Why did EUrologus decide to focus on this project?
EUrologus chose this project because it wanted to adapt its content and expertise in EU journalism. Many Hungarians, especially younger generations, often prefer more audiovisual content to traditional articles, but EUrologus felt its EU coverage was unmatched by the country's current podcast options. Therefore, it wanted to try to bring its content to existing and new followers in an audio format as well.
How did applying design-thinking principles help?
The team tested their ideas through pilot episodes and incorporated user feedback. Listener interviews revealed that episodes with multiple guests could feel confusing in an audio-only format, even when voices were distinct. Based on this, EUrologus streamlined the structure to feature just one guest per episode moving forward –– making the listening experience clearer and more engaging.
Did EUrologous’s approach change engagement with its audience in any way?
Obviously, this is a new format, which EUrologus had not previously utilised. Its main distribution remained HVG.hu, its news partner, but EUrologus also established itself better on both Spotify and YouTube as a direct source and also received some engagement there separately.
What challenges did EUrologus encounter and how did it address them?
Scheduling was the main obstacle. Aligning guest availability with studio access and staff schedules proved more time-intensive than expected. In addition, the team had to acquire new production and technical skills on the go, which slowed early progress. Through practice and clearer workflows established during the pilots, the process has already become smoother.
How was the project received by EUrologus’s audience?
Overall, EUrologus received positive comments and had a reasonable viewership across episodes. It was especially happy to see that its most EU-heavy episodes actually excited the greatest interest.
What insights or lessons did EUrologus gain from this project?
First, EUrologus learned that it can and should rely more on its own expert team compared to recruiting guests for all topics. The podcast had some excellent guests, but coordinating with them was incredibly time-consuming and caused delays. This was a major issue, especially when EUrologus covered news stories like Budapest Pride, which it wanted to publish while the stories were still newsworthy. Second, the podcast’s EU topics were unexpectedly well received, thus keeping the podcast specialised may be EUrologus’s biggest strength. Good political podcasts on other content do exist, but EUrologus stands out for its EU coverage.
What does EUrologus plan on doing next?
EUrologus plans on continuing the podcast and applying for more permanent funding in the future, which will be easier to do now that it has produced a pilot season.
What advice would EUrologus give to other journalists or organisations considering a similar path?
Implementing a new format of content creation is possible, but organisations should give themselves time and space to figure out the production process. The first few episodes in particular will take a lot of time, but as the staff learns and understands the audience better, the production flow will improve a lot.
Credit: Transitions, Journalismfund Europe's partner for implementing the Microgrants for Small Newsrooms programme, produced this case study.
