On March 14, MSU Professor of History Dr. Peter Alegi gave a lecture at the MSU African Studies Center titled “The Intimacy of Sound: How Scholarly Podcasting Is Changing African Studies.”
Based on a book manuscript in progress, Alegi’s lecture argued that podcasting’s popularity owes much to its capacity to generate a powerful sense of intimacy. Drawing on fifty hours of interviews and fifteen years of experience hosting the Africa Past and Present podcast, Alegi discussed the significance of personal soundscapes; the changing relationship between sonic technology and listener agency; and the technical craftsmanship, intellectual labor, and teamwork that go into producing high-quality, sustainable Africa-focused podcasts.