While sitting in Ben Morse’s Digital and Social Media class last semester discussing podcasts, Diego Escobar started thinking about what it would be like to host one.
“It’s growing, and there could possibly be a way to get money in it one day, maybe not right away,” Escobar said.
Escobar started thinking about what he knew and what he could cover, and came to the perfect conclusion: sports! He knows all about sports, the ins and outs of the games, the details about players, the whole nine yards.
Coincidentally, his friend Barry Sabine Jr. reached out to him around this time to see if he wanted to start a podcast together. And that’s how Blow the Whistle was born.
Blow the Whistle is a podcast run by UNLV students as part of the Rebel Report. It is co-hosted by Escobar and Sabine and covers weekly NFL Matchups. The podcast has been uploaded weekly since week 3 of the 2021-22 Football season. Each episode covers recaps of the games, Escobar and Sabine’s thoughts, and predictions for the upcoming week.
Escobar and Sabine write, record, edit, and post the episodes themselves to the Rebel Report, a student-run sports broadcast and social media platform that’s housed in the Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies at UNLV.
Another podcast originating from UNLV’s campus is The Brunch Club. Breanna Brown, Ashleigh Liebig, Chris Johnson, Jalen Hamilton, and Eric Garcia make up the fun cast of this podcast, spending each week talking about relatable stories such as bad relationships and being a college student. The episodes vary in time, but currently run at about 30 minutes.
“I am a very big social butterfly and I love talking and having random conversations with people,” Brown, one of the show’s hosts, said. Breanna Brown. “Podcasting for me is a way to express that side of myself to whoever would want to listen.”
Brown is a sophomore at UNLV, majoring in journalism with a concentration in audio and podcasting. She hopes to get into a long term podcasting career, and The Brunch Club is just her first step in that direction.
“It makes me really happy and I don’t really see myself doing anything else,” Brown said.
Season 2 of The Brunch Club returns to spotify and other streaming services on Sunday, Jan. 30th.
In 2021, there were over 850,000 active podcasts, with over 48 million episodes in total, according to nealschaffer.com. If you are looking for a podcast to start listening to, all you really need to do is look up something you’re interested in and there are tons of options. Here are just a few of the many, many podcasts that are available.
If you’re looking for a fun, entertaining way to keep up with the news, Some More News is the podcast for you. Comedian Cody Johnson hosts this podcast, with new episodes every Wednesday, keeping you informed with up-to-date, well-researched news.
More interested in historical news rather than current events? Check out You’re Wrong About. Sarah Marshall (previously joined by Michael Hobbes before his exit from the show in 2021) is a journalist obsessed with the past. She talks about the misconceptions surrounding certain events, persons, or phenomena hoping to set the record straight.
Looking for more of a story based podcast? Bridgewater is a supernatural drama story following Folklore professor Jeremy Bradshaw (voiced by Misha Collins) as he uncovers the 40 year mystery of his missing father when strange and unexplainable events begin to once again happen in the area known as The Bridgewater Triangle. All of season 1 is currently available and fans are anxiously awaiting season 2.
Possibly the most popular genre of podcast is also one of the most saturated across streaming services: true crime. There are hundreds of true crime podcasts waiting for you to sink your teeth into. Whether it is Crime Junkies, Morbid, or Small Town Murders, there is a true crime podcast for everyone!
Podcasting is quickly becoming one of the more popular ways for people to consume news and media. Podcasts are more mobile compared to traditional media and can be downloaded or listened to wherever you are, even in areas with no internet connection.
Could podcasting ever replace traditional media? We will just have to listen to find out.
