Community / ‘Conversations oot o da box’ – Shetland podcast adds to local media landscape
SHETLAND has finally got its own podcast thanks to the efforts of local veteran journalists Pete Bevington and Jane Moncrieff.
Sheeks Aboot Shetland, designed to be a forum to discuss local issues in a “light-hearted but not light-weight” manner, has launched as a YouTube channel called The Shetland Podcast.
In their first show Bevington and Moncrieff discussed potential future topics and inviting listeners to contribute ideas.
Bevington was one of the journalists starting Shetland News back in 2003, but left the news business about ten years ago.
Moncrieff was until recently one of the well-kent voices at BBC Radio Shetland, but has also produced a number of podcasts for our own Shetland Voices series.
Bevington said the idea for Sheeks Aboot Shetland came to him a year ago and just wouldn’t go away.
“I felt a bit like a woman might feel when she discovers she is pregnant, but isn’t sure she wants to actually have the baby. Then I spoke to Jane in January and her enthusiasm for the idea persuaded me to go ahead,” he said.
Moncrieff added: “I was both surprised and a peerie bit flattered when Pete got in touch and asked if I would like to partner up with him for the podcast. I thought it was a great idea, so I said yes and here we are!”
The podcast was launched on YouTube and Facebook on the morning of Sunday 19 April with little fanfare, but according to Bevington gathered traction as the weekend went on with many people saying they were looking forward to future episodes.
“What I am hoping for is an opportunity to explore a wide range of subjects outwith the constraints of written or broadcast media where you have limits of time and space,” he said.
“I like to think of it as ‘conversations oot o da box’.
“With the election coming up next month, that will be the main event to focus. We’re hoping to have longer conversations with the candidates, either on their own or having a debate with one another.
“There are so many issues and uncertainties around this year’s election, we’re looking forward to some interesting conversations and the opportunity to explore things in a bit more depth than is possible in other media.”
The Shetland Podcast can be found here and here, with other platforms being considered in the future.
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