Today’s Monday Zoom guests are local podcasters, Michael Libbie and George A. Clark. Here’s the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83037257586. We’ll start at noon, central time.
Since Rekha Basu and I launched our own podcast this month - What the hell happened to Iowa? - the topic is top-of-mind, so I’m inviting you to join in on our conversation about the topic in general.
I did a ChatGPT query and asked about the demographics of podcast listeners. Within seconds, the bot wrote the following:
Podcasts have become increasingly popular over the years, and as a result, the demographics of podcast listeners have become more diverse. Here are some general trends:
Age: According to a 2021 report by Edison Research and Triton Digital, podcast listeners tend to be younger, with the largest group being in the 25-54 age range. However, the number of podcast listeners who are 55 and older is also growing.
Gender: In general, podcast listeners are evenly split between men and women, according to the same report.
Education: Podcast listeners tend to be well-educated, with a majority of listeners having a college degree or higher.
Income: Podcast listeners are more likely to have a higher income, with a significant percentage earning $75,000 or more per year.
Location: Podcast listeners are located all over the world, but in the United States, they are slightly more likely to live in urban or suburban areas.
Interests: The topics that people listen to podcasts about vary widely, but some popular categories include news and politics, business and finance, true crime, self-improvement, and comedy.
It's important to note that these are general trends, and the demographics of podcast listeners can vary depending on the specific show and topic.
My podcast co-host, Rekha, will be on the call, too. Join us and say howdy-do. We are eager to hear your thoughts on podcasts. Do you listen? When? How? What do you want to hear?
Okoboji
Hey, if you’ve ever thought about attending the Okoboji Writers’ Retreat, now is the time to enroll. I promise you will love this experience. The first hurdle just about everyone must overcome is the fear of not being ‘good enough’ to attend. Just stop it. You are.
We will gather on Sunday evening, September 17, for a hot dog roast hosted by past attendees. Bring your guitar, bongo drums, harmonica, and a warm jacket. Kick back, and meet your new friends. On Monday morning, starting at 7:30 a.m., we will begin registration and come together under a big tent to be introduced to 30+ faculty who are all on hand to ensure you have a rewarding and empowering experience. There will be panels on nuts-and-bolts, fiction, nonfiction, developing characters, storytelling, opinion writing, local reporting, memoir writing, getting published, blogging, column writing, poetry, and more. We will close by noon on Wednesday, September 20.
The Okoboji Writers’ Retreat will be held on the Lakeside Labs campus, consisting of WPA-era stone cabins, great screened-in porches overlooking the lake, lots of nooks and crannies to meet in small groups, and beautiful walking trails for those who are able to walk to and from sessions.
September in the Iowa Great Lakes area is spectacular. Most of the tourists are back home, and the weather can be glorious.
There will be a barge ride around the lake, and other optional recreational and social activities. If you want to come but don’t have the funds, there are some scholarships available thanks to paid subscribers of this column. There is also a group rate for writers’ groups and book clubs. My personal goal is that if there is a will to come, I’ll try to find the way.
That said, enrollment will be capped, and we are more than halfway to that point. So sign up! CLICK TO ENROLL.
I’m delighted to be a part of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. Sunday mornings are delightful because I can read all 28 columnists in one place by subscribing to the collaborative roundup. We also encourage you to become paid subscribers to the individual writers you choose to support. It means a lot!
Iowa Writers’ Collaborative Columnists
Laura Belin: Iowa Politics with Laura Belin, Windsor Heights
Doug Burns: The Iowa Mercury, Carroll
Dave Busiek: Dave Busiek on Media, Des Moines
Art Cullen: Art Cullen’s Notebook, Storm Lake
Suzanna de Baca Dispatches from the Heartland, Huxley
Debra Engle: A Whole New World, Madison County
Julie Gammack: Julie Gammack’s Iowa Potluck, Des Moines and Okoboji
Joe Geha: Fern and Joe, Ames
Jody Gifford: Benign Inspiration, West Des Moines
Nik Heftman, The Seven Times, Los Angeles and Iowa
Beth Hoffman: In the Dirt, Lovilla
Dana James: New Black Iowa, Des Moines
Pat Kinney: View from Cedar Valley, Waterloo
Fern Kupfer: Fern and Joe, Ames
Robert Leonard: Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture, Bussey
Tar Macias: Hola Iowa, Iowa
Kurt Meyer, Showing Up, St. Ansgar
Kyle Munson, Kyle Munson’s Main Street, Des Moines
Jane Nguyen, The Asian Iowan, West Des Moines
John Naughton: My Life, in Color, Des Moines
Chuck Offenburger: Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger, Jefferson and Des Moines
Barry Piatt: Piatt on Politics: Behind the Curtains, Washington, D.C.
Macey Spensley, The Midwest Creative, Davenport and Des Moines
Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Buggy Land, Kalona
Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Emerging Voices, Kalona
Cheryl Tevis: Unfinished Business, Boone County
Ed Tibbetts: Along the Mississippi, Davenport
Teresa Zilk: Talking Good, Des Moines
If you aren’t already receiving the weekly roundup, sign up here:
We are proud to have an alliance with Iowa Capital Dispatch.