with LiSTNR and renowned film and TV executive Bob Campbell and Bryden Media, Foster-Blake’s best-selling book will become the first of four of LiSTNR’s audio fiction episodic series. The book follows the aftermath of Abby’s memorable night with a younger, 23-year-old man, and whether the relationship will ever work.
In addition to creating episodic releases, LiSTNR will also debut feature-length audio movies, the first of which will be Loraine Peck’s The Second Son, winner of the 2021 Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut Crime Fiction. LiSTNR will also expand its crime genre driving a new category – real crime, developing stories using factual, investigative, documentary-style journalism and storytelling.
LiSTNR is investing in audio fiction with book adaptations by Australian authors to bring audiences compelling audio stories, with Bryden Media casting Australian actors to deliver the stories in different podcast formats as episodic series or audio movies. Audio movies will feature a single, 90-minute, scripted version of a story, with advanced sound design and music soundtracks, designed to appeal and entertain both Australian and global audiences.
LiSTNR announces collaboration with Royal Institute of Australia
LiSTNR has announced its collaboration with the Royal Institute of Australia (RiAus) that will bring science to life for all Australians through audio.
The long-term partnership between the audio platform and the independent not-for-profit aims to connect people with the world of science, to create, distribute and commercialise podcasts exclusively for the platform.
Science podcasts have grown exponentially in popularity as consumers embrace the fascinating world of science. A University of Canberra study found that science ranked in the top four most popular specialist podcasts among Australian news consumers.
RiAus is the leading daily science publishing organisation in Australia that aims to make the world of science appealing to all Australians and publishes the highly respected Cosmos magazine – print and daily digital editions, as well as regular newsletters – that aims to inspire curiosity in “The Science of Everything” and make the world of science accessible to everyone
SCA’s contest winning podcast, Stories of Us, launches on LiSTNR
Stories of Us, a new podcast that tells inspiring true stories about locals from around Australia, has officially launched on LiSTNR.
In 2021, SCA’s innovation program, The Lab, held its annual contest which encouraged SCA staff to share ideas for LiSTNR and received more than 400 entries across 40 offices nationwide over a six-week period.
All submissions were evaluated by the SCA Leadership Team and subject matter experts. After a rigorous evaluation process, 10 finalists were selected to pitch their ideas to the leadership group at the ‘Lab Contest Pitch Day’. The contest culminated in three winners for Best Idea across Product, Content, and Localism.
Stories of Us won the Best Idea – Localism and was submitted by Jason Austin and Sarah Bellato from SCA Griffith, NSW.
The first four episodes of the podcast series will be hosted by Triple M Wagga Wagga Breakfast announcer Leigh Ryan and Triple M Cairns Breakfast announcer Elliott Lovejoy, both hosts with over a decade of experience in radio.
In each episode, each host will sit down with a well-known and respected member of the community to gain an understanding of their life, achievements, and challenges, and provide an insight into what it’s like to live in their part of Australia.
The first four guests of the series are Grant Luhrs, a Golden Guitar winning musician who lives in Wagga Wagga and runs music production studio, The Flying Fox; Graham Burridge, a retired police officer of 40 years living in Cairns and the author of Piggy Tales, a book about police work in far north Queensland; Stina Constantine, a social worker and former Miss Wagga Christian; and Simon Bonetti, a former Sydney Roosters player from 1990s and 2000s who works on his family farm in Griffith.
Georgia Grace gets in bed with Nova for new podcast
Georgia Grace is a certified sex coach who has signed up for Nova Entertainment’s latest original podcast In Bed.
In Bed will take a deep dive into how humans from all walks of life think, feel and talk about sex.
In each episode, Grace will link up with experts who’ve dedicated their lives to studying and understanding sex and will also speak with regular people to hear more about the experiences that many of us are often too shy to talk about.
Georgia Grace
Grace combines somatics (awareness of the body) with sexology (the scientific study of sexuality) to help her clients overcome blockages, form deep connections and ultimately, experience more pleasure. Georgia regularly appears in the media, writing for a range of publications, commenting on social and cultural sex trends on multiple platforms and talking sexual wellness on The Bachelor. She also works developing online education programs, designing sexual wellness products and working as an advisor to some of the most innovative sexual wellness brands.
Grace said: “I am so excited that we can finally share this project we’ve been working on for so long. We have some of the world’s leading experts as well as everyday people sharing so openly about their experiences with sex. Podcasts are the perfect medium for speaking about sex – no one else will know you’re listening to someone speak about egg-laying-dildo kinks, infidelity or how Covid has completely destroyed your sex life while you’re on the bus to work. We’ve covered a huge variety of topics and gathered a range of experiences and I hope everyone feels a little more human, informed, and even turned on after listening.”
The sexual wellness brand NORMAL has partnered with In Bed for the launch of this new original Nova podcast.
7NEWS podcast The Lady Vanishes surpasses 10 million downloads
7NEWS true crime investigation podcast, The Lady Vanishes, has surpassed 10 million streams and downloads since its launch in 2019.
The 7NEWS.com.au production delves into the true story of mother, teacher and friend, Marion Barter, who boarded a plane for an overseas adventure 22 years ago and was never seen again.
The 51-episode series follows Marion’s daughter’s pursuit for answers.
The Lady Vanishes executive producer, Alison Sandy said: “Since its launch in 2019, The Lady Vanishes has been a labour of love for all involved. NSW Police initially dismissed the case, however, they have since reopened the investigation after listening to the podcast. It finally feels like we are getting close to a resolution. We’re closing in on the culprit.
“A special thanks to Seven Network director of news and public affairs, Craig McPherson, and everyone who made this podcast possible by investing support for our project from the start.”
[Listen to The Lady Vanishes here]
Finder’s Two Broke Chicks returns for new season
Finder has announced that its podcast series Two Broke Chicks is back for another season.
In partnership with Nova Entertainment, the podcast shares life lessons for the gals, from the gals and is hosted by journalists Sally McMullen and Alex Hourigan.
Two Broke Chicks aims to fill a void in the podcast world for young women who want to tackle life’s challenges head on – from careers and finances, to relationships and shopping carts.
This season, the show is releasing two episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.
As well as their regular full-length episodes the pair will be releasing a mini-episode each week. This includes a brand new Add To Cart episode, where the gals quiz their guests on their wardrobe must-haves, beauty essentials, and shopping regrets.
The other new mini-episode on the block is Fact or Cap, where the hosts will put a viral challenge to the test to see if it’s a fad or worth the hype.
Guests will include Cartia Mallan and Ashton Wood (hosts of the Common Chaos podcast), Flex Mami (author, DJ, podcaster, TV host), and Rowi Singh (beauty, style artist and podcaster).
Podsights Benchmark Australian Report reveals growth in ad spend
Findings from the latest Podsights Benchmark Australian Report show ARN’s iHeartPodcast Network Australia’s results in advertising effectiveness.
The report examines data gathered from January 2021 – December 2021. Key findings from the benchmark report and additional analysis include:
• iHeartPodcast Network Australia had record numbers for commercial delivery in Q4 2021 across the network achieving a 299% increase in impressions year-on-year
• Podcasts globally are seeing the highest level of engagement recorded, now converting 13.6% of attributable ads into leads (up from 9.2% a year ago)
• The conversion rate, which is the percentage of listeners exposed to an ad who then visits a brand’s website or app, is 62% higher on ARN’s iHeartPodcast Network Australia compared with the Podsights global average
