The Day has a reputation as an organization with a strong and award-winning multimedia presence, primarily for its video production. However, in recent years, we have increased our podcast production. In 2022, we produced audio stories on a variety of topics, including a local murder, the housing crisis, interviews with local newsmakers, and the history and impact of music in New London.

Podcasting has allowed us to experiment with a medium that is largely new to our staff and many of our local audiences. It requires a different approach to storytelling, as it is a more personal medium that is often listened to via headphones or while commuting. Additionally, it allows us to place the individuals in our stories at the forefront, as listeners can hear their experiences directly through their own voices and words.

While we have produced a number of niche podcasts in recent years, exploring local history, sports, and entertainment, we have found that our more broad and universal topics have been the most successful in reaching and engaging with a larger audience.

The Day has won multiple journalism awards for our true crime podcast Looking for the Todt Family. This podcast investigates the Todt family murders and asks the question, "How did a well-known family man wind up accused of murdering his wife, three children, and dog and living with their bodies for weeks?" To date, the podcast has received 1.5 million total downloads.

In 2022, The Day launched a yearlong investigation into the housing crisis and its impact on Southeastern Connecticut. The project is called the Housing Solutions Lab and we produced a companion podcast called In Short Supply. In the podcast we hear from former residents of the Thames River Apartment and reporter Johana Vazquez outlines the legacy of urban development and the obstacles developers face when trying to build affordable housing in a city like New London.

We also hear from reporter Elizabeth Regan about how our region is faring when it comes to the housing crisis and why there seems to be a short supply of affordable homes, housing developments, and options for some members of our communities. And how does this all deepen the existing economic divide in our state. The housing crisis is national issue and with the podcast, we are able to reach communities beyond southeastern Connecticut. And hopefully we help the general public gain a better understanding of the crisis that is affecting all of our communities.

Recently, The Day received additional recognition for our Storyline podcast, which provides listeners with the opportunity to hear from local newsmakers, including public employees, community leaders, policymakers, and community members. Hosted by Audience Editor Karen Florin, the podcast also offers a behind-the-scenes look at The Day, including projects and policy decisions.

In partnership with the University of Connecticut Department of Journalism, we also produced a series of audio stories on The Storyline podcast called "Sound On The Sound." This series, which was produced with the help of a UConn journalism class, explored the impact of music on the community of New London. Additionally, we told the story of the 118-foot ship "Sea Surveyor," which departed from Electric Boat in Groton in 1969 on a mission to rendezvous with a submarine, conduct some antenna communication tests, but never returned. The podcast format was particularly well-suited to this story, as we had access to archival audio of news reports and interviews.

We will continue to look for opportunities to use audio to tell compelling stories and at the same time reach an audience that goes beyond the immediate readership of The Day and theday.com.

c.virgen@theday.com

Listen to our podcasts

Find Looking For The Todt Family on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or your favorite podcast app.

Find In Short Supply on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Find The Storyline – including the “Sound On The Sound” series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.