Podcasting as Democratic Praxis: Dialogical Knowledge for Divided Times

• In Event: Form as Praxis: Aesthetics, Affect, and Dialogue in Comparative & International Education

Proposal

In an era when echo chambers and algorithmic silos threaten democratic discourse, how can educational scholarship model forms of engagement that bridge rather than deepen divides? This presentation examines podcasting not merely as a dissemination tool but as a democratic practice that embodies the principles of peaceful dialogue essential for addressing global educational challenges.
Through an analysis of FreshEd episodes (Aktas, et al., forthcoming), this presentation demonstrates how the podcast format can model productive engagement across difference. Unlike traditional academic conferences where presentations flow one-way, podcasts create space for questioning, uncertainty, and the kind of intellectual vulnerability that genuine dialogue requires.
Drawing on a thematic analysis of nearly 200 episodes, this presentation explores how FreshEd has impacted the field. Unlike journals, podcasts’ emphasis on voice, presence, and temporal flow creates possibilities for what I term "empathetic expertise"—forms of knowledge sharing that acknowledge both the authority that comes from research and the humility required for learning.

Author

• Will Brehm, University of Canberra