Julia Barton on Listening Like a Pro: The Hidden History and Future of Audio Storytelling
In this episode of Who's This For?, I sat down with the brilliant Julia Barton, a podcast story editor who has worked with some of the biggest names in the business, including Malcolm Gladwell. If you've ever wondered how to make your show a better listening experience, Julia is the person you want to talk to.
We get into the fascinating history of audio, a topic Julia explored during her Neiman Fellowship at Harvard. She's got this incredible knowledge that connects the dots from the earliest days of radio to the podcasting boom we're living through right now. You won't believe some of the wild parallels she draws, like how a hundred years ago, radio stations were literally based in department stores to sell receivers. It's a reminder that a lot of the challenges we face today are not new at all.
Julia also gives a peek behind the curtain of her work as an editor. She explains her role as a "gentle mirror" for creators and how she puts herself in the listener's shoes to make sure a story is landing. We also touch on the future of media, specifically how AI could be a powerful tool for journalism and research.
And, of course, no conversation with Julia would be complete without talking about the bizarre, almost cinematic trip we took to Moldova and Romania years ago. We reminisce about our mission to start a radio station at a high school and our side quest to find a replica of the Dallas ranch. It’s a story I’ve never forgotten, and it really highlights how a trip like that can change your perspective.
This conversation was a great reminder of why I love this medium so much—it's both rooted in history and constantly innovating. I hope you get as much out of this chat as I did.
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