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Large podcast conferences are at a crossroads with the podcasting
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community wondering how next year's conferences and beyond will
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be reshaped by what's happening.
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Here are three possible futures.
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Hello, and welcome to another Podcast Pontifications with me, Evo Terra.
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I am back from Ireland with lots of hats, Irish whiskey, and some
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thoughts on the kerfuffle that happened at Podcast Movement this year.
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But before you say, "Ugh, not another hot take," rest assured I
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have no hot takes for you today.
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And if you've managed to avoid the news completely, well, I'm
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not exactly sure how you did that.
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But good news, this will not be a rehash of the events
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from, well, from a moderately progressive viewpoint, let's say.
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I'll do plenty of that on Twitter.
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Instead, on the episode today, I'm looking at the future of podcast events,
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three futures to be precise, that I believe are more or less likely to play
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out for future podcast conferences, futures that have been brewing for
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some time for all public communication channels, not just podcasting.
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Now, a quick caveat, there's no way in hell I'm going to both sides this issue.
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If you've been listening to me for any length of time, you know I've little
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patience for deplorable people, and yes, I mean to use the word deplorable.
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You learn why in just a moment and you have been warmed.
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Now, one future is where the free-speech-at-all-cost torch bearers
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are not curtailed and the purveyors of hateful and intolerant ideologies are able
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to express their anti inclusive rhetoric in public without fear of reprisal.
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The future where conference organizers either welcome them or
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are fearful of repercussions if they don't welcome them to the event.
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Now, if that happens, Newton's Third Law will emerge.
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In case your physics is rusty, that's the one that says for every action,
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there is an equal and opposite reaction.
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In this instance, I mean protests, civil unrest if you like, but
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at a podcast conference scale.
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Think protesters with t-shirts and banners gathering directly outside
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the booths of the companies that are actively spreading this disinformation.
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Activism from the stage, perhaps, with panelists and presenters naming names.
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Disruptions from the audience in sessions featuring those who seek
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to undermine democracy because they can turn a quick buck.
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Now, how much fun will a conference like that be to the rest of us and would you
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buy a ticket to that same shit show next year, which is only going to be worse?
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Or again, equally likely, is a future where nothing happens.
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I mean, after all, the vast majority of attendees at Podcast Movement 2022 were
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blissfully unaware of the conflicts.
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Having merchants of hate and sewers of disinformation didn't impact
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their conference experience at all.
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And for those who did notice, well, most decided it wasn't
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worth their time to care.
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Or they just didn't and still don't see what all the fuss was about.
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They'll still buy their tickets next year.
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They'll still submit to speak.
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They'll still attend to promote the event.
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I mean, after all this is the event, whatever their event happens to
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be for them, and the benefits of being at their event outweigh any
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squabbles and bickering that happen that, again, they don't care about.
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Now, I believe that lots of event organizers are counting
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on this future, if I'm honest.
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So are, I think, most of the sponsors and speakers and exhibitors because
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it's the path of least resistance.
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It's a thing that may be hot and heavy now, but will eventually blow over.
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And, well, maybe they're right.
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That'll be a blow to the marginalized voices amongst us.
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And one that those marginalized voices simply won't stand for.
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So they won't attend.
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And podcast conferences, especially large podcast conferences, will trend
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towards catering to the bigger, more money side of podcasting, pushing out,
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not just the aforementioned marginalized voices, but the smaller, more creative
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and downright fun side of podcasting.
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How much fun will a conference like that be where it's all business all the time?
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Okay, yeah, sure fun if you're in the business of podcasting, but not
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so much if you're in the fun and the wonder and the joy side of podcasting.
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And the last, but again, equally likely future I see is one where podcast
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organizers do make a stand, a future where they, the people who run these
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shows, carefully vet every single speaker, sponsor, and maybe even attendees.
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A future where they make it absolutely clear that their efforts to make a
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truly inclusive event means saying, "No, you are not welcome" to those who
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actively work to belittle, shame, and dehumanize segments of the population.
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Or, the opposite can happen.
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Conferences specifically designed to attract a subset
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of the podcasting population.
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We already see that with She Podcasts Live, BLK Podcast Festival, and many
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other conferences and gatherings already in the planning stages,
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conferences that aren't designed for everyone interested in podcasting.
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Now are these echo chambers?
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Well, they can be, sure.
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Do they restrict "different opinions" from being presented?
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Oh fuck's sake.
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Give me a break.
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Anyone saying that is either being disingenuous or still has no idea what an
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asshole they sound like to the rest of us.
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They can and probably will form their own conference where they can pine
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for a world of segregation, don't ask, don't tell, and where less than
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half of the population had the vote.
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Fuck 'em.
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Oh, Hey look, you're still here.
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Hey, thanks for listening to this not-at-all-progressive look at the
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possible futures for podcast conferences.
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Uh, guess which one I'm into.
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With that, I shall be back next week with yet another Podcast Pontifications.
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Cheers!
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Podcast Pontifications is written and narrated by Evo Terra.
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He's on a mission to make podcasting better.
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Links to everything mentioned in today's episode are in the notes
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section of your podcast listening app.
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A written-to-be-read article based on today's episode is available at
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podcastpontifications.com where you'll also find a video version and a corrected
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transcript, both created by Allie Press.
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Podcast Pontifications is a production of Simpler Media.
