I have recently been listening to many series of free podcasts in preparation and research for Project Brief 4. I had never had any interest or knowledge of many podcasts before, and it has opened my mind to an entirely new media and entertainment source. Podcasts are inevitably the way of the future, we can ultimately listen to anything we want on demand and listen to it on any portable device. Many podcast segments are free and easily accessable and require little time to listen to. I’ve been listening to ‘This American Life’ series called Serial, which features different stories told on a weekly basis in reference to the murder of Hae Min Lee. The podcasts that were released told chapters of a real story, and kept suspense and intrigue in the presentation of its elements. This sad story that was being investigated was presented in a respectful, however insightful way.

Podcasts require a lot more attention then i first thought, as there are no visual cues and limited musical melodies, the storyline is the basis of the medium. I enjoy the fact that it demands your entire focus and attention, as it enables you to take the time out and not undertake any mulititasking activities. In society and era when media users are constantly multitasking and not doing anything at a ‘one thing at a time’ basis, filtering through many things at once, maybe podcasts are a way of forcing focused attention and ‘slowing us down’.