A few years ago, I attended a new media event as a fairly new blogger. I was raring to go and excited about my part in the New Evangelization.

It was a sore disappointment to me that, among the folks in attendance, the attitude was almost one of “so, when are you going to start to podcast?” It was as though podcasting was something you graduated into from blogging.

Blogging, in other words, was a stepping stone to podcasting.

Recently, I was emailing a writing friend and I told her she should share audio of some of her talks. The conversation then led to a mention of podcasting.

Which brought me back to the question at hand: does blogging lead to podcasting?

Short answer: no.

Long answer: maybe. Sometimes. It might.

The answer is no different than the discernment that needs to happen when you decide whether or not you’re going to blog.

Podcasting, generally, takes a different kind of effort than blogging, but it also reaches a sometimes much wider audience. One well-known Catholic media professional told me recently that, when she was at her height with podcasting she reached FAR more people than she does with all of her writing efforts combined.

But wait…if you’re wondering what a podcast is, here goes: it’s (often free) downloadable audio content. I use iTunes primarily, but there are other outlets for podcasts as well, including PodcastAlley. You subscribe to a show and it’s updated on your computer or mp3 device whenever a new show is released. (Want to learn more? Start here and follow the rabbit trail.)

Last week, in the comments to my post about being comfortable with “small blogging,” Jen Fitz said of blogging,

If you love it and are good at it, it’s a lot of punch for little or no financial outlay. Because you can set the pace and the topics, you can choose the amount of time and energy you put into it. And anyone can start a blog, whereas not just anyone can book speaking engagements, open up a rolodex of client contacts, get a great newspaper gig, etc etc.

She makes a point that’s valid to a discussion of podcasting as well: anyone can do it. It can be a “lot of punch” for the amount you invest.

But…I think it’s important to be good at it. (I think the same about blogging.)

I have discerned, over many years, that I am NOT going to start a podcast anytime soon. That said, I do dabble in some audio stuff, which I call podsquatting.

Podsquatting, in my world, is where someone else has the show and the production, and I provide segments. If you want examples, you can listen to my latest Mary Moment over at iPadre or my latest Mary in the Kitchen at Catholic Foodie.

So when someone asks me (and I’m sure they will) whether I plan to start podcasting anytime soon, rest assured that I’ll be saying a polite “No,” just like I always have.

YOUR TURN: Have you considered podcasting? What’s your idea for a show?