Investigative reporter and producer Nadia Hamdan will lead a workshop on transforming mundane stories into compelling audio narratives, addressing the common challenge of taking important, well-reported stories that lack obvious narrative appeal and reshaping them into engaging audio content for radio and podcasts.
The three-and-a-half-hour online class, scheduled for May 3, 2026, aims to equip both newcomers and experienced producers with techniques for developing story arcs, identifying characters, and crafting plots from material that initially appears uninteresting. Hamdan will draw from her experience at Reveal, a weekly longform investigative podcast and radio show, where she frequently helps print reporters transform months or years of investigation into compelling radio segments and full episodes.
“There’s only one problem: it’s kind of boring,” the course description states, referring to stories with strong reporting and significant potential for impact that lack obvious narrative hooks. “Maybe it’s a data or document driven story or there are no obvious characters or plot. Maybe the subject matter is so heavy you’re not quite sure how you’ll even get people to click play.”
Hamdan’s credentials include co-reporting and producing “40 Acres and a Lie,” a historical investigation exploring an unfulfilled reparation and the resulting wealth gap. The project was a finalist for the 2025 Pulitzer Prize and won an Edward R. Murrow Award, a duPont-Columbia Award and a National Magazine Award. She has also worked on investigative stories covering elections, immigration, health care, and gun violence throughout her career at Reveal.
During the workshop, Hamdan will provide creative strategies applicable across all phases of production, from pre-production and interviewing to writing and post-production. Attendees will examine real examples from various reporting stages and learn to identify the narrative elements necessary to transform a story without an arc, characters, or plot into compelling audio.
The class is designed for both field newcomers and producers with existing experience in audio production. Participants may attend regardless of whether they have finished reporting, collected tape, or have prior audio production experience. The workshop welcomes reporters transitioning from print and those new to the audio medium entirely.
Registration costs $100 and is available online. The class takes place from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST on May 3, 2026. According to Radio Boot Camp’s refund policy, classes are non-refundable and will not be recorded. However, attendees unable to participate may transfer their ticket to another person by emailing the new attendee’s name to info@radiobootcamp.org.
Radio Boot Camp offers a range of classes for audio producers and journalists seeking to develop skills in reporting, production, and distribution. The organization provides training in equipment selection, audio editing software, and monetization strategies for independent podcasters.
