Think for a moment about the experience of listening to a podcast. It tends to be a very intimate experience. You are usually listening through a set of headphones. There’s a voice in your ear that seems to be speaking directly to you which can make you feel like you have a relationship to the speaker. You may identify with the perspective of the narrator in the same way when you might be reading a novel written from a first person perspective.
At the same time, the aural nature of the podcast allows the creators to incorporate music and sound effects that evoke a certain mood.
All of these features of the podcast affect the way you interpret the content.
This can be especially problematic if you don’t understand how influential these features can be on how you think about what you are hearing.
In this case, that’s important when you consider the content of this particular podcast: an investigation of a murder. Since the podcast aired in 2014, there has been a great deal of controversy about it. The controversy hinges on the fact that some say Serial is entertainment masquerading as reporting (Duffy). The narrator, Sarah Koenig, gives the impression of being unbiased, which is very important for a reporter, but some would argue that Koenig is not unbiased at all.
The features of the medium can affect the way you interpret the content, but different audiences will also interpret the medium in different ways. Think about how someone from a different generation or different part of the world might respond differently to this podcast.
ACTION
Reader response literary criticism holds that a text’s meaning is created by the interaction between the text and a reader. Our prior experiences, knowledge, beliefs, and values all affect the way we interpret a text. How have your experiences and beliefs affected the way you respond to Serial? How might different audiences have different responses to Serial than you would? What factors might account for a different response?
Respond to the above prompt in a brief post (approximately 250 words) that you share in the discussion forum. Then comment on at least two other posts looking for differences in the way your classmates responded to the podcast.
In this activity, you will listen to the final episode from the podcast. As you listen, make notes using the following organizer: It Says I Say and So.
Under the “It Says” heading, make notes on specific pieces of evidence provided (facts, dates, times). Under the “I Say” heading, make notes on how you know that the medium can affect the way one interprets the message (Is the narrative underscored by emotional music? Does the narrator’s tone of voice sound skeptical?). Under the “And So” heading, draw some conclusions. Do you think the narrator is biased or unbiased?
Do you think Adnan Syed is innocent or guilty?
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