All Categories - Change the Narrative Podcast

S4 E5: The Responsibility of Noticing--How Beauty Can Save Us

10/6/2023

Facts and statistics have so far failed to get humans to change our behavior to address the climate crisis. But can beauty?

In this episode, host Michael Hernandez talks with marine biologist Jonny Reid about the importance of noticing, and how the beauty of the world may just save us–if we make time to notice.

This episode was produced as part of Michael's Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship.

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S4 E4: The Possibility of Perspective

9/29/2023

Maybe you’ve tried (and failed) to take photos–of a concert, a skyscraper, or the Grand Canyon–that truly captures the immensity of the object or experience. In this episode, host Michael Hernandez talks with National Geographic photographer Susan Seubert about the limits of photography, especially when trying to convey something as vast as Antarctica, yet at the same time, emphasizing the importance of the photographic record of the impact on animals and the continent brought about by climate change.

In a surprising side conversation, Susan also shares what it’s like to be a woman in a male-dominated job, and how the opportunities for work and acknowledgements have changed as she ages.

This episode was produced as part of Michael's Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship.

See Susan's fine art photography
Follow Susan on Instagram

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S4 E3: Job at the bottom of the world

9/21/2023

Right out of a Wes Anderson film, Base A at Port Lockroy is a time capsule of mid-century exploration and research. In this episode, Michael speaks with Base Leader Lucy Bruzzone about the history of Port Lockroy, and what life was like for early British scientists and researchers with a job at the bottom of the world.

Learn more about the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust.
Check out this article in Business Insider by Lucy about what it's like to live in Antarctica for five months.

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Photos of the base at Port Lockroy (photos: Michael Hernandez)

S4 E2: The Climate For Change

9/21/2023

On our return to Argentina from Antarctica, I sat down with Zachary Brown, a climate scientist and naturalist aboard our ship, to get some clarity about climate change, not just on Antarctica, but on our impact on the climate throughout the world. Just a heads up: Zach doesn’t mince words, and what he has to say is probably going to raise some eyebrows, like it did mine.

In our chat, Zachary discussed the propaganda campaign waged by the fossil fuel industry over the past 60 years. Here are some resources about this behavior:

Oil ads that told us climate change was nothing (The Guardian)
Tracing Big Oil’s PR campaign to delay action on climate change (Harvard Gazette)
Fossil fuel industry propaganda aimed at children (National Center for Science Education)
How decades of disinformation about fossil fuels halted U.S. climate policy (NPR)

S4 E1: The Right War

9/21/2023

Alex Searl was one of the many naturalists on board our ship during my expedition to Antarctica. Naturalists are expert scientists and historians who educate guests about Antarctica, and drive us across the sea in Zodiaks to land at various spots during our daily excursions.

Alex is a journalist from Chile–another country with a troubled history with U.S. intervention. I sat down to talk with Alex while we sailed across the Drake Passage, about our responsibility to defend Antarctica….

Follow Alex on Instagram.

Season 4 Trailer

9/21/2023

Season 4 is about Michael's expedition to Antarctica as part of his Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship. Listen as he explores the people and places of the only untouched continent, and what it can teach us about our future.

Shook: Satire, Illustrations, And The Power Of Editorial Cartooning Feat. Lalo Alcaraz (S3 E6)

5/18/2022

Sometimes words just don't cut it—especially when you’re making fun of the president. That’s where Lalo Alcaraz comes in. I sat down with the Pulitzer recognized and Herb Block-winning editorial cartoonist about visual storytelling, taking on corrupt politicians, taking heat from haters, how working with Pixar got him accused of selling out.

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify

LINKS FROM OUR CONVERSATION
Lalo's website
Pocho humor website
Lalo on Twitter
Lalo on Instagram

Reclaiming Your Story: Why Representation In TV & Film Matters Feat. Erick Galindo

5/18/2022

In this episode, I talk with James Beard and Telly award-winning writer, director and producer, Erick Galindo, about his work at the New York Times and LA Taco, his podcasts WILD, and Idolo: The Ballad of Chalino Sanchez, and his upcoming TV show for CBS, Mexican Beverly Hills. Erick shares his ideas about what makes for a good story, and the importance of representation in media. (Don’t miss the part where we compare his true crime podcast to Rashomon!)

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify

LINKS FROM OUR CONVERSATION
Erick's website
Erick on Twitter
Erick on Instagram
LAist article: Guide to LA for Superbowl Tourists
Jonathan Gold's article: The Year I Ate Pico Blvd.

Who Owns a Story? Creative Commons CEO Catherine Stihler

4/21/2022

Throughout this season of the podcast I’ve been talking with storytellers about their craft, and the potential they have to make positive change in the world. Now that we’re struggling to get access to reliable facts about COVID, climate change, and even our own history, it seems like it's time to change the narrative of how we develop knowledge, and ask ourselves: who owns a story and who gets access to them? In this episode, I talk with Cahterine Stihler, CEO of Creative Commons, about the importance of open source resources, and developing licenses that allow for sharing of information while protecting the intellectual property of researchers, artists, and writers.

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify

Links from our conversation:
Creative Commons Licenses
Open Journalism Project
UNESCO information literacy & human rights
What is copyright and what is 'Fair Use?' (SPLC)

Crazy Good: Sonic Stories And The Art Of Curation Feat. LeRoy Downs (S3 E3)

12/9/2021

Maybe you made mix tapes in high school. Or maybe you make Spotify playlists for your boo. But what goes into curating a good musical story, and can it actually help us to think of ourselves and the world differently?

In this episode, jazz advocate and KCRW DJ LeRoy Downs (AKA The Jazz Cat) shares secrets about how he ‘performs’ for radio audiences around the world, how to balance the avant garde with popular taste, and how he crafts sonic stories that vibrate through our bodies and minds.

Find out more bout LeRoy's concert series on the Just Jazz website.

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