No Harm In Asking

Serial with Sarah Koenig

Many say this is the podcast that started it all. In fact, a survey of Serial newsletter subscribers revealed that for almost a quarter, Serial was the first podcast they'd ever listened to! Furthermore, with the conviction of Adnan Syed recently overturned as a result of Sarah and her team's work in Season 1, Serial has cemented its place in podcasting history. However, as odd as it sounds, can too much success lead to your downfall? This week Mike and Eric discuss these things and more in our review of Serial.
A podcast from the creators of This American Life, Serial is hosted by Sarah Koenig and tells a single true story over the course of a season. Typically grouped within the true-crime genre, Season 1 investigated the 1999 killing of a Baltimore teenager, Season 2 examined the story of an American Army soldier held for 5 years by the Taliban and Season 3 was an analysis of the American criminal justice system reflected over a year at the Justice Center Complex in Cleveland, Ohio.
On No Harm In Asking, hosts Eric Byron and Michael Kerr are on a journey to gather insights into why podcasts succeed or fail and to explore the myriad of different patterns, structures, topics, techniques, and personalities that have evolved this industry. Through our podcast, we hope to inspire and encourage the next generation of storytellers and visionaries.
Mike and Eric listened to Season 3 of Serial. All 3 seasons can be found on their excellent website here:
https://serialpodcast.org/
They also have a full social media presence on Twitter at @serial.
The article that stated that almost a quarter of subscribers said Serial was the first podcast they'd ever listened to is here (among other stats):
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-survey-of-serials-listeners-sheds-light-on-the-serial-effect-300104734.html
Follow us on Twitter at @noharmaskingpod so you don't miss a review!
Eric also publishes his podcasting journey titled "A Podcasting Journal" on Substack at https://ericbyron.substack.com/
Please check out our sponsor:
Qollab.me - the free to use interview planning, preparation and collaboration toolhttps://qollab.me/

Crime Junkie with Ashley Flowers

Learning from the best of the best. Crime Junkie has been at or near the top of the charts since 2019. With great power (and profits) comes great responsibility. Join Mike and Eric in a discussion around the ethics of profiting off other people’s painful stories.
Crime Junkie is a weekly true crime podcast dedicated to retelling many of America's most compelling murders. Host Ashley Flowers takes us through the details of a crime she’s been obsessing over that week in a straightforward, easy to follow format with suspense twisted in and few “full body chills”.
On No Harm In Asking, hosts Eric Byron and Michael Kerr are on a journey to gather insights into why podcasts succeed or fail and to explore the myriad of different patterns, structures, topics, techniques, and personalities that have evolved this industry. Through our podcast, we hope to inspire and encourage the next generation of storytellers and visionaries.
Mike and Eric listened to many Crime Junkie episodes for this review, including MISSING: Mekayla Bali, MURDERED: Jenny Lin, Part 1 & 2, MURDERED: Shari Smith & Debra Helmick, SERIAL KILLER: Khalil Wheeler-Weaver and the MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF: Ellen Greenberg with her co-host Brit Prawat (indeed they're easy to listen to). You can find them here:
https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/
They also have a full social media presence on Twitter at @CrimeJunkiePod.
Follow us on Twitter at @noharmaskingpod so you don't miss a review!
Eric also publishes his podcasting journey titled "A Podcasting Journal" on Substack at https://ericbyron.substack.com/
Please check out our sponsor:
Qollab.me - the free to use interview planning, preparation and collaboration toolhttps://qollab.me/

This American Life with Ira Glass

Are people born podcasters or can the skill be learned? Obviously, it can be learned, but sometimes it's worth taking a look at the people that were clearly born to do it. Ira Glass serves as the director, senior producer, host, administrator, librarian, researcher and (perhaps most importantly) lead visionary for This American Life. To be fair, Ira did put in his time at various newsrooms cutting tape and doing odd jobs, but it very much seems like this was his life's calling.
This American Life is a weekly public radio program and podcast that began in 1995 and now comprises over 780 episodes. The jury is still out as to whether we'd search this one out on a weekly basis, indeed it's a lot to process, but the way they intertwine often three, four or even more seemingly disparate stories into a cohesive unit is pure genius. 
Heard by more than 2 million listeners each week on over 500 public radio stations in the U.S., and with another 2.3 million people downloading each episode as a podcast, there are many great lessons in here for any podcaster.
On No Harm In Asking, hosts Eric Byron and Michael Kerr are on a journey to gather insights into why podcasts succeed or fail and to explore the myriad of different patterns, structures, topics, techniques, and personalities that have evolved this industry. Through our podcast, we hope to inspire and encourage the next generation of storytellers and visionaries.
Mike and Eric listened to The Possum Experiment, Ghost in the Machine and Tell Me I’m Fat, all of which are discussed in our review. You can find them here:
https://www.thisamericanlife.org/
They also have a full social media presence on Twitter at @ThisAmerLife and Ira can be found at @iraglass.
Follow us on Twitter at @noharmaskingpod so you don't miss a review!
Eric also publishes his podcasting journey titled "A Podcasting Journal" on Substack at https://ericbyron.substack.com/
Please check out our sponsors:
Qollab.me - the free to use interview planning, preparation and collaboration toolhttps://qollab.me/
Discovery Shark Weekhttps://www.amazon.com/stores/SharkWeek/page/24092A27-AAC4-45E1-96B2-C4019C4CB766?ref_=ast_bln
Use promotion code: 10SHARKWEEK

S-Town with Brian Reed

S-Town, a seven "chapter", 6-plus hour podcast was released on March 28, 2017. The podcast was downloaded a record-breaking 10 million times in four days, and had been downloaded over 40 million times just a few months later. This week Mike and Eric review S-Town, along with The Trojan Horse Affair, Brian Reed's follow-up to S-Town. Drawing on both comparisons and contrasts between the 2 series, we attempt to highlight the techniques and styles that makes Brian’s podcasts so ground-breaking and a must-listen for anyone doing podcasts that involve storytelling.
S-Town begins when a middle-aged man, living in an Alabama town he despises, emails Brian and asks him to investigate a murder that he believes has been covered up by the local police. In The Trojan Horse Affair, an unlikely duo chases down the origins of a mysterious letter that caused a national scandal in England.
On No Harm In Asking, hosts Eric Byron and Michael Kerr are on a journey to gather insights into why podcasts succeed or fail and to explore the myriad of different patterns, structures, topics, techniques, and personalities that have evolved this industry. Through our podcast, we hope to inspire and encourage the next generation of storytellers and visionaries.
All 7 chapters of S-Town can be found here:
https://stownpodcast.org/
They also have a full social media presence on Twitter and Instagram at @stownpodcast (although updates seemed to have stopped after they were acquired by the New York Times).
The Trojan Horse Affair is available here:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/podcasts/trojan-horse-affair.html
Check us out on Twitter at @noharmaskingpod.
Eric also publishes his online journey titled "A Podcasting Journal" on Substack at https://ericbyron.substack.com/
Our sponsors:
Qollab.me - the free to use interview planning, preparation and collaboration toolhttps://qollab.me/
Discovery Shark Weekhttps://www.amazon.com/stores/SharkWeek/page/24092A27-AAC4-45E1-96B2-C4019C4CB766?ref_=ast_bln

Freakonomics Radio with Stephen J. Dubner

This week Mike and Eric review the podcast Freakonomics Radio hosted by Stephen J. Dubner. We also take a look at his sister show No Stupid Questions that he co-hosts with research psychologist Angela Duckworth. Looking at both shows, we debate why we believe FR comes across as a much more engaging show than NSQ despite the likability of Angela and the similar goals of each podcast.
Freakonomics Radio attempts to discover the hidden side of everything and tells you things you always thought you knew (but didn’t) and things you never thought you wanted to know (but do). Indeed, they do a great job in this superbly done podcast!
On No Harm In Asking, hosts Eric Byron and Michael Kerr are on a journey to gather insights into why podcasts succeed or fail and to explore the myriad of different patterns, structures, topics, techniques, and personalities that have evolved this industry. Through our podcast, we hope to inspire and encourage the next generation of storytellers and visionaries.
While we listened to many episodes of FR, we both enjoyed this recent "replay" show, The Pros and Cons of America’s (Extreme) Individualism.
https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-pros-and-cons-of-americas-extreme-individualism-replay/
The Freakonomics Radio team can be found on Twitter at @Freakonomics. Angela can be found at @angeladuckw.
Check us out on Twitter at @noharmaskingpod.
Eric also publishes his online journey titled "A Podcasting Journal" on Substack at https://ericbyron.substack.com/
Our sponsors:
Qollab.me - the free to use interview planning, preparation and collaboration tool
https://qollab.me/
Discovery Shark Weekhttps://www.amazon.com/stores/SharkWeek/page/24092A27-AAC4-45E1-96B2-C4019C4CB766?ref_=ast_bln
Use promotion code: 10SHARKWEEK

The Athletic Football Show (Part 3) with Zak Keefer

For the finale of our short series on sports podcasting, Mike and Eric review a six-part special on Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck hosted by Zak Keefer that he did for The Athletic Football Show. In this review we discuss the sports storytelling genre, one that we feel is open to many and underutilize by sports podcasters. We also talk about the growth of The Athletic and how they grew into a force to be reckoned with.
The Athletic’s flagship football podcast covers the NFL and breaks down the biggest stories throughout the world of football. On LUCK, the series explores the fundamental question, why did one of the greatest quarterback prospects of all-time end up walking away from the game before he turned 30?
On No Harm In Asking, hosts Eric Byron and Michael Kerr are on a journey to gather insights into why podcasts succeed or fail and to explore the myriad of different patterns, structures, topics, techniques, and personalities that have evolved this industry. Through our podcast, we hope to inspire and encourage the next generation of storytellers and visionaries.
You can kick-off listening to "Luck Episode 1: The Rise" on Apple Podcasts here:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/luck-episode-1-the-rise/id1528622068?i=1000569505293https://no-harm-in-asking.podbean.com/e/how-to-succeed-in-sports-podcasting-part-i-with-michael-kerr-and-eric-byron/
Zak Keefer can be found on Twitter at @zkeefer.
Check us out on Twitter at @noharmaskingpod.
Eric also publishes his online journey titled "A Podcasting Journal" on Substack at https://ericbyron.substack.com/
Our sponsors:
Qollab.me - the free to use interview planning, preparation and collaboration tool
https://qollab.me/
Discovery Shark Week
https://www.amazon.com/stores/SharkWeek/page/24092A27-AAC4-45E1-96B2-C4019C4CB766?ref_=ast_bln
Use promotion code: 10SHARKWEEK

Pardon the Interruption (Part 2) with Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon

Continuing on with our short series on sports podcasting, Mike and Eric look at the show that, in our opinion, set the bar for all that followed. Originally a half-hour TV show on ESPN that began airing in 2001, it is now available as a podcast with over 200 episodes.
For all the 1 or even 2 hour-plus sports podcasts out there, it's important to look at what can be delivered in 26 minutes with a rigid format all while mixing in debate, often an interview, and numerous other elements to make it original and fun.
Inserted clips and sound bites were taken from the PTI 20 documentary. You can check it out on YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWwMPtTicls
On No Harm In Asking, hosts Eric Byron and Michael Kerr are on a journey to gather insights into why podcasts succeed or fail and to explore the myriad of different patterns, structures, topics, techniques, and personalities that have evolved this industry. Through our podcast, we hope to inspire and encourage the next generation of storytellers and visionaries.
Our first episode in the series, How to Succeed in Sports Podcasting (Part I), can be found here on Podbean:
https://no-harm-in-asking.podbean.com/e/how-to-succeed-in-sports-podcasting-part-i-with-michael-kerr-and-eric-byron/
Tony doesn't really do Twitter, but @RealMikeWilbon is all over it for his 4.7M followers!
Check us out on Twitter at @noharmaskingpod. We greatly appreciate it.
Eric also publishes his online journey titled "A Podcasting Journal" on Substack at https://ericbyron.substack.com/

How to Succeed in Sports Podcasting (Part I) with Michael Kerr and Eric Byron

This week we try something new as we kick off Season 2 of the No Harm In Asking pod where Eric and Mike debate what makes a great sports podcast.
After listening to dozens of sports podcasts, as well as looking at innovative formats from radio and television, we discuss how you might get started in this game if you don't come from a journalism or athletic background based on some that have done it. We also suggest some things to avoid that will help give your podcast a chance in this highly competitive genre. 
On No Harm In Asking, hosts Eric Byron and Michael Kerr are on a journey to gather insights into why podcasts succeed or fail and to explore the myriad of different patterns, structures, topics, techniques, and personalities that have evolved this industry. Through our podcast, we hope to inspire and encourage the next generation of storytellers and visionaries.
All of our 21 podcasts in Season 1 can be found here on Podbean:
https://no-harm-in-asking.podbean.com/
Check us out on Twitter at @noharmaskingpod. We greatly appreciate it.
Eric also publishes his online journey titled "A Podcasting Journal" on Substack at https://ericbyron.substack.com/

A Self Review: No Harm In Asking with Michael Kerr and Eric Byron

This week we take a page from some of our favourite podcasters and engage in a bit of self reflection.
Were we too confident go in to our podcast? What have we learned? What has surprised us? Are we having fun? Who is our tribe? These and other questions are discussed as Mike and Eric look back at the first 20 episodes of our podcast.
On No Harm In Asking, hosts Eric Byron and Michael Kerr are on a journey to gather insights into why podcasts succeed or fail and to explore the myriad of different patterns, structures, topics, techniques, and personalities that have evolved this industry. Through our podcast, we hope to inspire and encourage the next generation of storytellers and visionaries.
All of our 20 podcasts in Season 1 can be found here on Podbean:
https://no-harm-in-asking.podbean.com/
Check us out on Twitter too at @noharmaskingpod. We greatly appreciate it.
Eric also publishes his online journey titled "A Podcasting Journal" on Substack at https://ericbyron.substack.com/

Revisionist History with Malcolm Gladwell

This week we go back to the one that started it all, well, at least for Mike.
From a little town in Southwestern Ontario to Toronto to Washington to the world, it seems obvious that few can tell a story like the truly talented, and always inquisitive, Mr. Gladwell. As well, for those out there doing 1 hour or even 2 hour-plus podcasts, it's worth listening to what a master of the trade can pack into just a half hour. 
In this episode Michael Kerr and Eric Byron tackle why we believe this podcast is always a pleasure and a privilege to listen to.
Revisionist History is Malcolm Gladwell’s journey through the overlooked and the misunderstood. Every episode re-examines something from the past — an event, a person, an idea, even a song — and asks whether we got it right the first time. 
This week we focus on Malcolm's recent Season 7 episodes, including "In Triplicate" and "The Magic Wand Experiment". We also listened to a few back in Season 6 for our review, including "Project Dillard", "Lord of the Rankings" and "I Love You Waymo".
They can all be found on Pushkin here: https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/revisionist-history
You can check out or buy all his books here: https://www.gladwellbooks.com/
Malcolm is reasonably active on Twitter at @Gladwell.
Check us out on Twitter too at @noharmaskingpod. We greatly appreciate it.
Eric also publishes his online journey titled "A Podcasting Journal" on Substack at https://ericbyron.substack.com/