We launched our podcast seven months ago in a closet in our temporary office with the recording equipment that RJ Young carries around in a backpack.
As a staff, Listen Frontier has been one of our favorite experiences launching this new digital media company. We’ve learned so much from it, and we’ve met so many people.
While most of our investigative work on the site requires a membership, the podcast is free for everyone (you can also subscribe via iTunes). It’s been a great way to introduce people to our work, chat with local newsmakers and tackle hot topics (and lighter subjects, too).
As 2015 draws to a close, we wanted to share our five favorites with you:
5. Live from Oktoberfest: We sent Kevin Canfield to chat with people and drink beer at Tulsa’s beloved Oktoberfest. What’s not to love? Next year, we’ll send him with a video camera.
4. Episode 6: Meet Marq Lewis. We introduced you to the charismatic man behind We the People Oklahoma and shared the story of how he became a leader seeking change in Tulsa.
3. Iron Gate controversy: We sent Kevin and Dylan out on the streets to talk to different people about the controversy surrounding Iron Gate’s plan to move to the Pearl District. A close vote by the Board of Adjustment eventually shut the plan down, but Kevin’s interviews got people talking and thinking about the issue.
2. The stories that launched us: On Sept. 30, several stories that were integral to The Frontier’s launch came full circle: The execution of Richard Glossip that never happened, and the grand jury indictment of longtime Tulsa County Sheriff Stanley Glanz. It was a wild news day for Oklahoma, and our staff talks about some of the behind-the-scenes scoop.
1. An interview with Sheryl Siddiqui: After presidential candidate Donald Trump called for a ban on Muslims entering the U.S. and controversy surrounded the decision to allow an Islamic group to have a float in Tulsa’s Veterans Day parade, host RJ Young and editor-in-chief Ziva Branstetter decided to sit down for a chat with Siddiqui, who answered questions about what it means to be Muslim in Oklahoma. This remains one of our most listened-to and shared podcasts.
