A Curriculum for Blackness: Podcasts as Discursive Cultural Guides

• In Event: Gender & Sexuality and Multicultural Studies Divisions - Top Paper Presentations
  In Paper Competition: Multicultural Studies Division – Top Paper Presentations

Abstract

Black identity and experience in media history, one that has reached an unprecedented range of audiences, generating dialogue, and a sense of online community through the podcast medium. This study provides a critical interpretation of selected case studies of Black podcast content and production aesthetics through Fernback’s symbolic interactionist approach to online social relations. What we call the curriculum for blackness in Black podcasts has become a readily accessible discursive cultural guide. Storytelling is designed to absorb listeners through humor and analysis synthesizing serious political concerns with entertainment. Main case studies on The Nod (2017-), The Read (2013-), and Still Processing (2016-) map the varying degrees of effectiveness in building a sense of community through content and social media. Results indicate that, although Black public discourse has expanded dramatically due to the podcast medium, several key Black podcasts have not capitalized on community building through social media to the extent that they could.

Authors

• Kim Fox, American University in Cairo

• Kyle Miller, University of South Dakota

• David Dowling, University of Iowa