ON OUR MINDS SEASON 4: Podcast and Audio Storytelling

Student Reporting Labs’ award-winning podcast, On Our Minds, explores the teenage experience – made by teens for teens!

The goal of the podcast is to share powerful and honest STORIES and INTERVIEWS that document teen life, mental health, and wellbeing and provide tips and resources for how we can better support each other.

MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SEASON 4

• Apply to be one of our NEW PODCAST HOSTS! Deadline to apply: Sept 15
• Submit original music to our THEME SONG CONTEST! Deadline to apply: Oct 13
• Submit a “Dear On Our Minds” voicemail message
  • Do you have a question you want answered on the podcast or quick thoughts you’d like to share? Submit a voicemail-style message.

• Music and Culture
  • For example: stories and interviews about the power of music; how music can connect you to your culture or introduce you to new cultures; the neurological benefits of composing or playing music, etc.
• Definitions of “Success”
  • For example: stories and interviews about how young people are defining “success” for themselves; what happens when “success” is different from parents’ or grandparents’ definitions, etc.
• Role Models and Masculinity
  • For example: stories and interviews about what masculinity means today; identifying as male; conversations with positive male role models, etc.
• Gun Violence
  • For example: stories and interviews about lock-down drills; mass shootings; unintentional shootings; gang violence; crimes; and suicides; etc. Read more here.
• Laws Affecting Teens
  • For example: stories and interviews about a proposed bill, new law, book ban, or new policy, and its repercussions from the perspective of young people. Read more here.
• International Stories
  • For example: stories and interviews about growing up outside the United States; how other countries understand, treat or support mental health and wellbeing, etc.
• Other - pitch us your story idea!

Students can produce an audio story during the fall or spring semesters. We have two sets of deadlines:

FALL DEADLINES – for audio stories about MUSIC; MASCULINITY; and SUCCESS

1. BY OCT 6: Let us know you want to produce an audio story by filling out an On Our Minds STUDENT PRODUCER FORM
2. DURING OCT: Meet with SRL producers to get feedback on story ideas and mentoring on audio production
3. BY NOV 17: ROUGH CUTS AND SCRIPTS DUE
4. BY DEC 8: FINAL CUTS AND SCRIPTS DUE

WINTER/SPRING DEADLINES – for audio stories about GUNS, LAWS, and INTERNATIONAL (note: stories about these themes can be produced earlier than the deadlines)

1. BY JAN 12: Let us know you want to produce an audio story by filling out an On Our Minds STUDENT PRODUCER FORM
2. DURING JAN: Meet with SRL producers to get feedback on story ideas and mentoring on audio production
3. BY FEB 9: ROUGH CUTS AND SCRIPTS DUE
4. BY MARCH 1: FINAL CUTS AND SCRIPTS DUE

• How to Record a Podcast (Level-Up Video)
• How to Record a Podcast (One-Pager)
• How to Conduct A Mental Health Interview
• KUOW RadioActive Resources for Youth and Educators
• NPR Audio Training
• Audio Storytelling Webinar Part 1 (Intro to Audio Storytelling)
• Audio Storytelling Webinar Part 2 (Audio Post-Production)
• Audio Storytelling Toolkit
• Resources For Covering 2023-24 Prompt Topics

WARMING UP:

Listen to a few episodes of On Our Minds. For example: From FOMO to Euphoria: How social life affects teen mental health and LGBTQ+ teens on coming out to their immigrant parents.

As individuals or in small groups, talk about what you heard:

• What were the different components of the episodes?
• What different types of storytelling and reporting did you hear?
• What captured your attention?
• What details stand out to you?

• DECIDE WHAT TOPIC YOU WANT TO MAKE AN AUDIO STORY ABOUT (see topic list on previous page)
• CHOOSE YOUR STORY FORMAT:
  • AUDIO RAPID RESPONSE MONTAGE - gather multiple quick responses to a topic, edited 5 min max.
    • Example: Students at I Promise School in Akron, OH talk about the struggles of middle school. Listen here from 2:17-4:41
  • AUDIO DIARY OR PERSONAL STORY - story with beginning, middle, and end, edited 8 min max.
    • Example: Tyler tells the story of grieving for his friend. Listen here from 3:44-8:06
    • Example: Alice tells the story of recovering from an eating disorder. Listen here from 2:24-12:40
  • INTERVIEW - conversation with another person, edited 8 min max.
    • Example: Jeremiah interviews Zaila Avant-Garde about competition and pressure. Listen here from 2:17-6:30
  • PACKAGE - includes multiple interviews and voiceover from the student reporter, edited 8 min max.
    • Example: Tatiana reports on the TV show Euphoria. Listen here from 14:55-21:10
    • Example: Students from Washington state explore how how trauma dumping can impact teen mental health. Listen here from 12:14-21:14
• FILL OUT ON OUR MINDS 4 STUDENT PRODUCER FORM TO LET US KNOW YOU WANT TO PRODUCE A STORY.

MAKE SURE YOU AND YOUR SUBJECTS AGREE TO AND UNDERSTAND THIS PROJECT. Read this blurb below to anyone interviewed in your audio story. Also, make sure you and everyone under 18 signs an SRL RELEASE FORM.

READ TO YOUR SUBJECT:

Before we begin, I want you to know that your story will be edited and may be included in a series by PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs. This podcast will be available to the public. That’s why it’s so important for you to only share what you’re comfortable with everybody knowing about you. If I ask you any questions during the interview that make you feel uncomfortable, you don’t need to answer them. And if you want to stop at any time, just let me know. Also for this story, would you like to be identified by first name only or remain anonymous?

Do you have any questions or concerns before we start? (If anyone has concerns or questions, please reach out to SRL for advice.) I also want to share with you a list of helpful, mental health resources: studentreportinglabs.org/mentalhealthresources/

• START PLANNING AND PRE-PRODUCTION: If you’re telling your own story, make notes or write out your script. If you are interviewing others, finalize your interview questions and schedule your interviews.

STORYTELLING TIPS!

Try to tell the STORY (not just opinions) of the young person/people featured. The best stories are ones that bring to life: characters and their emotions, scenes and actions, challenges and conflicts. Stories show some kind of CHALLENGE and CHANGE: something happens and a character is changed. And what makes the story interesting? Specific details!

Some guiding questions to ask another person (or yourself):

• Tell me about a specific, challenging moment(s) related to [TOPIC].
• Then what happened? How did you deal with these challenges? Who or what has helped you or given you hope?
• Describe how your mental health has been affected along the way? Help us feel how you’ve felt.
• How has this experience changed you?
• What have you learned/are learning from your experiences?

• RECORD. Start recording yourself or your interviews with others (refer to How to Record a Podcast One-Pager and How to Record a Podcast Level-Up for tips). Remember you will be editing your story so it’s OK if you mess up, start and stop, or talk about things you later decide not to use.
  • If you have a mic, use it! :)
  • Ask your SRL Youth Media Producer to be present for your interview if you’d like extra support.
• TRANSCRIBE your interview or audio diary. You can use sites like Otter.ai to help generate a transcript then. Then HIGHLIGHT the best soundbites.
• SCRIPT. Start a document (preferably a shared Google doc) and arrange the best soundbites into the order you want for your story.
• EDIT your audio story using any audio or video software or app. Please do not add music.
• SUBMIT your script AND rough cut to SRL by NOV 3 (for fall themes) or FEB 9 (for winter themes). Use this SUBMISSION FORM and choose “PROJECT: On Our Minds Audio Story”
• Get feedback from SRL, ask clarifying questions, REVISE AND EDIT a final cut.
• CELEBRATE! Your story helps shed light on the important topic of youth mental health. It might educate listeners, help people feel less alone, or encourage a young person to reach out for help.

Submit here