I am not an mathematician. As a campus tour guide at Marquette University, I jokingly tell my tours that math is not my strong suit. Somehow I ended up as a business minor, which requires more math than the everyday communication major likes to study. My minor requires me to take a macroeconomics course, which I am doing (surprisingly) well in and am working to get through.
My professor assigned my class to listen to NPR's podcast called, "Lighthouses, Autopsies, and the Federal Government". Sounds like it would be the tagline for a cheesy crime novel that has a love triangle involving a woman who runs a lighthouse and an FBI agent, doesn't it? Nope, this podcast discussed the federal budget and what exactly should the government pay for.
My professor assigned my class to listen to NPR's podcast called, "Lighthouses, Autopsies, and the Federal Government". Sounds like it would be the tagline for a cheesy crime novel that has a love triangle involving a woman who runs a lighthouse and an FBI agent, doesn't it? Nope, this podcast discussed the federal budget and what exactly should the government pay for.
While that might seem incredibly boring to most people, including myself, NPR made a conscious effort to make it interesting. The first sound the listener hears is bubbles. Then a male voice talks about how people are financially underwater, while pretending to be underwater. The use of audio effects was incredible. While this was a serious piece that dealt with real world issues, the staff at NPR's Planet Money had some fun with the introduction, which shows their fun side to the audience.
I really enjoyed how the two journalists, Adam Davidson and David Kestenbaum, made it seem very casual and explained why this specific podcast title was chosen. This complicated topic (and title) dealt with topics that could be considered difficult for the audience to understand, but Davidson and Kestenbaum made it simpler and more accessible for listeners. This made sure that the duo kept viewers and did not lose them once they got into more of the intricacies of the federal budget.
I really enjoyed how the two journalists, Adam Davidson and David Kestenbaum, made it seem very casual and explained why this specific podcast title was chosen. This complicated topic (and title) dealt with topics that could be considered difficult for the audience to understand, but Davidson and Kestenbaum made it simpler and more accessible for listeners. This made sure that the duo kept viewers and did not lose them once they got into more of the intricacies of the federal budget.