Podcasting protocols: Land acknowledgement in outlining a process for decolonial reflexivity and audio stewardship

Abstract

As journalists and media-makers in Canada work towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, there is increased discussion on how to work respectfully with Indigenous communities, stories and knowledge. However, for podcasters and audio journalists, there are still limited resources on guidelines and best practices. This article considers several resources which foster decolonial frameworks for mediamaking, from media production guides to broader Indigenous methodological frameworks, and discusses how they can inform media production in these contexts. The authors then discuss their experience working on the Canadian Mountain Podcast – a series that shares mountain-related research from academic and Indigenous perspectives – and the steps the team took to decolonize their methods and work respectfully with different forms of knowledge. Finally, this article looks at the team’s use of developing land acknowledgements and how this practice provided a space to reflect on their journalistic practices and adjust their processes as audio stewards.