Have You Listened to a Podcast?

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By Barbara Mattoon

A couple of years ago I was looking for something to listen to while I decorated my Christmas tree.  Somehow, I had heard about Ezra Klein, so I figured out how to listen to one of his podcasts on my iPhone and I was hooked.  Since then, I have explored podcasts on many topics, but recently I have been partial to genealogy podcasts.

Marketing guru Seth Godin says that podcasts are the new blogs.  (I listen to his podcast Akimbo, every week.) That could be, but I think there is still room for both forms of communication.  He also says that the backlist is as good as the current episode, and I totally agree with that.  With recently discovered podcasts, I frequently go back and listen to older episodes.

“But”, you wail, “I don’t have TIME to listen to podcasts”.  Everyone’s needs and schedules are different, but I usually listen to an episode while I am preparing and eating my breakfast.  Less frequently, I listen while traveling.

The Genealogy Guys have been podcasting since 2005.  George Morgan and Drew Smith have two podcasts: The Genealogy Guys and Genealogy Connections. The Genealogy Guys is the longest running genealogy podcast.  It contains a mix of current genealogy news, tips, and answers to listeners questions.  Some of the answers are quite educational.


They launched Genealogy Connection in 2016.  Drew Smith interviews some of the biggest names in the genealogy field including researchers, writers, speakers, technologists, librarians and archivists.  I particularly enjoy getting “up close and personal” with people I may have only seen on stage at conferences or in a webinar.  The two podcasts combined have passed a total of 400 episodes.     



The ever-popular Lisa Louise Cooke hosts the Genealogy Gems podcast about once a month.  It is free, but she also hosts a premium version with different content that is subscription based.  Genealogy Gems includes information about best practices, helpful websites and other resources.  There is almost always a segment about DNA.  Frequently the episodes contain interviews with genealogy figures in the news.

Genealogy News hosted by Patty Roy is a very fast, no-nonsense review of genealogy news.  The frequency varies from 10 days to three weeks.

Genealogy Happy Hour “A Genealogy Podcast with Two Blondes and a Bottle” is best suited for beginning level genealogists.  Their premise is that after a long day of genealogy, one should relax with a glass of wine.  Sounds like a good idea to me!  They end each show with a wine recommendation.  They are based in Florida, and being a Washington wine girl, I do not always agree with them, but it is an interesting twist.  I wish I had gotten there first.


Research Like a Pro is produced weekly by the mother/daughter team of Nicole Dyer and Diana Elder, AG for both beginning and experienced genealogists. The instruction and methods they present are solid and I frequently find myself going back to an earlier episode to review.  In fact, I have respected their instruction enough to purchase their book.  The requirements for AG are a bit different than those for CG and it I appreciate hearing the different approaches.

Extreme Genes – America’s Family History Show hosted by Scott Fisher is a very polished, professionally produced weekly podcast.  It is usually about an hour long and contains commercial messages.  The opening segment each week features David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society.  The show includes research tips and news of new technologies.  Episode 255 offers a 10-picture free trial of Vivid-Pix, a software that adjusts exposure, color and other aspects of photographs.  It seems to be sort of an automatic version of Photoshop Elements.


Amy Johnson Crow launched Generations Cafe on September 12, 2018 and has produced eight episodes through October 31.  Each episode is short, 10 to 30 minutes, covering just one topic.  It is easy to choose just the topics that are of interest to you and listen in a short bite.  Amy is a skilled interviewer and makes you feel as though you are enjoying a conversation over a cup of coffee or tea.


Let me know in the Comments what genealogy or family history related podcasts you are enjoying.

Barbara Mattoon

Watch for Rich Thayer’s Veterans Day post honoring his Revolutionary War ancestor.

Genealogy Guys Podcast and Genealogy Connections logos used with permission of George Morgan.
Genealogy Gems Podcast logo used with permission of Lisa Louise Cooke.
Genealogy Happy Hour logo used with permission of Amy Crabill Lay and Penny Burke Bonawitz.
Research Like A Pro logo used with permission of Nicole Dyer.

Comments

  1. ValorieNovember 6, 2018 at 12:33 AM

    I've been trying to get into listening to podcasts, so your post is very timely. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete

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