Special Topics in Media

Special Topics in Media Studies is a lecture-based podcast that tackles media history one artifact at a time. Each season of the series we will investigate a different mass media theme, medium, or programming genre. While our focus is educational (it is an academic podcast after all), we tailor our conversations toward a broad audience of media enthusiasts.

Podcasting since 2022 • 178 episodes

Special Topics in Media

Latest Episodes

Film Listology: #73 - Barry Lyndon

Our "Film Listology" season continues with a surprise entrant in the #73 slot, from famed director Stanley Kubrick in 1975, Barry Lyndon. One could argue that Kubrick fuses a surrogate love letter to his never-filmed Napoleon Bona...

April 07, 2026 • Season 8 • Episode 45 • 55:36

Film Listology: #74 - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

The "Film Listology" season continues with our #74 entry, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Released in 1939, Frank Capra directs Jimmy Stewart in this tale of an idealistic junior senator thrust into the cynical matrix of the Washington D...

March 31, 2026 • Season 8 • Episode 44 • 42:55

Film Listology: #75 - The Graduate

Our "Film Listology" season sets sail once again with the #75 film according to the MCM Super Index, The Graduate. Mike Nichols directs Dustin Hoffman in this Aca...

March 17, 2026 • Season 8 • Episode 43 • 47:52

Film Listology, Reveal Episode! #75-71

Film Listology RETURNS! Scott McMurry joins Garret Castleberry to reveal the next five films currently ranked #75-71 by the analytics super index. Which films made the cross-composite list? Should each of these be canonized in filmdom's Top 100...

March 03, 2026 • Season 8 • Episode 42 • 40:48

The Heist Film: Logan Lucky (2017)

The Special Topics in Media winds down prematurely with our Heist Film conversation (circa 2021) focusing on Steven Soderbergh's 2017 rural caper, Logan Lucky. Host Garret Castleberry is joined by dialogic duo partner in...

February 17, 2026 • Season 5 • Episode 8 • 1:41:42