This semester helped me better understand how language and culture are intertwined on a personal level. Being an English speaker with a Polish background, I never thought about my identity being shaped by both. While working on our podcasts, I saw just how easily people form assumptions about different cultures and how important it is to always listen to others’ stories.
The interview that Sophie conducted with Helen helped me reconnect with my own heritage, as she spoke about keeping traditions alive and how people often misinterpret both Polish food and culture. Since I was the editor for this episode, I got to really listen to her stories and think about them more deeply. Our second interview was on coffee culture in Pittsburgh. I got to interview Saurin, who explained to us how communication and cultural differences can shape global work and everyday choices. Listening to his experiences reminded me of how diverse the world is, even within Pittsburgh.
What I learned the most, however, is to always keep an open mind and practice cultural humility. Meeting people off the CMU campus and learning about their stories deepened my appreciation for their perspectives and backgrounds. This course revealed to me that the way to know others begins with truly listening to them. Having this mindset throughout the course has made me feel like I’ve truly traveled and grown a lot during this semester.
Making Pittsburgh Plates has really taught me a lot about how podcasts come together. In our first episode, we interviewed a Polish restaurant owner named Helen, and in our second episode, we interviewed Saurin, who is a coffee sustainability expert. Both interviews helped us understand how food connects to culture in Pittsburgh, and they pushed us to improve our recording and editing skills.
The feedback we received has been constructive and reasonable. Especially, people enjoy how natural our interviews are. I’ve been surprised by the interest in our coffee episode specifically. If there were ever a Season 2, we would work on clearer audio and shorter, more organized episodes.
In this class, if a new student took it, I would tell them to start editing early because it takes much more time than they expect. If we continued to podcast, I would want to explore more immigrant-owned businesses in the city.
Overall, this class changed how I see podcasting. It’s a lot more work than just recording simple conversations. It also made me appreciate Pittsburgh’s culture more deeply.
Critique 1: Dancing With the Stars Official Podcast
For this review, I chose to look more into one of my comfort shows that has been super popular lately, which is Dancing With The Stars. I came across this podcast through ABC’s promotional material online and in the actual show, so I decided to give it a listen. The podcast offers a behind-the-scenes look at the show, best known for its on-screen performances. The podcast is now run by Joey Graziadel, a former winner of The Bachelor.
Each episode is formatted part recap and part interview. Joey spends the first few minutes recapping the live show, then transitions into a conversational interview with eliminated contestants, judges, or pro dancers. The pacing is smooth, with transition clips weaving in and out of the dancers’ rehearsal rooms, giving listeners the backstage access they are looking for.
What really stands out to me about this podcast is how relaxed and human the dancers are, compared to what is shown on TV. The storytelling feels genuine and heartfelt, especially when contestants dive into the challenges they faced while learning to dance. However, still at times this podcast relies too heavily on the promotional side of the content rather than really showing the behind-the-scenes narrative.
Overall, the podcast is a great companion for fans who want more context around each week’s performances and insight that many people might not know is going on behind the scenes.
Critique 2- 13 Things I Wish I knew in My 20’s
Episode: “13 Things I Wish I Knew in My 20’s-Part 1”
I chose this podcast to review because my friends all said they really liked it, and I have seen it being marketed on the various social media platforms I use, like TikTok and Instagram. This show is about personal growth and features a reflective format in its episodes. This specific episode intrigued me because it sounded like it would be full of honest and straightforward big-sister advice that any young adult wishes they could have to maybe improve their life.
The host starts the episode by describing her challenging years in her twenties, making her very relatable to many others. One at a time, she goes down the points on her list, and after each point, adds a personal anecdote with it. She covers a wide range of topics, from making financial mistakes and the dangers of people-pleasing to learning the value of solitude. Each segment is thoughtfully prepared, and the pacing is very intentional, including small pauses to let the listeners reflect on themselves and their lives.
One of the most notable strengths I saw here was the host’s vulnerability. She isn’t just giving advice; she is sharing how she learned each lesson the hard way. This makes the episode feel even more genuine. However, there are moments in it where some points are repeated a few times in different words, lowering the momentum.
Despite this, I really enjoyed the episode and found it very insightful. It made me feel less alone on this confusing journey of emerging adulthood, and gave me things to think about for the future.
Critique 3- On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Episode: “7 Ways We Block Our Own Happiness” (w/solo Jay episode)
I selected one episode from On Purpose with Jay Shetty, based on his calming energy and practical mindset advice. I was searching for uplifting podcasts and discovered this show, which seemed really interesting to me.
Jay starts the episode with a simple question. How often do we get in our own way? That one question sets the tone for the episode and engages listeners. He then walks through seven habits that quietly diminish our happiness. These include comparison, avoidance, and people-pleasing. Each point is then supported by a short story and relatable examples to help the audience connect.
A strength I saw from this episode is Jay’s gentle delivery. His explanations give off a sense of encouragement rather than just spewing thoughts. He uses simple metaphors to make emotional concepts easy for the audience to grasp. The only downside of this episode is that some of the advice may feel repetitive or familiar if you have previously listened to this podcast.
Overall, this episode is very reflective and calming, and a great tool to listen to if you feel like you need a quick mindset reset or clarity on how to get out of your own way.
Critique 4- We Can Do Hard Things
Episode: “1. ANXIETY: Is it just love holding its breath?” (Season 1, Episode 1)
This is the first full episode of We Can Do Hard Things, and it introduces listeners not only to the show but to Glennon Doyle’s way of talking about mental health. It’s co-hosted with Abby Wambach and Amanda Doyle, and the episode is devoted entirely to anxiety. It runs for about an hour and is divided into three parts. Glennon’s personal description of an anxiety attack, her coping strategies, and a closing segment, which features an original song by her daughter.
The episode’s storytelling is both intimate and detailed. Glennon takes the listeners through precisely what she thought and felt in that moment, and how anxiety feels. Abby and Amanada jump in as both question-askers and witnesses, creating a natural, open conversation. This conversational dynamic really shows how the three of them support each other in understanding it.
The episode is strong in the way it crafts, mixing vulnerability with practical tools. After describing her personal experience of a panic attack, Glennon outlines three specific strategies that help her calm down, moving the episode from raw emotion to something the listeners can use for themselves.
Overall, I really enjoyed this episode, and I think it’s a powerful way to open the series. It sets the tone of honest emotion while also focusing on helping people through challenging situations.
Critique 5-Pretty Basic with Alisha Marie & Remi Cruz
Episode “The Future of Our friendship + Remi Found a Wedding Venue”
In this episode of Pretty Basic, longtime best friends and co-hosts Alisha Marie and Remi Cruz blend friend-focused talk with a major life update: Remi’s search for a wedding venue. The episode is sort of like a pop-culture chat and personal diary entry, which is precisely what their audience expects. Structurally, it opens with a lighter catch-up, then moves into two main threads of ideas. How their friendship is changing as their lives get busier and more “adult”, and the process of planning Remi’s wedding.
The central tension here is subtle but relatable: how do you keep a friendship strong when careers, relationships, and life stages start to pull you in different directions? They often say there is a lot of pressure to share their relationship online. That conversation gives the episode more emotional weight than just a simple event recap.
The wedding-planning segment adds a fun, aspirational layer. Remi describes the process of touring various venues and finally, after a while, finding the perfect one. Because listeners know her fiancé and have watched their engagement unfold, this part feels almost like an update on their ongoing storyline. Overall, this episode does a great job of showing the hosts’ lives as the plot and the podcast are an outlet for them to unpack the feelings and emotions behind the scenes.
Critique 6- Crime Junkie
Episode. “MISSING: Zelig Williams”
Crime Junkie is a super popular true crime podcast, and this episode follows the disappearance of a young man named Zelig Williams. The episode begins with host Ashley Flowers detailing the timeline of Zelig’s last known moments. The storytelling is key to this point, so it’s easy to follow, even if you’re new to the case. She lays out what the police know about the case, what the witnesses have said, and what still remains unanswered. Britt adds reactions and questions to help break up the details and add natural discussion.
One strength of this episode is its focus. The hosts don’t add any drama; they only stick to the confirmed information and treat the case with respect. The episode keeps listeners very attentive and lets you think about what might have happened in the case.
One weakness is that listeners who like closure get frustrated because the case is still open and there are no final answers, leaving an unsettling feeling. Overall, the episode is powerful and emotional. It shows why Crime Junkie has such a dedicated audience.
Critique 7-Hidden Brain
Episode “You 2.0: Deep Work”
Hidden Brain is known for applying psychological insights to daily life, and this episode explained how concentration works and why deep focus is becoming increasingly out of reach in contemporary life.
The episode begins with the show’s host, Shanker Vedantam, interviewing author Cal Newport. Through a collaborative effort, they explain what “deep work” means: extended periods of time spent focused on something with no distractions. The tone is soothing and educational.
A strength of this episode is the practicality of its advice. They don’t just talk about the science of it; they give real steps people can take to improve their focus, like using their phone less and finding a dedicated workspace.
All in all, this episode is helpful, clear, and very motivating. It’s a great listen for anyone looking to improve their study habits and understand how attention works.
Critique 8- How I Built This with Guy Raz
Episode: “Airbnb: Joe Gebbia”
This episode describes how Airbnb started from a small idea that Joe Gebbia and his co-founder had when they couldn’t afford rent, and decided to rent out air mattresses during a conference, which later grew into a global company.
This episode’s format is straightforward to follow because Joe tells the story step by step and lays it out for the listeners. A strength of this episode is Joe’s brutal honesty about the complex struggles he faced and his failures. It really makes the story relatable and inspiring.
One minor weakness is that the episode spends most of its time on Airbnb’s early years, so you don’t hear as much about the challenges that came later. Other than that, the episode is super motivational and easy to understand. It’s a good choice for anyone interested in entrepreneurship or personal development.
Listening to Jonathan Van Ness’s conversation with Diane Guerrero on Getting Curious feels less like a polished podcast and more like an open and honest conversation. JVN doesn’t follow a tight narrative arc like This American Life does. Instead, he lets the conversations flow and shift naturally, following the emotions rather than just the structure. This storytelling approach works very well with Guerrero’s complex, personal story and lets her tell it naturally, the way she wants.
One pivotal moment in the episode I noticed was when Guerrero describes the day she came home at fourteen and found out her parents had been deported. Her tone encapsulates the sadness she still carries. Her calmness makes the moment even stronger. JVN’s reaction is soft and very understanding. He even leaves the room to give her the space she needs rather than guiding the story. Their dynamic creates a comfortable atmosphere where it feels safe to be vulnerable.
It’s really in how Guerrero transforms her trauma into activism that resonates. She discusses growing up as the child of immigrants, the struggles of managing a language barrier, and trying to seem “American enough”, and the fear and secrecy that shadowed much of her childhood. Guerrero’s personal story provides a window into what many immigrant families feel in the United States. The flow of the interview lets these ideas unravel naturally.
By the end, the episode is more than just a story of loss. It’s about identity and community, or how personal experience may inspire broader advocacy. That brings us full circle, back to Guerrero, whose episode teases out what usually remains unsaid by its very mode of storytelling, which is relaxed and conversational.
Digital Strategy Notes:
Getting Curious now amplifies the impact of episodes like this one with visible show notes, active social media promotion, and guest cross-posting, such as Guerrero’s. That type of approach helps meaningful conversations go far beyond the podcast itself.
My Ideal listener for Pittsburgh Plates is someone who really enjoys food, culture, and local stories. This person should be curious about how different communities shape Pittsburgh and enjoys learning about the city through personal narratives, restaurants, and immigrant-owned businesses.
Most likely, they are college students, young professionals, or long-time Pittsburgh residents who appreciate multicultural perspectives. They enjoy community-based content and storytelling podcasts.
They would listen because Pittsburgh Plates reveals the sometimes-hidden cultural stories behind city food spots, everything from how Pierogies Plus preserves Polish traditions to how local coffee shops create community and identity. The podcast gives listeners a closer, more personal look at the places they visit every day
The Strategy-How I Will Market the Episode
Instagram Reels and Stories- I will take short video clips and pictures at venues and upload them to various platforms, for example, pierogies, coffee drinks, cafe interiors, and interviews. Reels will include quick storytelling moments from the episode to grab attention. Stories will include polls like: “Have you tried Pierogies Plus?” “What’s your favorite Pittsburgh cafe?” This helps build engagement and connect with local food enthusiasts.
2. Tiktok Short Videos- Tiktok will be used to share fast, visual highlights of these places, like behind-the-scenes shots, quick interviews, and cliipings of food being prepared
Fun videos like these help reach a wider audience interested in food and culture content
Since moving to Pittsburgh for college, I’ve learned that cultural clashes might not always be super dramatic. Sometimes they even happen right in your dorm’s communal kitchen. A few weeks ago, I was going downstairs to do my laundry when I immediately smelled something being cooked. I didn’t recognize exactly what it was, but the smell was powerful and filled the whole dorm. The first thoughts that popped into my head were, “What is he cooking? Why does it smell like that?”
Another student was not a fan of the smell and burst into the kitchen, opened a window quite dramatically, and jokingly said, “Ew, what is that?” The guy who was cooking immediately turned red and turned around in embarrassment.
This moment really stuck with me, even though it wasn’t anything horribly dramatic; it still showed how fast people judge what we don’t recognize.
The Ethnocentric Reaction: Honestly, my initial reaction wasn’t too great either. Growing up, I never ate spicy food, so anything with strong spices in it seemed “gross” or “weird” to me. The instinctive thought that occurred was pretty much the same for everyone: “This is gross, why can’t he cook something good and normal?” That thing I thought was “normal” stemmed from the way I grew up, where I lived, and the people around me.
The Relativist View: A little later, I found out he was cooking a dish from his home country. This was his “normal” Ingredients and spices that felt “too strong” to me were comforting and familiar to him.
From his cultural perspective, he was just preparing food that reminded him of his home, which is his normal. The only reason it felt strange to me is that it was outside my comfort zone and background.
My Red Line as a Storyteller, if I were interviewing him, what I’d want to know is what it means: What does that dish remind him of, or why is it specifically important to him? My red line would be strictly safety issues with cooking, and maybe people being allergic to certain spices. Beyond that, it’s up to me to be open with the topic and try to learn from his perspective. The diversity in Pittsburgh, and specifically at my school, Carnegie Mellon, has taught me that what seems unusual to me is someone else’s normal, and cultural realism helps bridge that gap.
After listening to Sruthi Pinnamaneni’s advice, I realized I wasn’t paying enough attention to those things in our podcast, Pittsburgh Plates. I really liked three pieces of advice the most. First, she mentioned building the scenes instead of just explaining them. I liked this because it makes the scenes feel more real, and not just like a regular interview. Second, she says to follow emotional beats, which means paying attention to how people are really feeling during their stories to make the episode more meaningful and genuine. Third, she talks about using the mic to shape the conversation, such as asking better questions in the moment and guiding the guest rather than letting things go off track.
There are also three fixes I want to make to our first episode after hearing her advice. One fix is to make the emotional moments stronger, especially when our guests talk about their traditions and family moments. I can edit it to really emphasize these moments with sound clips and music. Another fix is to add more background sounds that fit nicely into the episode. For example, good sounds from the restaurant, so that the listener can really feel like they are there. And the last one is to improve our opening, because right now it’s a little simple and doesn’t actively captivate the audience, which is something I can improve.
When it comes to “character”, Sruthi made me reflect on how those we interview are essentially the characters of our podcast. People like Helen from Pierogies Plus or Saurin from Coffee and Culture play a considerable role in the story and how it’s told. It’s their backgrounds, feelings, and experiences that make our episodes interesting and engaging. For this reason, in the future, I want to focus more on letting their personalities come through and shine, ensuring that their stories lead the episode.
For my next episode of Pittsburgh Plates, I want to explore the food within the Jewish Community of Pittsburgh and possibly interview a Jewish bakery owner. I feel like this is an excellent choice because Jewish baking is closely tied to culture and family traditions, and it’s enormous in Pittsburgh. Foods like challah and rugelach aren’t just things you eat; they are tied to a long line of memories and tradition. I am very curious to know how the baker grew up with these traditions and what led them to turn it into a bakery. It feels like a super good fit with the themes of my other episodes of food shaping culture in Pittsburgh.
Before the interview, I will outline a few key points I would like to discuss. I am particularly eager to hear the moment they realized baking could be a real career, and what challenges they faced when opening the bakery for the first time. I also would like to know how that specific neighborhood has changed, and who its customers have become over time, what it’s like to keep a cultural tradition alive in a constantly shifting city.
Here are some example questions I am planning to ask:
“What is the item you are most known for? How did you first learn to make it?”
“Would you share a story about a family recipe that really means something to you?”
“How did opening the bakery make you feel in the beginning, and how do you feel now?”
The only question I’m sort of hesitant to ask is if they feel pressure to represent the whole Jewish community. I might save that one for later and bring it up if the conversation flows that way.
Our podcast, titled “Pittsburgh Plates”, fits correctly in the narrative nonfiction and interview genres. In each episode, we tell a real story of Pittsburgh by talking with the people who make the city’s food culture unique and authentic to the town. In episode 1, we dive deeper into the Polish culture of Pittsburgh. Our focus was on the restaurant Pierogies Plus, where we interviewed the owner, Helen, to hear her perspectives on how Polish traditions shaped the area. Episode 2 also follows the theme of food and drink. In this episode, we looked at local coffee shops in Pittsburgh and how they have become important community social spaces. Since we use real interviews, real places, and background sounds from each spot, our show fits into narrative nonfiction more than anything else.
My own podcast habits aren’t exactly the same as the most popular genres in the U.S, such as comedy or TV recaps. Usually, I like listening to podcasts about real people and their true stories, which is why I think I tend to enjoy narrative nonfiction. That definitely influenced how we decided to approach Pittsburgh Plates, because we tried to focus on interesting people with meaningful stories and culture behind each business. Even if our listening habits aren’t super mainstream, they helped guide the style and direction of our episodes,
Site Title 