Podcast Intellectuals Panel #2 with Ellen Horne, Chenjerai Kumanyika, Barry Lam, and Julia Barton

Academics increasingly utilize narrative audio to produce original scholarship, challenging traditional hierarchies that prioritize peer-reviewed articles over public-facing media. This transition requires a fundamental shift in how researchers structure arguments, moving away from bald statements toward suspenseful, listener-centered narratives. The process of audio production—involving rigorous revision, fact-checking, and sound design—constitutes a distinct form of knowledge production that captures human complexity more effectively than conventional academic writing. Scholars must navigate the tension between maintaining scholarly authority and adopting an authentic, mediated voice, often while contending with institutional resistance and limited resources. Ultimately, successful integration of these mediums demands that academics treat audio not as a secondary output, but as a primary site of research, requiring significant labor, editorial collaboration, and a willingness to embrace the performative nature of the medium.