Are you ready to enjoy our storytelling in a new way?
Your magazine has launched its first two episodes of a 13-part podcast series tied to Heart of Community. It is our yearlong look at how rural arts—the cultural heart and soul of so many communities—are staying alive and even thriving despite the challenges of the day.
We encourage you to listen to our opening podcasts and let us know what you think.
The first episode looks at how the series came about. The second dives into how the Columbia Gorge Orchestra Association rallied both adults and kids after the curtain suddenly fell on in-person activities. In the tradition of “the show must go on,” you will hear how an entire community improvised and succeeded.
You might be wondering, “Why is my magazine doing podcasts now? And exactly what are they?”
Your kids may be able to explain it better, but here goes: A podcast is essentially an online audio broadcast. Podcasts are episodic and often focus on a topic of interest. Think of it as talk radio for the internet age. You can subscribe to Heart of Community on all major podcast listening apps, including Apple Podcasts, Good Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Spotify. You can also find it at the Heart of Community website.
Ruralite magazine embraced podcasting to let readers experience, in new ways, the stories first told on these pages.
You get to hear from the artists themselves and listen to the passion, joy, and resiliency in their voices as they share what they do to make the community better.
You will also hear some beautiful music and the sounds of artists at work as the series unfolds and journeys across the West.
Like the magazines you read, podcasts can be consumed at your convenience. Because you can listen while doing other things, they are great for multitaskers.
One of our magazine editors, Chasity Anderson, has a background in rural radio and is your podcast host.
While podcasting is new for our team, we have seasoned hands behind the scenes. Under the Pioneer Utility Resources umbrella—which publishes this magazine—is WordSouth. Our content marketing company is experienced in producing podcasts. Stephen V. Smith, who founded WordSouth, is our own creative hero.
You, our readers, are in good hands. Let the listening begin.