Podcasts, social media, and digital archives have become the tools through which most of the public gains access to historical knowledge. The immediately-accessible nature of digital archives, social media accounts, and historical podcasts make them the primary means for accessing historical information for the non-specialist. The new ways in which people consume history is relevant for both teaching pedagogy and public-facing history. This roundtable will discuss the use of history podcasts, curated digital archives, and tailored social media accounts to teach and convey historical knowledge in the classroom and the wider community. As more and more people receive their historical educations from non-traditional sources, how do we ensure that those sources are accessible, enjoyable, and historically accurate?

This roundtable will feature an exploration of the relationship between academic historians and the creation of public, or “popular,” history. What can popular/public historians do to make sure that the best and most recent scholarship is being recognized and assimilated publicly? What can academic historians do to cultivate relationships with public historians and make their own work more accessible and meaningful? What are the barriers to entry in both directions? How can we encourage academic historians to utilize these tools to make their work available to a wider audience? What can we do to encourage the use of digitally-available media in teaching?

Podcasters, digital archivists, and history-based social media accounts serve as the new curators and stewards of public history. This roundtable will encourage dialogue about the use of these digital spaces to increase student engagement and disseminate research to a wider audience.