INTERVIEW: REBECCA LAVOIE OF NHPR — Part 1 (on "Bear Brook" S2) Rebecca Lavoie is the director of on-demand audio at New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) and oversees the team that makes NHPR podcasts, including "Bear Brook," "Outside/In," and "Civics 101."
"Bear Brook Season 2: A True Crime Story" launched on Feb. 20. The new season centers on a case from 1989: the murder of Sharon Johnson. Jason Carroll, a then 19-year-old, was convicted but only based on a taped confession. Host Jason Moon explores what could happen when "the official narrative is challenged" in such a case. I heard from Lavoie on the new podcast, why True Crime as a genre has been able to hold its own in podcasting, and the evolution of the genre. Shreya Sharma (SS): What sets "Bear Brook Season 2: A True Crime Story" apart from other podcasts in the genre? Rebecca Lavoie (RL): For anyone who hasn't listened, "Bear Brook" Season 1 began as an unsolved murder case that evolved into a decades-long pursuit of truth and the development of new science that changed the way cold cases will be solved forever. As with Bear Brook's first season, Jason Moon takes a story we may think we've already heard — an examination of what many believe to be a wrongful conviction — and elevates it with his singular, artful style of reporting. Jason's sensitivity with his subjects, his willingness to dive deeply into the science behind the case, and his original music are just part of what make "Bear Brook" a very different kind of true crime podcast. The rest is a kind of storytelling magic that you just get when you hear it. SS: What are you most looking forward to when it comes to this new season? RL: In this season, there's a very specific frame that works so well at this particular moment in podcasting: the exploration of the power of storytelling to influence reality and whose version of the story carries the most weight. I can't wait for listeners to hear the many ways stories are integral to Jason Carroll's case, why they were told, and in some instances, how they were invented. SS: This story involves going back in time to conduct an investigation. What challenges did the team face while producing this podcast? How did they overcome these? RL: Hunting down archival tape is always a challenge. When it came to this case, it was also a little frustrating for the team. We know, for instance, that Jason Carroll's trial was captured on video, and portions of it were televised, but the barriers to obtaining that video (and even initiating a search for it) were pretty insurmountable for an outlet with our limited resources. That being said, Jason Moon is a well-respected journalist in the state and is very skilled at earning the trust of his subjects, so he was able to obtain many key interviews from people who were central figures in the case. |
