SRVO to Start Podcast

by B. S. Ryter

The growth of podcasts over the past 5-10 years has been amazing. According to a recent survey, 47% of Americans aged 12 plus have listened to a podcast in the past month. That’s up from 32% five years ago. Many people rely on podcasts for news, entertainment, education, and much more. Most podcasts are in audio format, but video podcasting has grown substantially. You’ve probably heard of at least one video podcaster like Joe Rogan or Tucker Carlson.

It seems like every news organization in the country has a podcast. It’s not just news organizations, my church has a podcast (my preacher has his own podcast too), my financial advisor has a podcast, my insurance agent has a podcast, my shrink has a podcast, my history teacher friend has a podcast, and I could go on and on. Even my crazy aunt who was obsessed with Nancy Grace and murder cases started her own true crime podcast. If you’re anyone with influence and a thought leader in your field, you have a podcast these days.

The SRVO writers, including yours truly, have been pushing our editorial board to start a podcast for a while. Finally, they agreed to let us start one! It’s going to be called “This Week in The Valley”, and it’s going to be every Friday at 10:00 am. It’s going to be an audio podcast; maybe we can do video at some point in the future. Our advertising department will need to get on the ball in order for us to afford video equipment. It’s going to be a laid back format where 2-3 SRVO writers discuss the current news in the Strong River Valley for an hour each week. We’ll also discuss everyday life in rural Mississippi and The Valley, and we’re going to have fun while we do it.

The podcast will be on all the major platforms including Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts. We will try to have guests on the podcast that have something to do with the current news in The Valley. The SRVO writers are very excited about the podcast. A different SRVO writer will host each week in order to keep it fresh. We’re going to give it a go and see what happens. We’re open to suggestions and guest ideas, so you can email us at [email protected] with ideas.

The first episode is going to be on Friday, Dec. 6th at 10:00 am. Stay tuned Valleyans! We’ll provide you with more details in the coming days.