Graduate student produces new podcast focusing on energy justice
Working on the new podcast “Just Energy” means Media School graduate student Violet Baron is furthering her audio production skills.
Created and hosted by O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs professor Dr. Sanya Carley, “Just Energy” is an informational podcast focused on educating listeners on energy justice and injustice.
Energy justice sheds light on the people dimension of energy systems, Carley said, including the distribution of benefits and burdens of energy systems, the procedures in the energy process and who is involved, and the recognition of disparities throughout the energy system.
“What’s interesting about ‘Just Energy’ is that it’s a new topic for me and it really goes deep into it and I can see how important it is for everyone,” Baron said.
Along with Baron, undergraduate students also had the opportunity to help with the creation of the podcast through a class offered in the O’Neill School.
The podcast is an eight-episode series featuring different student co-hosts and guests who are experts and leaders in energy justice. As the producer for “Just Energy,“ Baron worked closely with Carley to craft and edit each episode and mix and master the sound. Baron also assisted students contributing to the podcast by teaching them interview skills.
“Violet’s been great,” Carley said. “She’s really been helping me and navigating and teaching.”
Baron first got introduced to working on podcasts through a project with Alex Chambers.
“Really for podcasting, I learned what I know here and that came from different opportunities through The Media School,” Baron said.
Prior to working on “Just Energy,” Baron also worked on the podcast “Behind the Gates,” and a podcasting project for the Center for Rural Engagement. She is also the host of the radio show “All Things Considered” for WFIU.
Baron is currently in her third year of graduate school at Indiana University and is a dual degree MA candidate in Media Studies and Folklore. Baron said that her folklore studies and ethnographic interview techniques help her learn more about a subject and the greater community they are a part of.
“It’s never just me telling a story about someone else, it’s me telling a story with someone and that’s really important,” Baron said.
As Baron wraps up her time at IU, she said she hopes to continue working in the media space either in non-profit communications or audio production for a radio station or podcast. Baron said one of her favorite parts of working on various podcasts is having exposure to different ideas and topics.
“That’s the great thing about media and journalism. You never get bored because it’s always changing,” Baron said.
The first episodes of “Just Energy” were released in early February, and upcoming episodes are being released bi-weekly on Tuesdays.
“The feedback so far for the podcast has been extremely positive and I am excited to see what other projects could lead from this one,” Carley said.
You can listen to “Just Energy” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Stitcher.