Tue 11 Nov, 2017

Prison Pod Picks: Muna Ahmed

In a brand new series, each month a member of the PRA team will be recommending their current must-listen podcasts and radio programmes.

This month, Muna Ahmed, the PRA’s Station Sound Producer and BBC Radio 4 documentary maker, takes us through what’s on her headphones at the moment.

“I love radio that focuses on people we don’t often hear from: isolated communities and people on the margins of society. These are stories that aren’t heard often enough. Audio is truly special because it’s so simple. You get to hear stories close-up, and this is a great leveller. You don’t have to be a celebrity or someone with profile to tell your story with audio. I particularly enjoy American podcasts.

“Reveal is the home for investigative journalism. The stories are in-depth and thought-provoking. They cover social and cultural issues, economics and American politics. I heard about this podcast from my radio hero Ira Glass. For me Reveal is the hub for investigative journalism – they tell it how it is. I think the stories are so good that they don’t need complicated production.

“Criminal is a podcast about true crime. Stories of people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or been caught somewhere in the middle. My favorite episode was about a women who was found dead in her house and her husband was charged with the murder. It turns out an owl might have been responsible for her death.

“I’m also a die-hard fan of This American Life. The stories are emotive, funny and honest. Ira Glass is one of the greatest storytellers in the industry. I recommend this podcast to everyone.

“I listen to most of my radio and podcasts before I go to bed. I get all cosy and then get absorbed in great stories. The only downside to that is that I find myself buzzing with ideas half the night, but as a radio producer that’s not a bad thing.”