Most television journalists know their limitations and their audience so they tend to conduct five minute interviews. Only a select few such as Charlie Rose have both the talent and audience to pull off longer format interviews. (It's no surprise that Charlie Rose has a law degree — lawyers receive much better interview training than journalists.)
Lawyers who create podcasts should also heed their limitations and their audience, but in my experience, most don't.
Definition time — a podcast is an audio or video program delivered over the Internet to which you can "subscribe" using an RSS feed. Podcasts have existed since the dawn of the Internet. The new twist is the ability to receive them automatically and download them to your iPod or similar device.
When various legal bloggers began offering podcasts (lawcasts?), I was genuinely excited by the possibilities. My excitement didn't last long, and I have pretty much stopped listening.
The podcasts I sampled — mostly interviews — droned on and on for 30 minutes or longer. The lawyers producing these podcasts just don't have the material or experience to pull off a 30 minute or longer show.
Hence, my unsolicited advice — less is more, especially on the Internet. I suggest limiting each segment of a legal podcast to 5 minutes or less, and limiting each show to 15 minutes or less. Trust me — a remarkable 5-15 minute show will attract a larger audience than a mediocre 30-60 minute show. (Also, invest in a decent microphone and don't allow interviewees to use cell phones or IM clients.)
My advice comes from personal experience. Before we launched TechnoLawyer 2.0 in 2002, you had only two choices — subscribe to all of our newsletters or none. Nowadays, you can customize your subscriptions. Many of you subscribe to just one newsletter.
My advice also comes from observation. For example, the online entertainment company JibJab produces hilarious videos, none of which ever exceed five minutes in length. An even better example — John Chambers' One Minute Tip podcasts.
Some lawyers may argue that the complex material they cover demands a longer format. I don't buy it. Just as you can break up complex concepts in a brief with headings and subheadings, so too could you serialize a podcast that explores complex legal topics. As all litigators know, people digest information better in small, discrete chunks.
I could write more, but this Post is beginning to make me look like a hypocrite. Enough said.
About TechnoEditorials
A TechnoEditorial is the vehicle through which we opine and provide tips of interest to managing partners, law firm administrators, and others in the legal profession. TechnoEditorials appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.
