Dreamtown’s David Weinberg on small-town corruption and the way forward for narrative podcasts

That is Sizzling Pod, The Verge’s e-newsletter about podcasting and the audio business. Join right here for extra.

I’ve a packed situation of Sizzling Pod for you in the present day. First off, I’ve a Q&A with David Weinberg, the host of Crooked Media’s Dreamtown: The Story of Adelanto. The WGA’s particular alliance for audio staff got here out with some tips on fiction podcasts. Additionally on this situation is Tribeca Competition’s audio lineup. Lastly, I talked to the individual behind one in every of Elon Musk’s favourite podcasts — seems the emotions aren’t mutual.

Dreamtown: The Story of Adelanto’s David Weinberg on small-town corruption, weed, and the way forward for narrative podcasts

Your complete inhabitants of Adelanto, California, at roughly 38,000 folks, may comfortably match inside Dodger Stadium. So it’s not a shock for those who haven’t heard of the place. It’s a metropolis with few eating places or shops, whose economic system is bolstered by its non-public ICE detention heart. Buried in anonymity in San Bernardino County, Adelanto appears much less of a city than an afterthought — even to the individuals who run it. That instantly turns into clear within the first two episodes of Dreamtown: The Story of Adelanto, as former Market reporter David Weinberg recounts the weird story of how a last-ditch cash seize by the native authorities to legalize weed gross sales solely reaped corruption and an FBI investigation. 

The city’s leaders appear much less like politicians and extra like characters out of a Tim Robinson sketch. There’s councilmember Johnny “Bug” Woodward, a right-wing hippie who thinks weed improvement in Adelanto may result in cures for ailments. And Jermaine Wright, an ordained pastor and restaurant proprietor. After each males band collectively and persuade the remainder of the council to move weed laws, cash and greed shortly overpower any real need to assist Adelanto. Finally, Mike Tyson and a Russian oligarch become involved. 

Final fall, Wright was sentenced to 5 years in federal jail for accepting a $10,000 bribe from an undercover federal agent and making an attempt to defraud insurers by burning down his restaurant. It was then that Weinberg — who was overlaying Adelanto as a freelancer — realized the story was morphing into one thing greater and pitched what grew to become Dreamtown to Crooked Media. The collection had its official premiere in the present day at Tribeca Competition.

I spoke to Weinberg about Dreamtown — in addition to whether or not the curiosity in narrative podcasts is waning in 2023 — over a video name earlier this week. Right here’s a calmly edited transcript of our dialog. 

How did you first study Adelanto, the city on the centerpiece of this collection? And what made you assume this was a narrative that was meant for audio? 

Effectively, in 2017, I used to be a contract reporter. I had learn some articles about […Councilmember] Bug and about Adelanto’s early transformation from a jail city right into a weed city. And I believed that was form of a captivating concept — {that a} city identified for its prisons was making an attempt to repair itself. So I pitched some brief characteristic tales to Market and KCRW. I went up there, and I interviewed Bug and Jermaine, each metropolis council members. I received some excursions across the metropolis with folks who have been concerned and work there. 

“So I requested her if I may observe her round with microphones. And he or she was like, ‘Certain.’”

It was a superb […story] for audio as a result of Bug was a compelling character, as have been the opposite fascinating folks I met on the market. So I completed these tales, they usually aired, and I didn’t actually assume a lot about it. After which the information broke that one of many metropolis council members that I interviewed received arrested. After I learn the DOJ’s press launch about what […Jermaine Wright] had completed, I used to be like, Holy shit, I interviewed that man! I used to be interviewing him when his daughter was within the room with me, and he was telling me how he was a person of God. He was having all kinds of ethical conflicts about weed because it was. And so when that occurred, I believed, wow, there’s in all probability a a lot greater story to be advised right here. 

I began performing some separate reporting on the immigration detention heart there, the place I used to be going inside the ability and interviewing detainees. I met this lady, Stevevonna Evans, who was on town council on the time. It is a little bit of a spoiler, however she finally ends up beating Bug within the subsequent election when he comes up for reelection. I used to be form of blown away by her. She was probably the most candid politician that I had ever interviewed. 

And so I requested her if I may observe her round with microphones. And he or she was like, “Certain.” This was in all probability 2018. So I spent the subsequent few years hanging round with Stevevonna and going as much as the city as a lot as I may. 

One thing that struck me in regards to the first episodes I listened to is how candid among the sources are. As somebody who’s lived in small cities earlier than, there’s generally a way you don’t wish to air the soiled laundry. The surroundings appeared a bit totally different in Adelanto. 

Um, yeah, I feel it was a mixture of two issues. I feel folks have been extra candid than they might have been as a result of I got here at an excellent time, which is earlier than all of the scandals broke. So I feel folks actually wished to brag. Like, oh, have a look at what we did. Everybody used to shit on us. Everybody used to say we have been the crappiest city within the Excessive Desert. And now have a look at us — we’re going to be wealthy. So I feel folks wished to speak about that. After the scandal broke, I form of simply needed to spend time within the city. 

And so I feel at first, folks have been like, Who is that this man from LA? However then I simply stored displaying up. And they also determined that I used to be truly within the city and cared what was occurring. I had additionally completed sufficient interviews with among the stakeholders locally that they might form of refer me to different folks. Throughout council conferences, I’d sit the place the cameras are in order that if folks have been watching at residence — they might see me within the viewers. I simply form of grew to become a well-known face within the city after some time. 

How did you go about pitching the present to Crooked Media? 

I had a lot tape already. I put collectively an eight-minute trailer kind of factor, the place I form of laid out the story. I imagined the beats of it, with folks, audio, some narration, and a few music. I made a pitch deck with pictures and form of a collection define for a way I imagined it could go. 

I pitched it to a bunch of individuals, however Crooked gave the impression to be the very best associate and appeared to grasp what I wished to do with it. I didn’t need it to be a true-crime story. I wished it to be extra of a portrait of a spot that occurred to have a protracted historical past of scandals and corruption. 

Did Bug strike you as an unreliable narrator? 

He didn’t seem to be it at first. However I positively — it wasn’t simply that I believed he was solely wild. However I used to be like…actually? You don’t appear to know loads about weed… or the federal legislation. As a result of I’ve completed a good quantity of reporting on the marijuana business, and I form of had an understanding of how tough it was to drag off the factor he was making an attempt to drag off. In addition to the dangers. He appeared to assume this was simply a straightforward factor. That […Adelanto] would legalize weed, and the businesses would come. He was all the time saying loopy shit, like we’re going to treatment ailments everywhere in the world with weed. 

I didn’t assume he was nefarious or as much as no good… however I used to be identical to, alright, nicely, good luck. 

We’re having this dialog as Tribeca kicks off its week on audio storytelling, and we’re seeing among the subject’s greatest work get recognition. However this similar month additionally purchased layoffs within the podcast business. Corporations like Amazon and Spotify appear to be pulling away from narrative podcasts and are exhibits which are simpler to monetize. In your view, the place does that depart audio storytelling like yours? 

I imply, I’m stoked to be right here at Tribeca. My hope is that that is a kind of issues that exhibits people who that is an artwork type value funding. I’m making an attempt to pitch my subsequent undertaking, and each individual is like, “We don’t actually do narrative restricted collection podcasts anymore.” On the similar time, Crooked Media is happy about how this present is doing. 

I feel there must be extra exhibits, proper? Or else how […are these companies] going to make cash. I don’t assume there’s ever going to be as many alternatives to make […this kind of show] as there have been even a yr in the past or two years in the past. However once I have a look at the lengthy view of issues — I began making radio tales in 2006. And {the marketplace} now could be simply approach, approach higher. Again then, for those who wished to do a longform story, you could possibly get it on This American Life or Radiolab. That was it. Again then, the present that I’m making now wasn’t even a factor. 

I’m not completely doom and gloom. I feel people who find themselves getting within the business now are seeing it shrink and assume it’s a nightmare. And I’m like, nicely, return like 10, 15 years. However yeah, I don’t have a job lined up after this. And so I’m freaking out for certain. 

WGA-East’s Audio Alliance unveils greatest practices for podcasters throughout strike

Because the writers strike nears the tip of its second month, WGA-East’s Audio Alliance unveiled some greatest practices in the present day for audio staff. Whereas WGA members who work on non-fiction or information podcasts aren’t impacted by the Strike Guidelines, fiction podcasts which are coated by a WGA contract are. You’ll be able to learn the rules right here. (Disclosure: The Verge’s editorial employees can be unionized with the Writers Guild of America, East.)

What’s notable is that the WGA primarily is interested by protecting movie and TV studios from utilizing podcasts as a solution to develop new tasks. “The WGA shouldn’t be interested by punishing or banning writers for locating work in fiction podcasting in the course of the strike, solely in avoiding podcasts getting used as a loophole for TV and movie studios to develop new tasks whereas they’re being struck,” wrote the Audio Alliance. 

If you happen to’re a WGA member with your personal unbiased fiction podcast, you’re free to affix a non-signatory podcast community. However the guild says to keep away from any deal that entails utilizing your podcast’s IP for future TV or movie improvement. “So long as no signatory firm is concerned, making and profiting out of your fiction podcast shouldn’t be thought of crossing the picket line. The exception to this is able to be if the community/collective is exploiting your IP for TV/movie improvement. If the community/collective would absolutely or partly personal your IP, please attain out to the Alliance or your Guild’s counsel for steering.”

Spotify launches advert analytics platform to interchange Podsights

Spotify unveiled its personal set of advert measurement instruments on Tuesday, which might enable entrepreneurs to see how efficient their campaigns are throughout each podcasts and music. In keeping with the web site for Spotify Advert Analytics, the instrument consists of an “all-in-one, centralized dashboard” and depends on first-party listener information and the Spotify Pixel. The latter consists of a bit of JavaScript code that permits entrepreneurs to research the actions that listeners take after listening to your advert. 

Spotify is planning to debut Advert Analytics on the Cannes Lions competition subsequent week, the place the corporate is holding a collection of talks and occasions at Spotify Seaside. CEO Daniel Ek will likely be interviewed by Trevor Noah, and plenty of of Spotify’s top-ranking execs are scheduled to talk. 

Tribeca Competition kicks off audio lineup this week

The Tribeca Competition in New York Metropolis is now in its second week, which can concentrate on audio storytelling and podcasts. A complete of 16 podcasts are within the working for awards in non-fiction and fiction. As Davy Gardner, Tribeca’s curator of audio storytelling, advised me earlier this month, the objective this yr is “roll out the pink carpet” for audio artists. There may even be premieres of a number of podcasts, together with the fiction podcasts The Fabulists and These Had been People. A number of non-fiction podcasts are premiering this week as nicely, together with Abridged and Magic on a Winter’s Evening. Additionally to premiere this week are Radiotopia and Radio Diaries’ The Unmarked Graveyard: Tales from Hart Island, Paradiso’s Free From Need, Wolf on the Door Studios’ The Very Worst Factor That May Probably Occur, and Crooked Media’s Dreamtown: The Story of Adelanto. 

Elon Musk desires one in every of his favourite podcasts to publish on Twitter — however the creator refuses

Elon Musk had a clumsy interplay this week with the creator of the Fall of Civilizations Podcast, a historical past podcast of which each he and ex Grimes are frequent listeners. Musk replied to a tweet from the present selling its newest episode with a easy request: “Please add your podcasts to this platform too.” However the present’s creator, Paul Cooper, promptly refused the billionaire’s request — and didn’t mince phrases on explaining why. Cooper tweeted that “the platform was too compromised” for him to think about such a transfer.

“Hello Elon, at current the platform is simply too compromised for me to think about it. It’s develop into a protected haven for hate speech, and in the meantime crypto scammers and bots are paying to be boosted to the highest of replies. Every thing that when made Twitter particular appears to be leaching away,” the podcaster wrote. 

“Evidently, a poor high quality in a pacesetter.”

Final night time, I caught up with Cooper over DM on Twitter to ask him extra about why he selected to not do as Musk requested. He mentioned that the previous CEO of Twitter had not responded to any of his issues. 

“He appears solely to reply to those that reward him, and ignores any criticism. Evidently, a poor high quality in a pacesetter.” 

Cooper mentioned he was conscious that Grimes was an everyday listener of Fall for some time, referencing a tweet she despatched complimenting an episode from October of 2021. Whereas it’s unclear to Cooper how frequent of a listener Musk is, he did tweet a few naval battle between Carthage and Rome after Fall aired an episode in regards to the two powers. 

Even when Musk had addressed his issues in regards to the security of the platform, Cooper would have been unable to add his podcast on the platform. Whereas Twitter Blue subscribers can add movies of as much as two hours lengthy, common subscribers face a 512 MB restrict on uploads and a restrict of 140 seconds. “I all the time add in top quality uncompressed audio, and so this is able to not even cowl half of my episode measurement.” 

Cooper added that the foremost barrier for him would have been the image related to Twitter Blue, which he referred to as a “mark of disgrace.”