I have to admit, it is pretty surreal to have Dr. Amanda Bright on The Lead this week.

Bright is the managing editor of this site, and she is the one who gave me this platform on Grady Newsource to be able to share in-depth thoughts on how The Lead operates. She makes things happen; it’s kind of in her nature.

This week we discussed innovation in storytelling. Innovation is sort of a buzzword, but what does it really mean? And better yet, why is it so crucial to the news industry? These are questions she tackles with excitement and ease.

I try to keep the podcast episodes between 15 to 20 minutes, but this one is just over 20 minutes. There was simply too many golden nuggets in there to make it any less. Other than interviewing cool people on this podcast, it is also pretty awesome that I am able to make decisions like this one on length.

Podcasting enables you to tell stories to your heart’s content since you aren’t bound by broadcast package lengths or word limits. While having the skill to tell a story under these constraints is absolutely necessary, it is very fulfilling to also decide how long a story should be based on where the conversation traveled.

Give it a listen:

The James M. Cox Jr. Institute for Journalism Innovation, Management and Leadership at the Grady College prepares students and professionals for leadership roles in the news media. By sponsoring intensive training programs and funding applied research, the Cox Institute is at the forefront of addressing the strategic challenges faced by contemporary news organizations.