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New Media Show (Audio)New Media Show featuring Todd Cochrane and Rob Greenlee discussing the new media space with weekly guests Author: Todd Cochrane & Rob Greenlee
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Can Fiction Story Podcasts Survive Video Push | Lauren Shippen #652
Episode 652
Sunday, 1 March, 2026
New Media Show #652 with Rob Greenlee and Lauren Shippen On Episode 652 of the New Media Show, host Rob Greenlee shares a screen with Lauren Shippen, Creative Director at Atypical Artists, to tackle a growing tension in creator media around audio fiction, which is thriving as a storytelling format but is being pressure-tested by the industry’s video-first discovery push. Fiction podcasts did not stop working. What changed is how platforms signal value, how audiences discover new shows, and how creators feel forced to look video-ready to compete. The real question for fiction creators in 2026 is not “How do I force my story into video?” It is “How do I protect the magic of audio storytelling while adding the right discovery layers for today’s platforms?” Lauren shares what fiction creators often misunderstand about sustainability, what typically breaks first when the story stalls, and where video helps, hurts, or becomes unrealistic. Rob lays out a practical framework for separating audio as the product from video as the discovery layer, plus realistic tiers of visual strategy that will not turn your show into a second production company. Quick answers for creators What is the episode about A practical conversation about protecting audio fiction storytelling while adapting to video-driven discovery across platforms in 2026. Should fiction podcasts become video podcasts to grow Not automatically. The strategy is to keep audio as the core product and use video selectively as a discovery layer when it improves reach without breaking the production model. What is the biggest mistake fiction creators make Trying to solve growth with promotion before fixing story retention fundamentals like onboarding, pacing, cadence, and season design. How should fiction shows think about video? As budget tiers. Start with lightweight discovery assets and only move toward full narrative adaptation if the economics and workflow support it. Topics we cover – Why fiction creators feel pulled between story-first goals and video-first platform expectations – The top growth inputs fiction creators still control, even when platforms shift – Story architecture that drives retention before promotion pacing, onboarding, cadence, and season design – Video pressure: what is real, what is hype, and what creators should ignore – Audio only vs video for fiction when format helps and when it hurts – Budget tiers for video lightweight discovery assets vs full narrative adaptation – Trailers as conversion assets and how to build a simple start here listener path – Why human recommendations still beat algorithm chasing for story shows Community reality checks what to prove before building Discord or fan spaces – Where AI helps scripted storytelling workflows, and where it can damage authorship and trust – A practical 30-day growth plan for fiction podcasters Chapters: 00:00 Story Versus Screen 01:41 Meet Lauren Shippen 03:22 What Counts As Podcast 06:00 Video As Discovery 08:18 Netflix Podcast Strategy 15:30 Monetization And Paywalls 19:48 Apple Video Feed Tension 22:36 Always On Audio Fiction 27:47 Audience Growth Beyond Podcasts 32:50 AI Slop Versus Art 40:21 Sports Analogy For AI 42:38 Why AI Lacks Heart 43:31 Gaming and Interactive Futures 45:03 If Everyone Can Generate It 47:10 The Internet Shapes AI Adoption 48:45 Podcasting as Human Story 51:14 Blurring Fiction and Truth 54:01 Atypical Artist Slate Tour 57:17 Making Shows Work Economically 01:03:54 Producing and Adapting Workflow 01:06:04 Origin Story Bright Sessions 01:10:21 New Projects and Immersive Marketing 01:14:14 Serial Model and Journalism Worries 01:15:38 Fiction Podcast Evolution 01:17:22 Wrap Up and Next Episode Tease Featured projects mentioned The Bright Sessions Rebel Robin 2000 and Late Breaker Whiskey Resource Links: Host: Rob Greenlee [https://robgreenlee.com] The New Media Show [https://newmediashow.com/] Adore Network [https://AdoreNetwork.com] Podcast Hall of Fame [https://PodcastHall.com] Rob on YouTube [https://YouTube.com/@RobGreenlee] Rob on LinkedIn [https://LinkedIn.com/in/robgreenlee] Guest: Lauren Shippen [https://www.laurenshippen.com/] Atypical Artists [https://www.atypicalartists.co/] Book Rob Calendly [https://calendly.com/robgreenlee]The post Can Fiction Story Podcasts Survive Video Push | Lauren Shippen #652 first appeared on New Media Show.
