Podcasts between research, training and information
The use of podcasts is growing and getting younger. According to IPSOS data from 2024, the use of podcasts at least monthly in Italy involves 39 percent of the population between the ages of 16 and 60 - about 12 million individuals. In addition to quantitative data, a relevant qualitative element emerges: podcasts manage to reach a demographic segment that traditional media often find difficult to intercept. These are predominantly young and highly educated individuals who are characterized by conscious consumption.
An area, therefore, to be increasingly explored also in its educational and research dissemination uses. For this reason, on April 10 and 11, 2025, Roma Tre University will host the first European conference on the topic, “Knowledge in Your Ears. The podcast between research, education and information” , an event that brings together academic experts, producers and international professionals in the field to explore the multiple declinations of podcasting in the educational, cultural and scientific communication fields.
Organized in collaboration with WePod, a project funded by Creative Europe to support podcast journalism co-productions in the European context, the conference offers a program of talks and discussion panels, with the participation of podcast producers, professors and researchers from academic institutions across Europe.
During the two days there is a listening corner to listen to podcasting productions by participants and the University in collaboration with Roma Tre Radio, the radio station of Roma Tre University.
FIRST DAY, APRIL 10
The opening session, scheduled for 9:30 a.m., will begin with the institutional greetings of Elisabetta Bonvino, Vice-Rector for Education at Roma Tre University, Ana Ribera, Editor in Chief of Prisa Audio and coordinator of WePod, Christian Uva, Vice-President of the CUC University Council of Cinema, Sara Bentivegna, President of the SISCC Italian Scientific Society of Sociology, Culture and Communication, and Luca Aversano, Director of the Department of Philosophy, Communication and Entertainment at Roma Tre.
The first panel explores the role of podcasting in education and innovations related to artificial intelligence, with guests including leading podcast scholars Martin Spinelli (University of Sussex), Lance Dann (freelance sound artist, audio-drama producer, researcher) and Richard Berry (University of Sunderland). This is followed by a keynote speech by David Modigliani, director and documentary maker, who presents his award-winning “Pack One Bag”, the true story of an Italian family divided by fascism, to discuss the cinematic approach to podcast production. In the afternoon, the main results of the WePod project will be presented by the European Association of Podcast & Audio Creators (EAPAC) and the WePodProject.eu website, which provides producers with a series of tools designed for the conception, production, post-production, marketing, legal aspects and promotion of podcasts. This is followed by meetings related to the ethics of podcasting and educational experiences, with a focus on podcasts as a tool for academic research. To give context to WePod’s educational work, Cathal O’Luanaigh, Program & Communications Manager at News Decoder will give an overview of the WePod podcasting and storytelling workshops given in secondary school and higher-level education institutions across Europe. The day ends with a performance by the “Literary Soundscapes” company, which was founded by students of the Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures at Roma Tre University to adapt some of Shakespeare’s works into podcasts.
DAY TWO, APRIL 11
The second day is dedicated to the podcast as a research and dissemination tool. The morning opens with a panel discussion on the relationship between sound archives and historical podcasting, followed by a keynote speech by Tiziano Bonini of the University of Siena on the future of educational podcasting.
Afterwards, an episode of the podcast “Pizza surgelata” (Frozen Pizza) is recorded live with the director of HuffPost Mattia Feltri, Andrea Lucatello and Riccardo Quadrano, hosts of Radio Capital. In the afternoon, the podcast is discussed as a storytelling tool for voices on the margins of society, with the presentation of a podcasting project carried out by the company AdDentro in the prison of Civitavecchia. This is followed by two panels on the ethical implications of audio journalism and the aesthetic forms of the podcast.
The conference ended with some final thoughts from Marta Perrotta of Roma Tre University, scientific director of the two-day event, who said: “For the first time in Europe, researchers, audio professionals, teachers and students are coming together to explore the potential of podcasts in teaching and academic research, and to examine the ethical and creative challenges that this emerging medium presents in the context of education and communication.”
“When we started the WePod project” says Ana Ribera, Editor in Chief of Prisa Audio and WePod coordinator “we knew that one of the main pillars had to be the dissemination of knowledge about the world of audio. In addition to companies and producers, it was essential that the academic world study our medium and give it meaning beyond the here and now. Presenting WePod in a university environment is very important for the continuity and dissemination of what collaborative audio journalism can mean for Europe”: The event represents a unique opportunity to learn more about the role of podcasting as a narrative language, an educational tool and a means of scientific dissemination, and to find out more about the WePod project and its support for podcast production throughout Europe.
INFORMATION
This is a press release which we link to from Podnews, our daily newsletter about podcasting and on-demand. We may make small edits for editorial reasons.