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The Mass Media

The Mass Media

The Mass Media

Listen & Learn

Computer+and+iPod
Computer and iPod

Procrastination doesn’t always have to involve mindlessly clicking through friends’ pictures on Facebook or watching the entire first season of “Jersey Shore.” Students and learning enthusiasts, listen up: podcasts are a fun, alternative procrastinating activity that can actually expand your educational horizons. By utilizing the limitless library of podcasts via iTunes, listeners can create a truly personalized collection of programming that will act as both a form of entertainment and a resource for enlightening information.

Because of the endless possibilities of podcast programming, I want to highlight some of the best podcasts out there. To ensure that everyone is prescribed one they will truly enjoy, I have conveniently sorted them by area of study.

For English Majors: “World Book Club” (British Broadcasting Corp.)

All readers can sympathize with the relentless question that English majors must live with everyday: what was the author thinking? It’s the basis for many literary discussions, and English students are often left to wade alone through endless symbols, motifs, and themes. Which is why I encourage English majors and literary enthusiasts to take part in the “World Book Club.”

What better way to appease those burning questions than to ask the author yourself? “World Book Club” makes it easy for readers across the globe to get involved in deep and enlightening literary discussion. Host Harriet Gilbert expertly steers the conversation, bringing in questions submitted via email, phone, and even a live audience.

In each installment an acclaimed author discusses his or her most widely read work. By presenting the discussion on a global stage, “World Book Club” allows readers of different backgrounds and cultures to combine experiences and engage with a text in a unique way, while also receiving feedback from the author. Popular episodes include Toni Morrison on “Beloved,” Chinua Achebe on “Things Fall Apart” and Barbara Kingsolver on “The Poisonwood Bible.”

For Education Majors: “Stuff You Should Know” (HowStuffWorks.com)

No matter what grade or subject you teach, your students will inevitably ask questions, lots and lots of questions. Most of these questions will unfortunately be unrelated to what you are teaching. Here is how you prepare for this inevitable inquiry stampede: “Stuff You Should Know.”

In this podcast, hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant team up to answer life’s difficult questions, including “how hate works,” “how cremation works,” “how mirrors work” and so much more. The episodes are typically short and conversational. Clark and Bryant explain each topic in a way that is easy to understand and even easier to explain to someone else. Go to iTunes to explore the entire list of ‘hows,’ more than 300 episodes.

For Psychology Majors: “Radiolab” (WNYC radio)

The mind is a complicated landscape, a garden of paradox and unrelenting oddities. Allow the expert team of Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich to help you sort it all out. In their amusing, informative podcast “Radiolab,” this unstoppable duo untangles the mysteries of the mind. Through personal anecdotes, scientific research and expert interviews, they address such topics as laughter, sleep, words, placebos, cities and time.

Some topics even step outside the realm of the human mind, but there always remains a connection through the personal accounts and unbelievable-but-true stories of real human beings. Your faith in science and cold hard facts will be restored, simultaneously with your faith in serendipity, karma and fate.

For Political Science Majors: “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me” (National Public Radio)

How do you make political news fun and engaging? Easy: turn it into a game show. This is the genius behind the popular podcast “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me.”

A celebrity panel assists the host, Peter Sagal, in humorously discussing the latest current events; favorite panelists include Mo Rocca, Paula Poundstone, Roxanne Roberts, Roy Blount Jr. and Amy Dickinson.

This podcast is a blend of pop culture, science, economics and politics, with a bonus celebrity guest to play a heartfelt round of “Not My Job.” If you have grown weary of the stack of assigned textbooks on your desk, add this delightful, easy-to-listen-to podcast to mix things up in your busy schedule. You’ll be up-to-date with the latest political scandals, corporate mishaps and celebrity gossip.

For Sociology Majors: “This American Life” (Chicago Public Radio)

Perhaps an odd suggestion for sociology enthusiasts, but the personal stories and compassionate reporting that evolve through each episode of “This American Life” allow for an interesting look into different American cultures and societies.

We tend to think of America as being one society, generalizing the social aspects of our country. What this podcast succeeds in illustrating is that American society contains an immeasurable variety of experiences and perceptions.

Each episode focuses on a different topic, using key words or ideas as jumping-off points for stories and interviews. Episodes worth noting include “The Psychopath Test,” “Gossip” and a powerfully moving show about the events of 9/11 entitled “Ten Years In.”

For Biology Majors: “NOVA ScienceNOW” (Public Broadcasting Service)

Continual research and groundbreaking discoveries mean the world of science is constantly changing. How are you supposed to keep up with this ever-expanding world when your professor wants a full-blown diagram of the anatomy of a cell and a ten-page paper on the major macromolecules in less than 24 hours? Easy: “Nova ScienceNOW.”

This podcast comes in concise episodes usually ranging from five to eight minutes. In this short amount of time, host David Levin delivers the most relevant aspects of new discoveries and research, talking directly to significant contributors, researchers and scientists.

If a topic intrigues you further, Levin will always let you know where you can learn more, including corresponding videos and articles. Recent topics include wireless electricity, a lost city in Egypt and life on Mars.

Don’t forget to check out the iTunes store to browse all available Podcasts. If you are overwhelmed by the selection, just stick to these fail-safe favorites.


New to podcasts? Here’s a list of basic facts to get you started:

  • Podcast: a radio program, lecture, or video put into a portable, downloadable file. 
  • Easy to add to your iPod or MP3 player and can be accessed through iTunes.
  • They can be downloaded in separate episodes or subscribed to. 
  • Subscribing allows new episodes to be automatically downloaded as soon as they are published.

For more information about podcasts visit the experts at: http://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/fanfaq.html

Oh, and best of all: podcasts are free!