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Looking forward to looking back

Academic, activist, and Orca Podcast host Justin P. Goodrich on his perspective, podcast - and plans for more Second Looks.
A Second Look Justin Goodrich-Final

Editor's Note: Last month, The Orca was proud to publish the debut episode of a very different kind of podcast.

A Second Look isn’t necessarily about hot topics – and it’s definitely not about hot takes. Instead, this podcast follows its host’s lead, taking a thoughtful, welcoming, and inquisitive approach, and using the benefit of hindsight to take – you guessed it – a second look at the issues and stories that divided us.

Stay tuned tomorrow for Justin’s next in-depth conversation on A Second Look.

What is A Second Look?

Right off the top of each episode, the voiceover sums it up perfectly: A Second Look is an opportunity to reflect on past events, unpack their significance, and discuss their long-term implications. It is intended to give thought reflection on issues that made the headlines and elicited strong responses as a society. What did we think then? What do we think now? What have we learned?

What inspired you to start this kind of podcast?

For over 15 years I’ve been a columnist, radio host and television host, but everything I’ve done has been rooted in politics and/or current affairs. So, when I was contacted by The Orca to potentially become a podcast host, I felt it was a good opportunity to try something different.

In a 24/7 news-cycle with a variety of platforms, important issues come and go without any sense of thoughtful reflection. A Second Look is the opposite: it allows for the sober reflection I believe our society is missing and would greatly benefit from.

Are the topics controversial?

Yes. In fact, our very first episode was on the Black Lives Matter movement which elicits a whole host of emotional responses. That said, A Second Look exists to create an opportunity for candid, balanced, respectful conversations about these sorts of issues. No rhetoric. No combative behaviours. Just a conversation between two people where it’s safe to ask questions and unpack their answers, as well as to say “hey, I don’t get this…help me understand.” It’s a podcast where it’s okay not to have all the answers, but to ask good questions in a setting where the only “agenda” is a better understanding.

What motivates you?

One common thread in my career has been trying to address injustice – seeing people – individually or collectively – being marginalized. Because of that I have spent my entire adult life tackling injustice. Doing the right thing for the right reason – even when it comes at a cost – is always the right thing to do.

What do you hope to accomplish?

I want people to think critically about these topics and consider how they can be part of making positive, societal changes. The issues we’re talking about on A Second Look are issues that we all need to engage as a society.

Justin P. Goodrich is the founder & principal at Alliance Public Affairs Group, and a university lecturer in public policy and leadership with Adler University.  He holds a Master of Laws from Lancaster University.

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