Methods

1. Podcast interview

Text: Miia Laine

Objective: to produce media content, to strengthen your voice
Method: learning what a podcast is and what your voice sounds like
Materials: a voice recorder and headphones or smartphone for each pair
Time: 1–2 hours

Introductions and creating a safer space. Have participants listened to podcasts or to the radio? Have they ever heard their own voice? Show them how the voice recorder works. If the group has a voice recorder, it’s a great idea to let everyone wear headphones and hear what the environment sounds like through the voice recorder.

Collect interview questions. Each participant writes as many questions as possible on sticky notes that are attached to the wall. Discuss and decide on the name of the podcast. The group is divided into pairs, and each pair has a voice recorder or smartphone. The pair can choose the questions they want to deal with in their interviews. The interviewer records an introduction: “Hi, you’re listening to the x podcast, my name is x and today I have x as my guest to discuss x”. The interviewer holds the microphone and points it at the person speaking (10 cm from the mouth). Finally, the interviewer finishes with: “This was x podcast, my name is x and I interviewed x, thanks for listening!” The interview lasts about 2–5 minutes, then the roles are swapped. Finally, all participants gather together and listen to the interviews, preferably through speakers. The young people share their experiences.

2. Scripted podcast

Text: Miia Laine

Objective: to produce media content, to record a podcast, to strengthen your voice
Method: to produce and record a 10–20 minute themed podcast working as a group
Materials: a voice recorder and headphones or smartphone for each group, a shared computer with audio editing software
Time: 3–6 hours

This will be easier if one person in the group or the instructor knows how to use audio editing software.
Introductions and creating a safer space. Have participants listened to podcasts or to the radio? Have they ever heard their own voice? Show them how the voice recorder works. If the group has a voice recorder, it’s a great idea to let everyone wear headphones and hear what the environment sounds like through the voice recorder.

Collect questions that the participants want to deal with in the podcast. Each participant writes as many topics as possible on sticky notes that are attached to the wall.

The participants discuss the name of the podcast, who it is aimed at and how long it should be. They also decide on the topic: is it a discussion, a news programme or a bedtime story? What voices, sounds and roles are needed for the recording? If you make a news programme, you’ll need a news anchor, an interviewer, an interviewee or a weather presenter, for example.

Depending on the topic of the podcast and the number of roles, the participants can be divided into small groups or everyone can work on the same podcast. The groups outline the podcast’s structure and script. The participants also discuss what other sounds need to be recorded for the podcast.

The groups are sent outdoors or to different parts of the room to record their podcasts. The finished audio files are transferred to the computer. The different parts of the podcast are combined using audio editing software. Royalty-free music can also be downloaded and added to the podcast (see e.g. Royalty Free Music). Finally, the group listens to the finished podcasts.

Instructor checklist: consider these five things when organising a podcast workshop!

It is important to have a quiet environment. You don’t need an actual studio as long as you have a room with no background noise.
Make sure that the participants have recording devices or phones that work and are charged.
You’ll also need headphones so that the participants can listen to the audio and a computer to edit the podcast.
If the podcast is published, make sure that the recording only includes recordings made in the workshop and royalty-free music.

Tips for participants:

Smile! The audience can tell the difference.
Provide your interviewee with a comfortable and safe space. The more relaxed the interviewee, the better the stories they tell.
Imagine that the listener is someone you know, such as a friend or a member of your family, and talk to that person.
You are the listener’s eyes and ears: introduce yourself and the topic of the podcast clearly. Explain what is happening and where you are. Explain everything that the listener needs to know.
Hold the microphone or voice recorder close enough (about 5–10 cm) to your mouth, and also place it as close to the interviewee’s mouth when they speak. This will ensure that the sound quality is good.

Examples of short tasks:

Record an introduction to your surroundings: tell the listener what you can see around you. (1–2 minutes)
Record a weather report. (1 minute)
Describe your commute to school or work. (1–2 minutes)

3. Countering hate speech on video

Objective: media criticism, understanding how to counter hate speech

Method: getting to know the objectives of the countermeasures of hate speech through watching videos and asking questions. The videos can be found at the end of the method section.

Materials: a computer and an internet connection to watch the videos, possibly a video projector

Time: 1–1.5 hours

A discussion about hate speech and countermeasures could be used as the basis for producing your own video.

Familiarise yourself with the principles of a safer space before the workshop. Take into account the young people’s experiences and remember to take a sensitive approach.

Briefly explain the principles of how to counter hate speech. You can find them in the background part of this method.

Take a look at some examples of videos about countering hate speech:

Questions to ask after watching the videos:

What kind of feelings did the videos evoke?
Why is it important for people to talk about their experiences?
Who should see these videos?
What is the purpose of these videos?
What kind of video would you make?

More examples of how to produce counterspeech:

We CAN! Taking action against hate speech through counter and alternative narratives

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