Podcasts have made an appearance several times now on the Leaving Cert and this has thrown students a little, but it is a genre that students should be comfortable writing in. The key thing here is to write in the present tense, as if you are talking directly to a group of people as you write.
In 2022, students were asked to write the text of a podcast discussing the role of music in their lives. Some students opted for a two person podcast and had a script for the interaction between the presenter and the interviewee. Other people decided to have a one person podcast, with the entire text written as if they were talking to an audience.
You should make clear to the examiner that you are aware of the genre and register by referring to the podcast in your opening. Example: “Welcome to tonight’s podcast of The Music in Me, it’s Shane O’Donnell here and I will be your host this evening, as we go on a journey through 90’s rock. It’s an honour to be a guest presenter on this show and I urge you to sit back and enjoy the show.
Note the use of ‘you’ throughout that short exchange, as it is important to address your listeners in your writing. You should refer to your listeners several times to remind the examiner that you are aware of the genre.
Again, the content is dictated by the question so make sure that you address all aspects of the question in the text. Podcasts should have a conversational tone and it should seem like you are chatting to a friend about a topic you love.
Finishing the podcast gives you the opportunity to thank the listeners and urge them to subscribe to your channel and give them a heads up of what will be appearing next week. All of these things will give your podcast a realistic look and feel.