Radiolab’s Latif Nasser takes on AUC Tahrir for the fifth annual Podfest Cairo

Picture Taken By: Nourhan Jamal Amer

Latif Nasser, co-host of the award-winning WNYC Studios show “Radiolab,” took the stage for the fifth annual Podfest Cairo conference on March 2 at AUC Tahrir’s Ewart Hall to talk about hunting for the right story.

Several podcasters and audio enthusiasts gathered for the annual Podfest where a range of panelists discussed diverse topics. Podfest Cairo is Africa’s first podcasting conference and was founded and organized in 2020  by Kim Fox, a professor of journalism and mass communication at AUC.

The event was an opportunity for attendees to network with fellow audio creators and listen to the experiences of professionals in the industry. 

“You meet people who are like-minded, who share their passion for audio, and you get ideas and motivation,” said Fox.

As the first panelist’s flight got canceled at the last minute, Fox conducted an impromptu open forum for the first session where audience members discussed their podcasting experiences and difficulties.

Several attendees shared their eagerness to listen to and meet Nasser.

“He and I had been communicating on Twitter DM for months, and I sent him a note in January asking him to come to my conference, and he committed and said yes,” Fox said.

Nasser’s speech answered two of his most commonly asked questions; ‘what is your story?’, and ‘how do you get your story ideas?’

Nasser explained that he had no intention of going into the field of audio journalism and he was introduced to podcasting while conducting research for his history of science degree and came across a Radiolab podcast.

“Hosting a podcast, hosting a streaming documentary series, those were jobs that did not even exist when I was an undergraduate…I could not even have dreamt of them,” he said.

To answer the second question, Nasser listed his top five tips for finding a good story which were all derived from two posts he created; “The World’s Biggest Scavenger Hunt: A Guide To Finding Stories” and “Ten (More) Tricks for Finding Stories.”

Nasser was asked about the development of the podcasting landscape during the Q&A session, to which he responded by describing that there was a flip over the past 10 years and people started treating podcasts as a more serious medium. 

“Podcasts became the thing that everybody wanted, and that was the bubble, and I think that it has just burst. At least in the [United] States, a lot of media companies are failing, ending shows, and laying off people,” he said. 

However, Nasser still believes that podcasting is worth the financial risk. 

“I do believe that despite all the headlines about the podcast industry in turmoil, if you love something…you should give it a shot,” he concluded. 

Jasmin Bauomy, AUC alumna and audio journalist for TRZ Media responded to Nasser during her speech and argued that the podcasting bubble is far from bursting. 

“The podcast industry is going through some massive changes…It might seem a little bit depressing, but it’s not…I don’t think the bubble has burst. I think podcasting is not done, the bubble is just changing shape. The great thing about it is that we get to determine what that shape is,” said Bauomy.

She agreed with Nasser that large media companies have laid off audio producers and are not as willing to invest in narrative feature podcasts, but argued that after commissioned miniseries are completed, the audience leaves with them.

Bauomy feels that this creates space for the podcasting community to flourish.

“All those people who got laid off, do you think they’re going to go away? They’re going to make podcasts,” she said. 

During an earlier panel about audio dramas and books, panelists discussed the process and difficulties of monetizing podcasts without being under a large media company. 

Ahmed Zaki, CEO of Iqraaly, an app for audiobooks, said, ”At an event like this, we’re looking for collaboration. Creators are looking for monetization, and we’re looking for content.”

After the final speech, attendees and panelists gathered around the hall to network and discuss their love for audio. 

“You always think you’re the only person that enjoys something to this level, then you find an event like this that brings all those people together, people that you would never run into on a day-to-day basis,” said Abdulla Mahran, an attendee.

Other attendees reported leaving the event with a renewed sense of motivation to begin embarking on their podcasting career. 

“I was waiting for a push to start podcasting again and I feel like this event has left me feeling excited about it. It’s good to know that I’m not the only one facing challenges; even the professionals have gone through the same issues I have,” said Menna Medhat, an attendee.