Lately I've found myself drawn to long-form content. Detailed podcasts to listen to while I'm driving, in depth documentaries that I can settle down in front of, and of course books that I can lose myself in for long periods at a time.
But with all the content that is out there it's difficult the media that I really want to engage with. So here are some ways that I've discovered interesting online and offline content to entertain and educate me.
Podcasts
I find searching for interesting podcasts very difficult. Search recommendations on the web are usually out of date, and the Spotify search function isn't very good if you are just browsing.
Some ways to find new podcasts:
BBC Sounds has podcasts on a wide range of subjects, both as a one-off or a longer series.
Reddit is a really good place to look for podcasts and other media on a specific topic. Just use Reddit and Podcast as search terms, along with what you are after. Recommendations are usually accompanied by a description or review so you can see if it sounds interesting to you.
Social media is a great place to keep an eye on, I personally always prefer to listen to something that has been recommended. Sometimes a podcast that I'm listening to will introduce a guest with their own podcast, or a writer that I follow will offer a curated list. I have a Notes file on my phone where I jot down anything that sounds interesting to look up later.
Videos
I've found YouTube to be a really valuable source for interesting long-form content, as long as you can avoid being distracted by the shorts and clickbait titles. I look for older documentaries that have been shared, as these are often slower and more detailed in content. It helps to use search terms like 'full documentary' or 'full show' and I find that once I start watching a certain type of content then the algorithm will pull up related videos which are just what I'm after.
I also pop into the streaming services that we have and use the search function rather than just browsing the recommended content. iPlayer is really good, and of course free to licence holders in the UK. The BBC documentaries are always high quality and on a wide range of subjects. We have Netflix too, and I have a watchlist of interesting content lined up for when I'm in the mood.
Books
I rarely find myself browsing for books, I just somehow seem to acquire piles of them! But if I am desperate to find some new reading material here's where I look:
The library - this is my first port of call. Even in our tiny village library I can always find a book or two that I've heard of and want to read, and a pile of other books that have caught my eye.
Charity shops - especially those slightly out of the town centre with cheaper prices. I've found one in town that sells three books for £1 - you can't go wrong!
My Notes document called 'Books to buy' - these is where I add books that I've heard of, either recommendations from friends or family or that I've spotted on social media. I save up a batch to buy secondhand on World of Books.
In-depth articles
Many of the online news sources and newspapers have long form content, but it can be difficult to find among the shorter, newsier articles and is often behind a paywall. You can try:
Telegraph Long Reads (sometimes an account is needed to read)
Substack (some content is subscriber only)
 |
| Photo credit Roman Kraft via Unsplash |
How do you find interesting content?
