Podcast
Phonograph
Hosted by Robert McGinley Myers · EN
A podcast that lovingly deconstructs the history and art of audio storytelling, hosted by former public radio producers Rob McGinley Myers (The Writer's Almanac, Anxious Machine) and Britta Greene (Minnesota Public Radio, The New Yorker Radio Hour).
12episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Its Own Kind of Clock: "24 Hours at the Golden Apple" with guest Joe Richman
3w ago00:55:40Tap to summarizeOn this episode, Rob and Britta dig into the classic This American Life episode "24 Hours at the Golden Apple," (November 17, 2000) in which a team of producers spent a full day and night at a 24-hour diner on Chicago's north side, trying to interview everyone who was willing to talk. Special guest Joe Richman, founder of Radio Diaries, joins us to talk about the segment he produced for the episode, and what it felt like to revisit that story more than two decades later. Links for this episode: This American Life: 24 Hours at the Golden Apple (Episode 173) Nancy Updike's talk at the Third Coast International Audio Festival: "Die Mediocrity Die" Joe Richman's Radio Diaries Music from Blue Dot Sessions
Transcribe →Knob Feel: the Story of the Greatest Podcast Ad Campaign of All Time
Apr 200:43:11Tap to summarizeOn this episode, Rob and Britta tell the story of the golden age of podcast advertising — how it started, why it worked, and why it seems to be over. Along the way we tell the story of what happened when Cards Against Humanity partnerned with a very opinionated tech podcaster to create the most entertaining ad campaign in the history of the medium. Guests include Lex Friedman, one of the first people to sell podcast ads, and John Siracusa and Casey Liss, co-hosts of Accidental Tech Podcast. Discussed in this episode: The Wolf Den: Lex Friedman, Midroll's EVP of Sales and Development (Episode 71) Hypercritical: Episode 1 Hypercritical: The Wrong Guy (Episode 42) Hypercritical: Pinching the Harmonica (Episode 49) Hypercritical: Worse and More Diverse (Episode 18) Casey Liss: Siracusa on Toasters Lex Friedman: lexfriedman.com John Siracusa: hypercritical.co Music from Blue Dot Sessions
Transcribe →Found Footage Horror: Podcast Coverage of the Ice Invasion
Feb 1901:17:13Tap to summarizeIn the weeks since Alex Pretti's murder, Rob and Britta have been listening to numerous podcasts that covered the ICE invasion of American cities over the past year. Ingesting a year of audio ICE coverage puts this story (not to mention our conception of audio journalism) into a whole new perspective. Come for the heartfelt media criticism. Stay for Rob's brutal takedown of The Daily. If you'd like to donate to people helping those targeted by ICE in Minneapolis, you can do that here. If you like the work we're doing, you can support us on our Patreon. Our music comes from Blue Dot Sessions. Discussed in this Episode: This American Life: "The Largest Deportation Operation in American History" Reveal: "Taken by ICE" Radio Atlantic: "When Border Patrol Comes to Town" What Next: "Everyone Saw ICE Kill Renee Good" The Daily: "On the Front Line of Minnesota's Fight with ICE" Panic World: "We Were at ICE's Invasion in Minneapolis" Radio Atlantic: "Another Death in Minneapolis" This American Life: "What Is Your Emergency?" 5-4: "Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo" Heavyweight: "Minneapolis"
Transcribe →To Show What's Going On - Photojournalists in Minneapolis
Jan 2900:29:10Tap to summarizeRob and Britta both live in the Twin Cities, so on this episode, we took a break from discussing audio storytelling, and Britta interviewed two photojournalists who've been covering ICE in Minneapolis. It's a conversation about what they've seen, about the vital role of photojournalism at this moment, and the personal toll of doing this work. Stand with Minnesota Donation Directory Our Guests: Evan Frost Ben Hovland Media: Video of Aliya Rachman being dragged from her car by ICE Music by Blue Dot Sessions
Transcribe →Some Crazy Joyous Thing - Apocalyptic Vox Pop from Scott Carrier and Erica Heilman
Dec 3100:56:07Tap to summarizeAt the tail end of 2025, Rob and Britta discuss work by Scott Carrier and Erica Heilman that captures something about how it felt to live through this harrowing year. To support our show and access our bonus story feed, follow this link to our Patreon. Show Links: "The End of the World" from Scott Carrier's Home of the Brave "What Now Sounds Like" from Erica Heilman's Rumble Strip Rob and Britta's discussion of Scott Carrier's story The Test Erica Heilman's episode of Rumble Strip "The Party" Erica Heilman's episode of Rumble Strip "Thanksgiving" The Listeners from Transom.org
Transcribe →Weirdly Fun - What Podcast Bonus Feeds Are Offering
Nov 2100:58:39Tap to summarizeTo explore the phenomenon of podcast bonus feeds, Rob and Britta start by discussing an episode of Yowei Shaw's podcast Proxy (with guest Alex Goldman) about the struggle of podcasters having to ask listeners for money. We then dig into several podcast bonus feeds (This American Life Partners, Slate Plus, and others), to find what they're offering. And we are pleasantly surprised. To access our bonus feed story of Rob's harrowing Thanksgiving road trip back in 2008, follow this link to our Patreon. You can listen for free with a seven day trial membership and see if it's worth it. Podcasts discussed in this episode: Alex and the Impossible Ask - Proxy with Yowei Shaw Hyperfixed with Alex Goldman Slate Culture Gabfest Slate Plus This American Life Partners If Books Could Kill Mile High Club The Selects Podcast Our music comes from Blue Dot Sessions
Transcribe →Hey Jackie - The Evolution of Jonathan Goldstein
Oct 2300:50:07Tap to summarizeEpisode Description: With the triumphant return of the podcast Heavyweight, Rob and Britta trace the career of Jonathan Goldstein through several of his stories, including his early work at This American Life, the CBC radio show Wiretap, and his podcast Heavyweight. Stories and episodes discussed: "Baby Scientists with Faulty Data" - This American Life "You Call That Love?" - This American Life "A Fate Most Of Us Fear" - This American Life "Buddy Picture" - This American Life "Other People's Problems" - Wiretap "Jesse" - Heavyweight Jonathan Goldstein on the Longform Podcast Nieman Storyboard on The Little Mermaid story Our music comes from Blue Dot Sessions. To support Phonograph, subscribe to our bonus feed, which features experiments in audio storytelling.
Transcribe →What a Wonderful Thing - 99% Invisible
Jul 3100:47:17Tap to summarizeAs the 15th anniversary of 99% Invisible approaches, Rob and Britta dig into four very different episodes from the first four years of that show's run (as well as the story of the time Rob met Roman Mars): Episode 6: "99% Symbolic" Episode 29: "Cul de Sac" (Produced with Katie Mingle) Episode 103: "U.T.B.A.P.H" (Produced with Sam Greenspan) Episode 83: "Heyoon" (Produced with Alex Goldman) To support Phonograph, subscribe to our new bonus feed, which features experiments in audio storytelling, including this month's story about a young mother's relationship to her hearing aids, having refused to wear them since she started losing her hearing in the 6th grade. Show Notes: Invisible Ink (featured on Transom.org) "Genesis Object" on 99% Invisible HowSound episode on 99% Invisible HowSound episode on Heyoon Alex Goldman's new podcast Hyperfixed Music from Blue Dot Sessions
Transcribe →What Covid Did to Them - Nancy Updike's "We Were Three"
Jul 301:14:18Tap to summarizeEpisode Description: Rob and Britta discuss Nancy Updike's podcast "We Were Three," which tells the story of one family devastated by Covid and what that devastation revealed. Also discussed: Nancy Updike's status as as one of the all time great audio producers. To support Phonograph, subscribe to our new bonus feed, which features experiments in audio storytelling. This month's story comes from Rob: a collage of recordings he made in the spring of 2020 around the theme of anxiety and grocery shopping. Show Notes: ICU nurse Kelley Anaas talking about the state of nurses near the end of 2020 Serial Productions podcast We Were Three Nancy Updike's talk at the Third Coast International Audio Festival Nancy Updike's story for This American Life about private contractors in Iraq The Longform Podcast interview with Nancy Updike and Jenelle Pifer Maintenance Phase episode about Covid Conspiracies Music - Blue Dot Sessions
Transcribe →Where People Put the Radio Tower - Signal Hill
May 29, 202500:47:03Tap to summarizeRob and Britta discuss the new podcast Signal Hill, which takes its inspiration from the world of print magazines. Rob talks to Liza Yeager and Jackson Roach about the project, and then we dive into a handful of the stories from Signal Hill's first "issue." Show Notes: Signal Hill Fishing the Sky by Jackson Roach Desperado by Neena Pathak A Porous Place by Hannah Sassoon On the Family Group Chat by Hannah Kingsley-Ma Music by Blue Dot Sessions
Transcribe →