It seems hilarious to me that only a few short years ago, the art of podcasting didn't really exist. There are SO many wonderful podcasts these days that it's hard to imagine there was ever any doubt as to their success.
But as with anything that's different or that requires a transformational change of the status quo, people often need proof things are going to work before they take the leap. Well, at this point, I think there's not a single content creator who could argue podcasts aren't an amazing medium and platform. One of the great things I love about podcasts as someone who absolutely bathes in storytelling, and clearly believes in the elevation of missing perspectives (ahem), is the fact that anyone can make one. All you need is something with a microphone and a recording device. There's less of the gatekeeping that can exist in traditional forms of media, news and storytelling.
This seems to be the exact thinking of Mundanara Bayles, founder of the BlakCast Podcast Network, off the back of her incredible show 'Black Magic Woman' which you can listen to here.
The BlakCast Podcast Network, which launched a few weeks ago in partnership with iHeart, "empowers First Nations People and people of colour to reclaim their narratives, strengthen cultural identity and contribute to a more inclusive Australia, by showcasing exciting, emerging talent from Australian communities." Mundanara said in a press release, "I’m proud and excited to bring this innovative podcast to life, to unearth hidden talent amongst First Nations and diverse Australian communities."
"After all, First Nations people are the original storytellers and this history should be honoured and shared. BlakCast is Aboriginal-owned and run. For decades, our stories have either gone untold or were told by others in the mainstream media. Podcasting is a new opportunity for mob to share their stories, in their own voices and on their own terms. It’s a privilege to be part of making that happen."
The first show they're bringing to audiences? A bold new quest to unearth the next generation of diverse storytellers called 'Find & Tell' hosted by the indomitable Jamila Rizvi, a fierce feminist mainstay of Australian media over the last decade. As a woman of colour, Jamila told me in an interview for Missing Perspectives that her desire to be involved with the project stemmed from her "experience over many years advocating in different parts of the media to have more diverse people, particularly people of colour appearing on TV, in podcasts/radio and print."
She says that advocacy returned a common and consistent response, one we here at Missing Perspectives are also familiar with, albeit in different ways; "Oh, we would've hired a person of colour or a First Nations person if we knew someone but we don't know where to find them." We both agree as marginalised women and content creators that this helpless attitude from those who make decisions and have power is infuriating. We exist, but face barriers. All it takes is a bit of thinking outside the box and a conscious effort to remove the elitist it's who-you-know mindset that shrouds media (the very inspiration for the Missing Perspectives Directory, an app we've created that will leave gatekeepers with no excuse for not finding intersectional female contributors).
So, how does Find & Tell work? Four individual podcast makers will be selected to be Find & Tell storytellers from whoever applies. No experience is necessary. No, really it doesn't matter how green you are. It can be your first time in front of the mic. Here, Jamila Rizvi gets really excited in the way I've seen her do many times when she's absolutely bursting to get cracking on a project, "if you're someone who's really good at telling stories around the dinner table or someone who offers commentary while watching Netflix and writing down your favourite lines, you can have a crack." Ever sat around with your friends and thought, 'Hey, we should start a podcast!' Well, then this competition, my friends, is for you.
And for those who have just read that sentence and felt a vicious inner monologue of imposter syndrome start chattering away to tell them why they shouldn't enter, Jamila has you covered: "We literally don't want the usual suspects. If you're thinking people will obviously be better than you and it's not for you, I promise that's not true."
You'll be flown to the iHeart studios and given a couple of weeks training, which will include support from industry legends across all facets of the podcast experience, access to industry-standard equipment, money as compensation for their time and the ability to partner up with a top-notch podcast producer. "In its simplest form, it's a competition to find the best new diverse storytellers in Australia," says Rizvi. Despite it being billed as a competition though, her focus is very much on the fact that a whole lot of new talented storytellers will be coming through the ranks no matter what.
Each week, there'll be a theme for the storytelling piece or podcast content to be centred around. Their job will be to unearth untold stories that fit the theme in a round-robin style tournament. There's no format to how you interpret the theme or prompt. Anything goes, as long as it's a story. The top two will then be whittled down to the winner.
There's nothing Jamila Rizvi seems to love more (and I've witnessed this multiple times) in the industry than mentoring, so that's the role she'll be playing throughout the training, hoping to pick up a few new skills for herself along the way. We here at Missing Perspectives are so keen to see who BlakCast discovers with Find & Tell (hopefully the kind of voices we'll wonder decades down the line how we ever did media without them) because we too know the hunger is there.
"All of Australia wants diverse voices and we're seeing that in so many new forms of media whether it's on Instagram, Tiktok or in the creation of companies like Missing Perspectives. So, now it's just about coaxing the establishment to put us at the centre as well", Rizvi laughs.
Well, if there's anyone I believe can get the establishment to come to the party, it's Jamila Rizvi and Mundanara Bayles. And Missing Perspectives? We'll be doing whatever we can to lend a hand.