Tag: daily news podcasts

Spotify Original Podcast ‘Próxima Parada’ Brings Daily News From the Outskirts of Brazil

June 21, 2021

Journalists Ana Beatriz Felicio and Rômulo Cabrera are shining a light on the news, stories, and challenges unfolding in the outskirts of São Paulo, Brazil, through their new Spotify Original podcast Próxima Parada. Launching June 28, the podcast will air Monday to Friday, exclusively on Spotify.

In brief 15-minute episodes, Próxima Parada presents stories, news, and reports on a wide range of topics, including education, employment, health, safety, housing, culture, and leisure. The daily journalistic series provides coverage on the diverse topics and daily news circulating in the outskirts of the São Paulo metropolitan area—referred to by locals as the “quebradas” or peripheries. 

The show focuses on the realities of areas far from Brazil’s economic centers and works to uplift marginalized voices. Podcasters Ana Beatriz and Rômulo, who themselves are from the outskirts of São Paulo, are driven by their experiences growing up in the area. Their goal is to explore three questions: What are the peripheries? Who are the people who live in these areas? And what happens over there?

“The outskirts of Brazil are diverse, plural places, full of good stories,” says cohost Ana Beatriz. “We want to expand the voice of those who live in these regions, practicing an even more attentive listening to what they have to say and share.”

The podcast is produced in partnership with Brazil’s Mural Journalism Agency of the Periferias, giving the hosts access to the agency’s correspondents network of more than 70 communication professionals who live in the peripheries.

“We are very happy with a partnership that believes in and amplifies journalism made by and for the peripheries; a journalism that, in the end, contributes to increasing the size of the São Paulo metropolis you thought you knew,” says Vagner de Alencar, Director of Journalism at the Agência Mural.

From left to right: Ana Beatriz Felicio, Vagner de Alencar, Gabriela Carvalho, and Rômulo Cabrera. Photo credit: Divulgação/Spotify

Episode topics include a chat with members of the LGBTQIA+ community, who talk about the lack of shelters in Brazil’s Eastern Zone, and a conversation with residents in Cotia, in the outskirts of São Paulo, about their difficulties accessing safe reproductive care.

“It’s an opportunity for us to reinforce the leading role of the residents of the ‘quebradas,’ help to reduce prejudices about these neighborhoods, and deconstruct the stereotypes of violence, exclusion, and victimization associated with the peripheries,” adds cohost Rômulo.

With the release of Próxima Parada, Spotify reinforces its support for podcasters from underrepresented communities, just as it does with Sound Up, a global program that gives underrepresented podcasters the tools to boost their platforms and build their own shows. 

In addition, Spotify also created the exclusive Pretos no Topo hub to increase the visibility of the work and art of Black creators. There, listeners can access:

Próxima Parada premieres Monday, June 28, and new, free episodes will air Monday through Friday at 5 pm BRT (4 pm EST) exclusively on Spotify. Start listening to the trailer below.

Spotify’s ‘Morning Coffee’ Franchise: A Daily Original News Podcast Brewed Especially for Latin America

January 19, 2021

Those who like to start their day with news podcasts look for intriguing and accurate stories served up by established journalists. So two years ago, Spotify started partnering with some of the most respected news outlets in Latin America to create country-specific news podcasts. Since then, our Morning Coffee podcasts have grown into a franchise that serves four different podcasts in four different countries—with listeners throughout the region streaming daily, perhaps with a hot cup of coffee in hand. 

We started Café da Manhã in conjunction with Folha de S.Paulo in Brazil in January 2019. We followed with El Primer Café, first with La Nacion in Argentina (March 2019) and then with El Tiempo in Colombia (July 2019). In October 2020, we added El Café de la Mañana with REFORMA in Mexico to the franchise. As of January 11, these Spotify Original daily news podcasts combined have racked up millions of listeners and 32 million streams across Latin America. They’re streamed in over 20 countries globally—not only the four where they originated. 

In celebration of our recent launch of El Café de la Mañana in Mexico and the two-year anniversary of the first Café, we sat down with Spotify’s Head of Studios, Latam & US LatinX Javier Piñol to hear how the idea for the franchise came to be and what it has become. 

What’s the main idea behind the Café franchise?

We noticed a blank space in the Latin American market when it came to daily (Monday through Friday) news shows. So we seized on the opportunity of creating a daily news podcast hosted by the most respected voices. We believed we could do this in a unique way by partnering with the most respected news outlets in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia and by showcasing the voices of young journalists who could help us connect with younger audiences. 

What is consistent among each of the four shows? What’s unique?

For starters, each of the shows has been among the top ten most-streamed podcasts in each of their respective markets at some point. There are two hosts, a young man and woman, at the same level, from the news outlet with enjoyable banter and an eye—and ear—for interviewing and telling stories. They each showcase the news you need to know to start your day. Individually, each show caters to its listeners. For example, El Primer Café in Colombia skews longer, with episodes lasting 40 to 60 minutes, while El Café de la Mañana episodes are often less than 20 minutes long. Some focus on one theme or topic, while others are more of a news roundup. Each podcast is recorded at the media outlet’s newsroom, which allows for unparalleled access to expert voices on each news subject.

How has the franchise made its mark in Latin America?

These shows—and therefore Spotify—have become a reference in the podcast sphere when it comes to news and ways of talking about the most important stories of the day. In creating these successful shows, we’ve also brought huge developments to the podcast industry in the region and incentivized podcast production from large media companies in a formerly nascent industry. Ultimately, the series has introduced new, young listeners to podcasting and invited them to create a podcast listening habit.

What are the benefits of having a news podcast franchise?

Thanks to feedback from the news outlets we’re partnering with, we’ve gotten great feedback regarding the show and have been able to build up a network of correspondents who can be tapped for further podcast ideas. With these individual market podcasts off the ground, we also now have the possibility of exploring investigative reporting stories that span the region, not only one country.

Why is it important to have news shows like these? Why do you think the franchise has become so popular?

The Café series became popular because there weren’t similar news shows with the credibility and rigor that the news outlets bring. But the format is what kept people coming back day after day. The format is designed for people’s current lifestyles. Users can listen as they start their day and know they’ll be prepared to really talk about what’s going on in the world that day. They want rigour; they want to start out learning and then want to continue to have access to news wherever, whenever, on demand. 

What’s next for this franchise, or for podcasts in Latin America across the board?

We’ve started to share feedback and processes between the shows in order to bring our innovation between territories. For example, we are now implementing things that have worked well in the Brazilian and Mexican shows in the Colombian and Argentine ones. We also foresee that we will have more spin-off shows that could be specialized on specific themes, such as the ones we have already seen in Brazil, like Plantão Coronavirus during the pandemic and Eleição na Chapa for the last Brazilian presidential election in 2018. We’re excited to be able to bring so many new types of shows to so many listeners.