EDWARDSVILLE — The Edwardsville High School Tiger Talk Podcast Network visited Springfield recently to meet with Illinois State Representative Katie Stuart and veteran journalist Jak Tichenor, gaining firsthand experience in media production and state government.
Sponsored by Dave Lipe and Nicole Pontious, the student podcast network includes two shows: The Jungle, the official EHS sports podcast, and Tiger Spotlight, which highlights the local community. During the trip, students toured the Illinois Capitol’s House Floor and participated in a question-and-answer session with Tichenor, who has covered the state capitol for more than 30 years and hosts the Illinois Lawmakers television program on WSIU-TV.
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The visit aimed to provide students with professional insights beyond local reporting, allowing them to observe political processes and media production in action. Stuart shared her experiences in politics and engaged with the students before a legislative session.
Since its inception as a club after the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Tiger Talk Podcast Network has grown substantially, producing 125 episodes with approximately 5,000 streams. The network has expanded its reach through multiple sponsors, including Glik’s, and has received grants from the Illinois Press Association and the H.J. Epperson Foundation to enhance equipment and programming.
Lipe and Pontious emphasized student ownership of the podcasting process, from coordinating guests and managing social media to publishing episodes on platforms such as Spotify. Recent developments include adding video capabilities and expanding coverage to basketball games, theater performances, and other school events.
Lipe described the visit to Springfield as "a fantastic trip."
“Jak Tichenor gave them valuable media and interviewer advice,” Lipe said. “Representative Stuart graciously provided a tour of the place and introduced the kids to several notable state leaders.”
Pontious emphasized the value of these experiences, noting that they allow students to see professional reporting in action and gain practical knowledge outside their usual local reporting environment. She praised the behind-the-scenes access as a significant part of the podcast’s educational mission.
"The students organize, coordinate, plan and facilitate the podcast episodes," she said. "Dave and I are focused on allowing them ownership over it. We can track demographics, age groups of who are listening and we are looking at analytics to get more exposure. We have received multiple grants and purchased video equipment and even been at basketball games and some performance theater recently. It has been really expanding and elevating podcasting and shows how people are getting information these days."
You can find both the Tiger Spotlight and The Jungle podcasts on Spotify, as well as other popular podcast platforms, or by accessing the links below.
Tiger Spotlight:
https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/ehstigerspotlight/
The Jungle:
https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/thejunglesportspodcast/
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