Introducing the Big Questions Project | “Voices of Tomorrow: A First Look at the Big Questions Project”

by Apu Goteh

We have Anna Rainey and Esther Ikoro diving into spirituality and religion from marginalized perspectives. Andrew Gill and Leah Payne are investigating the Christian pop music industry and its impact on American culture. We’re also fortunate to have Reverend Annanda Barclay and Dr. Keisha McKenzi, exploring how we stay well as technology pushes us to extreme places, and Julia Metzger-Traber and Natasha Haverty embarking on a multifaceted exploration of motherhood. 

Now, you might be wondering, "How did we choose these podcast concepts?" Well, our trusty open call process opened the submission process to anyone far and wide. Then, our team of audio professionals reviewed every pitch to identify four untapped voices focusing on uniqueness of concept, diversity, and potential. They also made sure each chosen concept matched what our grant funder – the John Templeton Foundation – is looking for. This approach has led to highly successful podcasts, such as the award-winning show Ear Hustle. 

We’ve had the pleasure of working with a dream team of experts for our selection process. Huge thanks to David Pogue, who brings his insightful reporting on science to CBS Sunday Morning; James Ryerson, with his distinguished career as a senior editor at The New York Times; Michael Rota, with his esteemed reputation as a philosophy professor at the University of St. Thomas; Nadia Bolz-Weber, who inspires as a public theologian and podcaster (“The Confessional,” which is brought to listeners by PRX); Dan Lothian, who leads as an award-winning correspondent and executive producer of the daily public radio show “The World” from GBH and PRX; and Dr. Alok Patel, with his impressive resume as a TV producer, host, and physician, and his impactful contributions as an ABC News correspondent. 

But, we're not just about choosing the right projects; we're also here to help them flourish by providing editorial, production, and marketing support for at least two seasons of their podcasts through our own acclaimed production house, PRX Productions. 

Of course, we can't leave our teams hanging when it comes to the business side of podcasting. We'll provide training on sponsorships, distribution, and marketing, ensuring sustainability and high-quality production. By sharing this process, we hope to offer a guide for independent creators looking to make their own mark in the podcasting world. Stay tuned for future articles as we’ll look to give you a behind the scenes view of these crucial parts of podcasting.

So join us as we embark on this adventure with our four teams. Together, we'll explore new ideas, challenge the status quo, and elevate intellectual discourse in the audio space. 

Be on the lookout for our next article, where we'll be exploring what it takes to create a podcast from scratch. 

For more information about our work and to stay up-to-date on all our latest content, visit us at www.prx.org/bigquestions.