Samantha Roesler
This episode of Roundtable is focused on the growing world of podcasts. People have been producing podcasts for over a decade, and listeners spend on average more than six hours a week listening to episodes that have topics ranging from true crime to local travel.
Four guests joined the Roundtable discussion: Investigative journalist Delia D’Ambra-Wheeler, who has been involved in the true crime podcast scene since 2018; Andrew McDevitt, who co-hosts “TalkinThe239” sports podcast; and “FloridaTravelPod” producers Tonya Denmark and Christina Sawyer.
The podcasters spent time answering questions about how they try to stand out from the thousands of other podcasts. Denmark and Sawyer explain how being lifelong Floridians contributes to their knowing the hidden gems of the state, giving them unique podcast content for their weekly episodes.
>D’Ambra-Wheeler, former reporter for NBC-2 News in Southwest Florida, shares her experience transitioning from broadcasting to podcasting. She discusses how podcasts allow her to spend more time investigating and producing episodes, compared to the time crunch with television news.
A big topic of discussion was the monetization of podcasting. Many people start a podcast as a hobby, but turning a podcast into a business proves to be difficult. However, the four passionate podcasters are optimistic in their decision to commit to one of the fastest growing mediums of our time.
Here is the YouTube link to the Roundtable segment, which we encourage you to share with colleagues and friends: YouTube.
Samantha Roesler is a senior at Florida Gulf Coast University, majoring in both journalism and legal studies. She is currently the Executive Editor of Eagle Media where she oversees FGCU’s student-run media group. Her passion is writing stories focused on Southwest Florida’s delicate environment, having covered a range of topics from Everglades restoration to cane toad invasions.