16 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 5, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com The expansive world of digital media has democratized information; everyone can post their writings and observations on a blog or a social platform. The same goes for audio, and the explosive growth of podcasting is evidence of that. This format brings a range of voices straight to our ears, including many local podcasters who are motivated by different goals—marketing a business, public service announcements or simply sharing uplifting stories. In this issue, you can go behind-the-scenes of podcast production, and learn more about local podcasters and the podcasts themselves. We hope you’ll give it a read—and then consider giving these podcasts a listen. —Sara Rubin, editor HEALTHY LISTEN 5 PRODUCTION VALUE 16 GROWTH MINDSET 19 FREQUENCY RANGE 20 BEYOND THE MICROPHONE Podcasting is accessible to all—but the effort behind the scenes is significant. By Erik Chalhoub LISTENING IN There are two things Osbaldo “Oz” Lucero loves to talk about: Salinas and soccer. Sometimes it’s one or the other, but oftentimes in combination. In 2013, Lucero had season tickets to the San Jose Earthquakes, loving every minute of it. But when he got back home to Salinas, he noticed that there really wasn’t anyone talking about the team, even in such a soccer-crazed city. “I would have fun out there in San Jose,” Lucero recalls. “Why aren’t people talking about this? It’s pretty cool.” He set about bridging that gap between the pros in San Jose and the numerous local leagues and players in Salinas. His blog—salinassoccer.com—was born that same year, covering the latest from the Earthquakes while also following local high school soccer games and leagues. The blog satisfied Lucero’s love for storytelling, even if there weren’t many actually reading the stories he was telling. Browsing Twitter one day, he came across a post for a podcast created by comedian Adam Carolla—and a lightbulb went off. “I was like, ‘whoa, this is the future. This is how my genPhotos by Daniel Dreifuss Above: An audio interface, such as this one used by Salinas-based attorney Chris Cain for his Defensible podcast, is used to connect a microphone to a computer, allowing for a crisper audio file. Top right: Cain uses his office’s library of law books as a background for his video podcast. Bottom right: Everett Alvarez High School senior Daisy Guerrero is one of the youth interns who host the Salinas NOW Podcast.
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