18 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 5, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com in harmony by the multiple hosts who lead each show. That is an important element for the youth-led podcast, says Guissel Villalobos, a communications specialist with the city, helping to break the ice before the actual icebreaker question—“If you could be any animal for the day, which would you choose and why?”, “What is one food combination you like that is random?” and so on. The podcast, now 10 episodes strong, formed out of the city’s youth internship program, with local high schoolers choosing a project to work on. Everett Alvarez High School senior Daisy Guerrero decided on creating a podcast, recruiting other youth interns Juan Camacho and Natalie Vasquez, with the help of Villalobos and Salinas’ Community Relations Manager Sophia Rome. They started by reaching out to other successful podcasts around California to find out not only how to get started, but what to talk about on their show. They eventually settled on city and government news, with the goal of informing people throughout Monterey County about the things going on in Salinas, while also reaching the young people of the city. So far, guests on the podcasts have included Salinas Regional Soccer Complex General Manager Jonathan De Anda, Hitchcock Road Animal Services Administrator Cindy Burnham and Alisal Union School District Deputy Superintendent Monica Anzo. Guerrero says the podcast helps the students learn how to carry on a professional conversation. “It takes a lot of confidence,” she says. “You’re literally talking while everyone’s staring at you.” But talking isn’t the hardest part, she notes. “I like talking a lot,” she says. “Everyone says I talk too much, but it’s a good thing to me. I’m learning about different things doing what I love.” Most of the city’s podcasts have been recorded in an office inside the post office on West Alisal Street, while others have been in the rotunda where City Council meets. Chairs sit around a small circular table, where two microphones sit on stands, in front of a wall adorned with the City of Salinas logo (a background for future video recordings of the podcast). While Villalobos uses Adobe Premiere to edit the audio, she notes that the process is youth-driven. As such, the future of the podcast relies on the next generation of students, as the current podcasters are all seniors about to graduate in the summer. Recruiting is underway. For Cain, his podcast is a chance for the public to learn more about the interesting people who tackle complex issues in the criminal justice world— something that not many (if at all) are doing on local podcasts, he says. It’s also an opportunity to promote his services. “My thoughts were to have a platform where I could have better reach to the public and let them know I’m here and I want to fight for their rights,” Cain says. With today’s general public having a short attention span, not everyone will want to sit down and listen to an hourplus podcast in one go. Cain notes that many podcasts find success in releasing short clips from each episode on social media—the trick is finding something catchy that’ll grab people’s attention, and encourage them to check out more. Cain has taken to Instagram and TikTok to post short clips from his podcast, featuring quotable material with his guests (such as why murder suspects may be better off with a public defender than a paid attorney), as well as one-off videos made especially for social media (“Can Drake Sue Kendrick?” is a link you can’t help but click). “I’ve had a number of clips that have gone really viral,” he says. While the Salinas Underground Podcast may have gotten its start because of Lucero’s love for the city, its larger purpose is to combat the popular narrative that Salinas is a dangerous town filled with gangs. “It bothers me when people get down on Salinas,” he says. “It’s still a pretty sleepy town. I want people to realize that they live in an interesting town with some really, really interesting people.” Pam Marino contributed to this article. A stand that holds a microphone is a must when recording a podcast, experts say. Special Limited Certificate APY= annual percentage yield. Minimum opening deposit $100,000. Maximum $999,999.99. Funds to open this certificate must be new to Monterey CU. New to Monterey CU means the funds must not have been on deposit with Monterey CU in the last six months. Limit to one promotional share certificate per member. Offer available for limited time starting 01/15/2025, and subject to change or cancellation without notice. 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