Our family columnist, Emma Eldridge, was put onto podcasts about six months ago and has been listening avidly ever since. Like our business columnist, Fiona Killackey, who listens to podcasts on her commutes to and from work, Emma utilises her otherwise ‘dead’ time – ‘I plug in when running between childcare and work, or properly when I’m exercising,’ she says.
Emma seeks information rather than inspiration from her podcasts, so she likes those relating to food, news and parenting. ‘As a freelancing mum, I don’t have time to consult a bevy of books each time my toddler enters a new stage’ Emma explains, ‘podcasts allow me to procure the information I need in a low friction way.’
It’s no secret that as our lives have become intrinsically attached to technology, our attention spans have reduced, ‘we have a tendency to multitask when listening to podcasts. I often revisit in a way I wouldn’t with text or vision,’ Emma contends.
Similarly, with more people turning away from mainstream media every day, independent forms of journalism are more frequently sought out, ‘podcasts appeal to those with an interest in investigative journalism, niche topics, and plural voices.’
Emma shares her top three podcast picks below!
THE DAILY
‘For emotionally intelligent, audio-first journalism via The New York Times’.
FOODCAST
‘Because I don’t always get to our print edition [of Bon Appetit], and it’s the best in terms of extraordinary yet achievable food.’
YOUR PARENTING MOJO
‘Thank you, Jen Lumanlan, for exhaustively researching all things early childhood so I don’t have to!’