How do you use digital tools to shift existing narratives about your community? Nina Bhattacharya, Instructional Design Specialist at the Incubator, recently shared her best practices for creative, community-centered podcasting at the 19th annual Allied Media Conference. Held every summer in Detroit, the conference brings together a diverse community of individuals using media to incite change.
In her presentation, she introduced a framework focused on “consent, context, curiosity, and curation” to guide the novice podcaster through more ethical storytelling. Nina pointed to her recent work with Bandhu Gardens—a project dedicated to expanding opportunities for Bangladeshi women in Detroit—as a case example. “How we frame and structure our audio stories must reflect the two-way nature of the podcasting relationship.” Nina presented alongside activist, storyteller, and co-host of the #GoodMuslimBadMuslim podcast, Tanzila “Taz” Ahmed, who spoke about the ways her podcast rewrote existing media narratives of being Muslim in the United States. In 2016, Taz was honored as a White House Champion of Change for Asian American and Pacific Islander Art and Storytelling.
These principles for digital storytelling underlie the Incubator’s ongoing partnerships and pilots. Together with Faculty Director Sue J. Goldie, Nina will be continuing to explore visual and audio methodologies for public health communication and community empowerment.