Regional Podcast Pals: Mike Tatarski on Producing the Vietnam Weekly from Ho Chi Minh City [S7.E21]

Greg interviews Mike Tatarski of the Vietnam Weekly podcast. Mike begins by explaining the podcast originated out of his Substack newsletter of the same name. After teaching a course in ‘entrepreneurial journalism,’ he got motivated to fire up the podcast, and the rest is history. He manages to produce a show per week as a one man band operation but has reached a substantial audience. 

Greg and Mike then go on to talk about similarities and differences between his show and the Bangkok Podcast. On the one hand, both are in English and therefore have a lot of listeners that are neither Thai nor Vietnamese and also have a lot of interviews, but on the other hand, Mike’s background is in journalism and his show tends to focus more on serious news stories. The BP of course is two clueless dudes trying to make each other laugh with an occasional dose of useful information.

The guys go on to address topics such as the podcast communities in Vietnam and Thailand, how to find good topics for shows, and the delicate problem of keeping a show fresh and authentic in countries that do not share the same appreciation for freedom of speech that most Western countries do. 

If you have any interest in learning more about traveling to or living in Vietnam, definitely check out the Vietnam Weekly podcast!

And if you’re wondering what that photo is, make sure to listen after the end music to hear how Greg’s supporting his son’s (now illegal) business with his school pals.

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