Guest Lecture by Jacinta Parsons Explores Podcasts, Media, and Audience Engagement
Guest Lecture by Jacinta Parsons Explores Podcasts, Media, and Audience Engagement
Guest Lecture by Jacinta Parsons Explores Podcasts, Media, and Audience Engagement
Jacinta Parsons Shares Insights to Authentic Podcasting
How do you connect with an audience so deeply that they feel part of your story? On 8 January, students at Wittenborg explored this question with Jacinta Parsons, author and broadcaster on ABC Radio Melbourne, who joined the lecture online from Australia. Parsons shared her insights into podcasts and the art of creating genuine connections with listeners, blending professional experience, practical advice and personal reflection. The session was moderated by Carlos Roos, Assistant Professor of Applied Sciences.
Parsons is the author of three books, Unseen, A Question of Age and A Wisdom of Age, and has worked in media for over two decades. Her experience includes broadcast hosting across multiple programmes and networks, radio music direction, podcast production and hosting, television presenting, training and live broadcast management.
A key focus of the lecture was authenticity in media practice. Parsons explained that authenticity is often misunderstood as something simple, when in fact it requires sustained effort. “Being authentic sounds easy, but it really isn’t,” she said. “It requires a lot of work to feel comfortable performing while being as real as you can to the essence of who you are.”
She stressed that audiences are highly perceptive and respond strongly to genuine communication. “When people are faking it, you know it,” Parsons said. “And there’s a repulsion that can happen when that’s felt.”
Parsons highlighted the importance of understanding audiences as individuals rather than as a collective mass. “Whenever you’re delivering anything in broadcasting, you’re speaking intimately into someone’s house, into their car, into their bedroom, into their shower,” she said. “Understanding that engagement at the individual level is paramount to everything you do.”
Discussing live radio and podcast production, Parsons described the balance between structure and spontaneity. “You come in with half your show programmed,” she explained, “but you allow the spontaneity and energy of the programme to influence how it will go.” She added that listening carefully and responding in real time helps audiences feel genuinely involved: “That’s where your audience begins to trust that they are part of the process.”
Reflecting on her career path, Parsons spoke about entering the industry through community radio and volunteering. “Every piece of work I do will be my best work, regardless of the level,” she said, noting that integrity and enthusiasm often matter as much as formal qualifications. She encouraged students to take opportunities even when they feel intimidating, adding that “the ones that show that spark of excitement often stand out.”
The lecture also addressed music culture and media consumption. Parsons spoke about Melbourne’s strong live music scene and the revival of physical formats such as vinyl and cassette tapes. She noted that the effort involved in physical media can deepen audience connection. “The labour of putting something on, rather than just pressing a button, converts to treasuring,” she said. “When you hold an album in your hands, there’s a sense that it’s yours.”
In response to a student question about criticism and public exposure, Parsons shared her approach to managing negative feedback. “When you come to your work with genuine authenticity and purpose, criticism is not as difficult to manage as you might imagine,” she said. She cautioned against performing from a place of fear, noting that anticipation of criticism can change how people communicate.
Parsons also spoke about podcast listening habits and recommended The Diary of a CEO as a useful example for students. She explained that studying successful podcasts can be instructive, adding that “listening to top and midline podcasts shows what audiences are gravitating towards in terms of style and connection.”
Reflecting on the session, Roos said the talk was the highlight of the Mass Communication class this year. “It packed a bit of everything: analogue and digital, mass and social media, communication technologies and human performance, all of it delivered with such a charming voice. This was a case of content matching form.”
WUP 09/02/2026
by Erene Roux
©WUAS Press
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