Podcast Review: "Seeking an End to Cycles of Abuse" by Mahek Kaur

Radio Rookies is partnered with a NY Public Radio initiative providing teens with tools & training to create informative stories. In this episode, the reporter discusses experiences of abuse that she & other women in her family have faced for generations. Using her own story, she teaches that abuse is NOT okay, & that there’s a way out. The style of this podcast is anecdotal (discussing the lives of Kia Miller, Destiny Mabry & women before them). It is a solo form podcast. For features, the only sound effect was a dramatic pause after Destiny revealed the story of her sister’s murder. In terms of dialogue, the tone dramatically shifts from happy-during the hook to emotive as the host begins discussing domestic violence. Their is also some dialogue between her & her mother as well as a couple of lines from her grandmother. Lastly, it includes a pre-recorded snippet from an after-school program where Destiny shares her story.

The target audience is youth & young women who are struggling with or may be subjected to abuse in there lifetime. The end goal being to help end cycles of abuse throughout generations. Personally I found that the podcast well executed a message of the trauma caused by partner violence, that abuse is never okay, & that it is time to remove the taboo associated with partner abuse & speak up. I found it very touching because I have seen women in my family escape abusive situations & it is heart-wrenching to hear the story of Kia & her children, three innocent souls taken by one abusive man. The podcast effectively used elements of storytelling such as internal conflict- embarrassment to speak out about abuse, & external conflict- abusive relationships. The host worked to develop many characters, especially her & Kia regarding their “love of dance, bright smiles”, and portrayed a dramatic arc of how her sister’s family was murdered.

Lastly, the hook helped drive the point that not all abusive is visible on the outside, but it is important to discuss it. However, she should have included information about services available to victims of abuse along with sound effects/background music based upon the tone of her podcast.

I would definitely recommend listening to this podcast not only for podcast form but also to understand a very important story, that unfortunately relates (in some context) to ⅓ of all women in their lifetime. Abuse is a very series topic, but tends to be overlooked. It is important that courageous women, such as Destiny Mabry help end this taboo & make a change for the better.

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