Podcasts

Sydney's Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travelstories/podcast/mardigras_sydney_0308/

Within just the title of a story like this, there are so many aspects that the reader is going to have questions about that the journalist needs to answer. They're going to have to depict something that distinguishes the story is in Sydney of all places. The gay and lesbian theme obviously has to be present and simultaneously, the journalist must describe the mardi gras holiday all in one gathered group of information.

This story is completely soft news. This podcast is solely audio and therefore benefits the journalist in this story by allowing the listener to imagine the scene as they hear the music and background sounds of the crowds. However, I think it is more beneficial to have a visual image rather than have to imagine it. Video footage would have given the viewer a more complete picture through combining the narration with the images of green, purple and yellow masks and beads and capturing the excitement of the event itself. I'm a little disappointed that this podcast doesn't have video footage. This would have been full of great visual shots.


Even the Queen of England has a Podcast
http://www.katu.com/news/tech/4990566.html

I must say it is one thing to watch any leader of a country on the news for a couple of seconds in the news summation of their speech, but to watch or listen to an entire podcast from the President or the Queen of England would be pretty darn cool. In her podcasts, Queen Elizabeth II addresses her citizens locally in England and the British armed forces in distant lands. This news link is reporting her podcast to the nation about the importance of learning from different generations. The video displays her playing with children and helping them make a nativity scene. This kind of reporting is especially beneficial in that it isn't exactly hard news. The news of the podcast release date might be but any further details about it could benefit from a cathup podcast later in the day.