Earlier this year, Podquest called for story-driven podcast ideas. They were looking for Radiotopia’s next podcast. Radiotopia is from PRX and is a curated network of extraordinary story-driven shows. Podquest recently revealed their ten semifinalists.
Podquest says that it had 1,537 people respond to their call for story-driven podcast ideas. Ten of those people’s ideas have been selected as semifinalists (which Podquest is calling PQ10). A total of three will be chosen as finalists.
The PQ10 are:
Dear & Sincerely - by Genevieve Kersten. “Unemployed, depressed, and living in her parent’s basement, Genevieve decides to ask the smartest person she knows for advice, herself.”
Do Over - by Kelly Jones, Chioke l’Anson and Claire Tacon. “Do Over is the real fake story of how your life could have turned out if you’d just done that one thing differently.”
Ear Hustle - by Earlonne Woods, Antwan Williams, and Nigel Poor. “Ear Hustle brings you the hidden stories of life inside prison, told and produced from the perspective of those who live it.”
Meat - by Jonathan Zenti. “Meat is a podcast about our bodies and the lives we live because of them.”
Reflected Message - by Jon Tjhia. “Perched at the edges of music and radio storytelling, Reflected Message is like an update of ‘folk’ - pop-sized experiments with voices, memory, repetition, and the everyday.”
The Difference Between - by Jerico Saria and Hadrian Santos. “The Difference Between dives into the world of “information dopplegängers” - the stuff you always confuse for that other thing - to find out what makes them truly unique”.
The Stoop - by Lelia Day and Hana Baba. “The Stoop is a space where race, identity, fun, funk, and journalism come together in a tightly produced podcast that will go deep into issues about black identity that aren’t always openly discussed.”
Third Culture - by Naima Sakande. “Third Culture celebrates those who are from everywhere and belong nowhere, unearthing stories of juggled identities”.
This Isn’t Working - by Susie Cagle. “This Isn’t Working is a show about “making a living” in the U.S. in an age of corporate domination, industrial transition, and general labor wierdness.”
Villian-ish - by Vivian Le. “Villian-ish is a show about gaining perspectives on dubious figures that we’ve been taught to revile, and exploring the hidden details we may have never considered.”
Each of the PQ10 semifinalists will receive $300, office hours with Radiotopia producers, free Hindenburg editing software and a year-long membership with the media talent network AIR. The three finalists will be announced July 6-8 at Podcast Movement 2016 in Chicago.