Madison Podcaster Bianca Martin ’14 wants to reintroduce you to Madison.
Martin is a journalist and the host of Madison’s most popular podcast, City Cast Madison. As host of the show, Martin interviews guests about everything local, from events and food to news and politics. The podcast team also curates a daily newsletter for subscribers.
“City Cast Madison is a podcast that connects Madisonians to each other and informs folks about what’s happening in their city,” Martin says. “We’re really talking to movers and shakers and people who are trying to bring new things about and trying to help fix some things that could be better.”
As a podcaster and storyteller, how do you decide what makes a good story?
I think it is a skill, in part, that you develop — that is honed over time, where you can recognize something having depth. For me, the stories that are most compelling are the ones that have lots of access points, and complexity, and a lot of heart. A lot of human stories like the thorniest societal issues, often have a lot of touch points. So, it’s a story that’s not just about politics, but it’s about sociology, and politics, and our resources, and psychology, and how we’re navigating a space. It tends to be something that’s meaty, like it impacts a lot of people.
The stories that also really resonate with me are ones where we can build human empathy around social issues and causes — where you get to know people from their perspective. I am very interested in stories around race and socioeconomic disparities and these complex systems that have been built over a long time.
How does City Cast Madison build community in the Madison area?
Working in any news media company right now and trying to do journalism is a challenge, because there’s so much need and there’s so much news to learn about and consume and understand. And there’s so much noise and discourse politically and nationally. At City Cast Madison, we’ve been building over the years — slowly, but surely — trying to do good work and build trust in the community — building our own audience that feels like a community in and of itself, where people can come to the show and feel like they can engage with their community in deeper ways and that they can be more involved.
I’ve seen it in real time when we do City Cast Madison neighbor events, where people come out and get to know one another, and every time an episode comes out, someone will reach out and say how it impacted them positively and how they’re grateful for City Cast Madsion.
Do you have any favorite interviews you’ve done for the podcast?
One of my all-time favorite interviews I’ve done, of the 800 plus, is Michael Schultz x’61. He was the director who did the 1976 movie Car Wash. He’s a famous film director and he paved the way for Black directors and a lot of Black talent in Hollywood, and he went to UW–Madison. So that was a really special interview. He was so amazing and sharp, and he’s still producing.
And I think my favorite interviews are the ones that get to have people share their authentic experience in Madison. It’s talking about what’s good about Madison but also talking about where we can be better. I think we’re a very idealistic city, which I love. I’m an idealist, and it’s often called, like, a Madison bubble, but the city can be better for everyone. Having the opportunity to hear people real-talk solutions. And then our Thursday food shows, because I love to eat.
The podcast doesn’t shy away from complex and difficult conversations. How has that shaped the show and your community of listeners?
City Cast Madison is trying to have real dialog and real honest experiences. I am a black woman, and I have taken that role seriously with being on City Cast Madison. It’s a community of all kinds of people [in Madison,] and I've had the opportunity to bridge some conversations that are more challenging about where our city could be better on racial disparities.
It feels like a great honor and privilege that we've been able to put our hard work in to build a place that people trust. I think there's a lot of space to heal news, storytelling, and journalistic relationships with diverse communities, because there's not always been the most in-depth reporting on communities of color in ways that feel respectful.
Do you have any advice for people who are interested in storytelling and having those real-talk conversations in their communities?
I say definitely go for it. Believe in yourself and understand that we need more of that, and that it's some of those conversations that feel more challenging. You could sidestep them, but they're often the most interesting, and one of the core ways to be successful in stepping into having those conversations or issues that need to be talked about is just doing your research and being really well prepared, because being informed as much as you possibly can will lead to someone you're interviewing feeling respected. Part of that is being very deliberate about being respectful — that you're there to do a good job, and you're being transparent, and you're not just like taking from a community. Do some actual community work, so people know it is a genuine dialog that you're fostering. And it's not just like you're coming and taking but you're giving back.
When you think about the future of City Cast Madison and your work as a journalist, what are you excited about?
I think what I'm excited about in the future is to continue growing as a storyteller who can hold nuance and complexity, and do it in a way that we can try and find meaning and truth in the noise and disconnection — working toward a more empathetic, connected society where people can care for each other authentically, and respect differences, and not try to flatten them or silence them, but honor them, and chart ahead. I’m excited to see where the show can go, but also where I can go.
