Last week, I spoke with Jenna Spinelle, host of the Democracy Works podcast and Communications Lead at The McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State, about podcasting in higher education and the role of podcasts in democracy.
Some of the topics we discussed:
The growing ecosystem of conferences, communities, and initiatives dedicated to podcasting in higher education.
How professors are integrating podcasts into classrooms.
The role alumni can play in supporting podcasting at institutions.
How student podcast opportunities are helping the next generation learn journalism, storytelling, and civic engagement.
Why podcasting might play a unique role in strengthening democracy in the modern media landscape.
Do you have any higher education-affiliated podcasts to recommend? Are you using podcasts as a teaching tool? Do you think podcasts can help save democracy?
📑 Resources
Check below to explore the projects, programs, and communities mentioned in this conversation:
Democracy Works – A podcast from The McCourtney Institute for Democracy exploring how democracy functions and how it can be strengthened, featuring scholars, practitioners, and reformers.
Jenna was previously interviewed for Sounds Like Impact about the podcast, When the People Decide, a series also affiliated with The McCourtney Institute. Check it out!
The Democracy Group – A collaborative network of podcasts focused on civic dialogue and democratic engagement across different perspectives. They are also now on Substack!
Higher Ed PodCon – A gathering focused on how universities use podcasts for education, outreach, research translation, and alumni engagement.
H-Net – A scholarly network that hosts conferences and discussions on academic and scholarly podcasting.
PBS Student Reporting Labs – A national program that trains high school students in journalism and storytelling.
Democracy Group Student Fellows Program – A mentorship program where high school and college students learn podcasting and produce their own shows about democracy.
Podcast Brunch Club – A global community that organizes podcast listening groups, similar to a book club for podcasts.
🚨Community News
CALLING ALL PODCASTERS: There is still time to register your podcast for Podcasthon! Podcasthon takes place March 14-20, 2026, and is the perfect opportunity to use podcasting to help a nonprofit and the cause(s) you care about.
Watch a short video about the initiative from co-founder Jeremie Mani in our previous newsletter.
🗓️ Upcoming #AudioForAction Lives
Save the dates for some of our March lives!
3/25, 3-3:45 pm ET / 12-12:45 pm PT - Interview with Kristen Hayford and Lisa Koolhoven, creators of Beb & Bob | Collateral Damage
3/31, time TBC - Building Mission-Driven Podcast Companies with Steph Colbourn, CEO of editaudio and Camille Laurente, CEO of Hueman Group Media
