On gender and podcasts: A conversation with Sowt’s Ban Barkawi
In the latest from Sowt’s series, On Podcasting the Arab World, Ban Barkawi, the producer of Sowt’s upcoming show, Eib, discusses its production.
Could you tell us about the premise of your upcoming show, Eib?
Eib shows the human side of gender-based issues that have long been considered taboo or controversial to talk about. People tell their stories and struggles that have in some way been impacted by society’s construct of shame. You’ll hear voices open up about experiences with divorce, reproductive health, sexual orientation, and more. Through storytelling this podcast wants to take issues that have traditionally been labeled as “eib” (Arabic for shameful) and shed them from the burden of shame.
What made you want to create a show like this?
I had my own battles with the psychology of eib. I grew up with the best and worst examples of gender equality. It was confusing but it made me very aware of my place in society as a girl and later as a woman. I was miseducated about gender roles and discrimination and had to unlearn a lot. Eventually I was able to reshape my understanding of it. I think a lot of people can relate and with a little compassion and receptiveness they too can unlearn and relearn.
What are some of the biggest difficulties in creating this show?
Some of the topics covered in Eib can still be uncomfortable for an Arabic-speaking audience so sometimes it’s tough to get guests to talk. A lot of them so far are based in Amman and it’s a small community with few degrees of separation so this puts some people on edge. It’s challenging but a number of brave souls are already stepping forward to share their stories. It gives me hope.
Given that your background is in radio, how do you see podcasts as different from radio programs?
Doing live radio is dynamic in its own way. You get to engage with listeners in real-time and experiment with spontaneity. With podcasts you’re almost piecing together a puzzle to tell a story. It’s a fairly new medium, so there are no rules and there’s plenty room for creativity. You can mold an episode to channel a certain emotion or to plant a specific question in the mind of your audience. There’s something very satisfying about building the perfect story.
What potential do podcasts have that you don’t see in radio?
While radio formats are diversifying, a lot of the time they’re pretty standard. I don’t think radio is going anywhere anytime soon because people are still passionate about it. But I like to describe podcasts as your favorite Netflix series redesigned for the ears. It offers listeners a new brand of programming as well as a different way to consume digital content. You can combine journalism with humor with art with entertainment if you wanted to and get away with it. The possibilities are endless.
Could you explain how the production of podcasts differs from radio production?
Production is probably one the most exciting aspects of podcasting. You can play with the music to manipulate the feel and pace of a show. There are so many tricks and tactics you can use with cutting and mixing your audio that again don’t abide by a set of rules. When you listen to some of the most popular podcasts you can tell them apart from the rest because of the sound and style they created for themselves. We want to move in that direction.
