“Tell the truth. Or, at least, don’t lie.”
-- Jordan B. Peterson
Do not attempt to manipulate your listener.
The podcasting industry is full of bait-and-switch shows that claim to be about specific topics or viewpoints. Only when you listen to them do you discover they are 45-minute infomercials in disguise.
Other shows lure you in with fancy teasers and trailers supporting an ideology or position then sucker punch you halfway through with ideological rants that push the opposite narrative, or worse, dress up slanted opinions disguised as factual news.
In extreme cases, podcasters who have lied about serious subjects have been sued or even jailed.
Looking at you, True Crime investigative journalists!
There are real legal dangers if you use your podcast to make false statements about somebody that might harm their reputation, place people in harm, either emotionally or physically, or threaten to assault or harass someone. While you might think you have the right to say these things you are not free from the consequences of what you say on your podcast.
Whatever false thing you use your podcast to promote, eventually, someone will find out what you did. That's because the Internet writes in ink!
As a principle, you should never pretend to be something you’re not or lie about other people on your show. Your podcast needs to be open, transparent, and above all, honest about your intentions!
Be yourself without trying to be something you’re not and always use your podcast to tell the truth.
Or, at the very least, don’t lie.
🤠☕
Oncetold is a podcast education and technology company. We turn new podcasters into yarn weavers, big dreamers, and true believers. Start telling your story at oncetold.us.
Find more podcasting wisdom on Not Easily Squished or at noteasilysquished.com.