The Austin Meyer Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Creating Stories for Radiolab with Latif Nasser | Ep. 016 Feb 07, 2019

Show notes

Latif Nasser is the director of research at Radiolab, where he reports, produces and creates stories on a range of topics. In 2018 he created stories on everything from life at the southern border, to the blue blood of horseshoe crabs, to voting laws, to National Hockey League All-Star games.
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In this episode Latif and I discuss how he went from a theater kid with playwriting aspirations to creating stories for Radiolab, how he chooses which stories to pursue, and then we go deep into the dynamic, collaborative, and unique process that they use at Radiolab to go from initial pitch to the stories that make us laugh and cry on the radio.
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I hope you enjoy my conversation with Latif Nasser!
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LINKS:
Hockey story referenced in episode: https://t.co/qB6ELkdEV8
Latif’s transom article: https://transom.org/2018/latif-nasser/
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To support the show, check out www.patreon.com/austinmeyerfilms

Meeting the North with National Geographic Explorer Jennifer Kingsley | Ep. 015 Jan 31, 2019

Show notes

Jennifer Kingsley is a National Geographic Explorer and a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.
She is a winner of the National Outdoor Book Award for Paddlenorth, the story of her 54-day canoeing expedition across the Canadian Arctic, and her writing has appeared in various outlets including National Geographic, the BBC, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
Her radio documentaries have been broadcast internationally and recognized by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.
In this conversation, Jennifer and I talk about how she developed a love for both writing and exploration, her fascinating 3-year project called Meet The North in which she attempted to make authentic personal connections with those living in the Arctic, and how we can use storytelling to break down stereotypes and prejudices.
Follow Jennifer Kingsley at www.instagram.com/meetthenorth , and to go behind the scenes on the making of this show, follow @austinmeyerfilms across social. To help support the show, check out my new Patreon page, www.patreon.com/austinmeyerfilms!
Go out and tell some stories!

Reporting from Conflict Zones with the PBS NewsHour’s Jane Ferguson | Ep. 014 Jan 24, 2019

Show notes

Jane Ferguson is a Beirut-based Special Correspondent for the PBS NewsHour. She reports from across the Middle East, Africa and beyond, often working in conflict zones.
Some of her reporting highlights include front-line dispatches from the war against ISIS in Iraq, an up-close look at Houthi-controlled Yemen, and reports on the war and famine in South Sudan.
On top of her work at the PBS NewsHour, Jane also writes for various outlets including the New Yorker. And before PBS, she reported extensively for Al Jazeera English and CNN International.
In this conversation, Jane and I discuss her journey from correcting spelling errors at a newspaper in Dubai to working for The NewsHour, her 2018 reporting trips to cover the ongoing war in Yemen, and the impact she hopes to have in the world when she puts her life on the line to bring us these untold stories.
If you enjoy this episode, please share it with a friend, as well as rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts! And if you want to have your questions asked on the show to future guests, head on over to www.patreon.com/austinmeyerfilms to support the show!
Go out and tell some stories

Leaving a Legacy Through Storytelling with Susan Milstein and Andi Brady | Ep. 013 Jan 17, 2019

Show notes

This week my guests are Susan Milstein and Andi Brady. Susan and Andi a cofounders Personal History Productions, a company that helps an individual capture their life story and family memories as a legacy for future generations. Writing a life story can be daunting, so Susan and Andi come in and make it easy. They handle everything from interviewing the individual, to writing the narrative, to creating beautiful physical books, and by doing so, help people create a legacy through storytelling.
In this conversation, Susan, Andi, and I talk about how this business idea came about, the step-by-step process of creating a personal history, and how telling the story of your life allows you to come to terms with, and make meaning, of your life narrative. Hope you enjoy!
Also, if you haven't checked out my (Austin Meyer) most recent short documentary for National Geographic, check out: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/2019/01/zambia-handball-team-dreams-olympic-gold/
Follow me on social media @austinmeyerfilms and on Patreon at www.patreon.com/austinmeyerfilms

The Three Layers of a Well Told Story with Radio Journalist Jake Warga | Ep. 012 Jan 10, 2019

Show notes

This week my guest is award winning radio journalist, Jake Warga. Jake is a contributor to NPR, Public Radio International, and American Public Media. His stories have been featured on programs such as All Things Considered and This American Life. On top of making his own stories, Jake also teaches storytelling as a lecturer at Stanford University.
In this conversation, Jake and I discuss how one of his first radio stories ended up on This American Life, the three layers of a well told story, and how the brevity, clarity, and visual nature of writing for radio can teach us all how to tell better stories.
Like this episode? Consider sharing it with a friend! Want to ask questions on storytelling to a future guest? Check out the Patreon page at www.patreon.com/austinmeyerfilms to learn more!

Taking the Leap: Reflecting on a Life Changing 2018 with Austin Meyer | Ep. 011 Jan 03, 2019

Show notes

Happy New Year! In today's episode I am reflecting on my life changing 2018. 2018 was a year in which I quit my job, moved out of California for the first time to go live in Zambia, and went 100% all in on pursuing my dream of becoming the best documentary filmmaker I can be.
To help guide my reflection, I sat down with my good friend and fellow documentary filmmaker, Joe Alexander-Short, who interviewed me about the highlights, setbacks, and learnings from this past year.
In this conversation we talk about how I got my National Geographic grant and why that was such a catalyzing moment for my career, how my background as an athlete influences my work as a storyteller, and what my long-term goals are that I use as fuel everyday.
If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe! We’re going to have many amazing storytellers on the podcast this year, and I don’t want you to miss out. Also, I launched a PATREON! If you want to support this podcast and my work as a documentary filmmaker, head on over to www.patreon.com/austinmeyerfilms! Thank YOU!

Expressing Love and Understanding Through Documentary Theater with Xandra Clark | Ep. 010 Dec 20, 2018

Show notes

This week on the podcast my guest is Xandra Clark. Xandra is an actor, writer, documentarian, musician, performance-maker, and all-around storyteller. Xandra is currently a 2018-19 Queer|Art Fellow in Performance, a member of The Bats Company at The Flea, a company member of Poetic Theater Productions, and a performer and experience designer with immersive performance company Odyssey Works. As an audio documentarian, Xandra has worked at StoryCorps and was a cofounder of the True Story Podcast, a podcast of true personal stories told live at intimate gatherings, which has over 6 million downloads. Xandra’s latest work is a show called Polylogues, which is a solo show about non-monogamy that combines her passions for theatrical and audio storytelling. In this conversation, Xandra and I talk about the process of creating Polylogues, how she blends storytelling mediums to foster an understanding of diverse perspectives, and the power of being open and receptive to the stories that the world presents to you.

What Literature and Language Reveal About Culture with Annalisa Quinn | Ep. 009 Dec 13, 2018

Show notes

This week’s guest on The Austin Meyer Podcast is Annalisa Quinn. Annalisa is a contributing writer, reporter, and literary critic for NPR where she created NPR's Book News column and covers literature and culture. Annalisa also writes about arts and culture for the New York Times and the Financial Times, and is a frequent contributor to the New York Times Magazine section First Words, which includes essays on what language reveals our current moment in culture and politics. In this conversation Annalisa and I talk about life as a freelance journalist, the end-to-end process of reviewing books for NPR, how reading hundreds of books has influenced her writing, how stories benefit from posing big questions, and then just in time for the holiday season, what books she recommends you get your loved ones!

Diversity, Representation, and Identity in Documentary Photography with Daniella Zalcman | Ep. 008 Dec 06, 2018

Show notes

This week my guest is Daniella Zalcman, a documentary photographer based between London and New York. She is a multiple grantee of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, a fellow with the International Women's Media Foundation, a National Geographic photographer, and the founder of Women Photograph, an initiative working to elevate the voices of female and non-binary visual journalists. Her ongoing project, Signs of Your Identity, is the recipient many awards including of the 2017 Arnold Newman Prize and a 2017 Robert F Kennedy Journalism Award. Daniella’s most recent project on Native American imagery and identity, which is featured in the December 2018 issue of National Geographic Magazine. In this conversation, Daniella and I talk about how and why she made a jump from hard news photography to longer-term documentary projects, how she uses unconventional techniques like double exposures to tell complex stories, and photography’s potential in elevating the voices of those who have been oppressed.

Telling Ethically Responsible Stories on Technology with Lauren Goode | Ep. 007 Nov 29, 2018

Show notes

This week's guest is Lauren Goode, a senior writer at WIRED. Lauren is an Emmy award winning journalist who covers all things tech. Before arriving at WIRED, Lauren was the senior technology editor at The Verge, Managing editor of reviews and consumer tech coverage at ReCode, and a video producer at the Wall Street Journal. In this conversation, Lauren and I talk about her career path, and the lessons she has learned along the way. Then we move into the ethical responsibilities of technology reporters and how she designs stories specifically for the various platforms she works on. Reach out to me on social @austinmeyerfilms and let me know what you think of the podcast!

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