In this Public History Talk recorded at the National Library on 4 June 2025, podcast producers William Ray (RNZ) and Kirsten Johnstone (Popsock Media) explored the art of creating captivating history podcasts, sharing storytelling and audio techniques from series like Black Sheep, The Lake, The Aotearoa History Show, Te Rauparaha Kei Wareware and The Magpie House.

They discussed the delicate balance of distilling complex history for an engaging auditory experience, using sound design and music to enhance storytelling, and offered insider tips and tricks from their award-winning work.

About the speakers

Kirsten Johnstone (Ngāi Tahu / Pākehā) co-founded award winning podcast production company Popsock Media in 2020. She honed her craft as a producer, editor, host, and content creator at RNZ.

William Ray (Pākehā) is an award-winning podcast producer at RNZ. He primarily works on history programming including Black Sheep and the Aotearoa History Show.

Download a transcript of this talk (PDF)