NPR Training

Audio journalism craft

Publishes practical, opinionated craft articles for audio reporters — structure, editing, mixing, interviewing. All free. The voice is more journalism-focused than business-focused, but the principles transfer to any narrative or interview podcast. Audio team includes Jerome Socolovsky (author of Sound Reporting 2nd ed) and audio production trainer Argin Hutchins.

NPR Training is the in-house craft training resource maintained by NPR, mostly aimed at public radio journalists and audio reporters but completely useful for any podcaster trying to make better-sounding shows. Articles are written by working NPR producers, editors, and reporters, and they're practical and opinionated rather than abstract. The audio-focused team includes Jerome Socolovsky, NPR's Audio Journalism Trainer and author of Sound Reporting (2nd edition): The NPR Guide to Broadcast, Podcast and Digital Journalism, and Argin Hutchins, Audio Production Trainer with nearly two decades of radio experience. Recent pieces include guidance on choosing the right soundbite, strategies for sound gathering, and cover-letter writing for journalism jobs. Everything is free — no paywall, no signup. The lens is journalism-first, meaning a lot of attention to interview ethics, accuracy in editing, tape selection, and structure. The Next Generation Radio Project — a five-day hybrid digital journalism and audio training program — is another flagship offering. If you make narrative, documentary, or interview podcasts, this site is gold and underrated. If you make business or entertainment podcasts that don't lean on storytelling craft, you'll still pick up sound-design and editing insights that improve your show. The site doesn't update on a steady cadence — content drops in bursts — so use it as a reference archive rather than a daily read.