Hosting: how to make them want to listen

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SOLD OUT
Date
05/11/2022
Time
6:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Where
Online Workshop
Cost
$100.00
Registration Closed

So you want to host a show. Anybody can do it, right? Just set up a microphone, hit record, and you’re ready to go. Easy! Except… it’s not. 

Hosting an audio production, whether a live news program or a pre-recorded podcast or a longform narrative, requires skill and practice. You have to be aware of both the art and the science of how to draw in an audience and bring them along with you on the journey of whatever show you want them to listen to. In this workshop, national award-winning host Tess Vigeland gives you practical tips for getting comfortable with yourself at the microphone, balancing personality with authority, and writing as though you’re having a conversation with the listener. You’ll learn the difference between writing for the ear as a reporter, and writing for the ear as a host. We’ll talk about the art of the interview, deep listening, and learning to use silence to prompt a guest. 

We’re also going to spend some time on the couch and talk about the stuff that gets in your head when you’re in front of the mic: nerves, insecurities, imposter syndrome, and more. Hosting is a performance, even in situations where you’re doing hard news. People may not see you, but you are on a stage, with all the attendant issues that can crop up with that. We’ll talk through how to manage and shine regardless of the circumstance. Class attendees are encouraged to bring short scripts or script samples to read aloud for feedback and discussion.

*This class is capped at 12.

Course Content:

  • The road to being 1,000% YOU at the mic
  • The difference between writing for the ear as a reporter, and writing for the ear as a host
  • Creating different delivery patterns for newsy programs vs long-form narrative or interview
  • How to balance warmth and personality with authority
  • The art of the interview and deep listening
  • Learning to use silence and the other in-between moments 
  • How to deal with insecurities and imposter syndrome 
  • How to handle nerves

You will be emailed a link to the workshop two hours before it begins. 

Who's this class for?

Beginner to mid-level broadcasters and podcasters

About Your Instructor

Tess Vigeland

Tess Vigeland is a veteran journalist and a well-known voice to millions of American radio listeners. She currently serves as host and executive producer of The Pie, an economics podcast from the University of Chicago, and is also a producer and editor for Nerdwallet's personal finance podcast Smart Money. Tess formerly hosted and helped create As We Work, a podcast on careers and work life from The Wall Street Journal. Prior to that, she spent 11 years as an anchor and reporter for public radio’s Marketplace. She also hosted NPR’s Weekend All Things Considered and podcasts for Google and Bank of America. Tess is the recipient of multiple national journalism awards, including, most recently, the 2019 Gracie Award for Best Host/Anchor, and the 2019 Edward R. Murrow Award for Continuing Coverage, both earned for her work reporting on the aftermath of the catastrophic Camp Fire that destroyed the city of Paradise, California. She has been a contributing writer to The New York Times, The Guardian, and Quartz, among other national and international publications, and is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
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