Democratizing history? : the significance of historical podcasts in the dissemination and popularization of history : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History at Massey University, Manawatū Campus, New Zealand
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Date
2022
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Massey University
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Abstract
A return to the oral tradition, historical podcasts constitute a pioneering component of today’s historical discourse that challenge the traditional boundaries of how the past is considered and presented. The popularity of these podcasts and the increasing proliferation of the podcasting medium as a means of sharing complex historical information has significantly exceeded written texts among public audiences in recent years. This has created new avenues through which academic historians can connect with public audiences. Moreover, the nature of this technology democratizes both the creation and success of these oral histories. Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History and Patrick Wyman’s The Fall of Rome and Tides of History illustrate the different approaches to presenting the past that podcasts permit. Both engage in contemporary historical discourse in a new and unique manner through the freedom offered by podcasting technology, utilizing the oral and aural dimensions of verbal storytelling that cannot be conveyed by the written word, while also drawing on established academic historiography to preserve the accuracy and authenticity of the history presented.