By Emma Do
Photography by Céline Estèbe
I initially reached out to Mohid on LinkedIn after discovering that the U.S. Phelan Center’s podcast series he worked on, ‘Climate Change: America and the World’, had been shortlisted for the Independent Podcast Award. Although LinkedIn can make everyone seem distant and unapproachable, when I finally met him in his office a few floors up in the LSE Law School, I found myself having the most engaging conversation. Mohid turned out to be not only incredibly articulate and insightful but also funny and easygoing. In a room filled with recording equipment—mics and all—we began to explore the in-between moments of podcast production.
Mohid completed his bachelor’s in Canada and came to LSE soon after for a Master’s in International Relations in 2020. “[At that time], LSE was one of the very few schools still hosting in-person seminars, so it was nice to meet people. Otherwise, I imagine it would be hard to justify moving all the way to London to study online.”, he told me with a laugh. Two years later, Mohid joined the U.S. Phelan Center, where he started working on producing podcasts. “When I came around, it was already decided that the [topic] for their next podcast project was going to be on climate change.” However, for Mohid, “climate change almost means nothing because it’s such a broad term.” So, over the course of the next nine months, he had carefully curated the content for all six episodes, wanting to do the discourse justice somehow. “I didn’t want it to be solely on America, so if you look at the whole series, the first three episodes are much more global in terms of their scope while the last three focused on the connection with U.S. domestic and international policies. [The U.S.] isn’t a difficult country to make global because everything it does matters on an international scale in some way. When you think about climate change conventions or forums, they often require American influence.”
Mohid hosted the podcast series and engaged in conversations with numerous scholars, making interviews a significant part of his behind-the-scenes work. “I reached out to so many people. Some didn’t want to participate, and that’s completely normal. You can’t take it personally. It took time because I had to keep asking around while ensuring the series stayed relevant and that I pulled in diverse perspectives,” he explained. We then delved deeper into the process, discussing some of the challenges that came along. “When I say ‘difficult,’ I’m mostly referring to unfamiliarity with the content. For more substantive interviews on researchable topics, having a solid understanding of the concepts is crucial; otherwise, you lack the framework to guide the conversation effectively or come up with questions on the spot. During episode five, when we talked about the cost of climate change in America, I wasn’t familiar with the U.S. insurance policies for hurricane damage, which made it slightly more challenging to engage naturally in the discussion.”
He continued, “Climate change is definitely something I care about, but it’s not my expertise. There are so many people I know who are passionate about climate justice; so, I wouldn’t call myself an expert—not because I don’t care, but because I haven’t done the kind of work that creates the same level of intimacy, I suppose, with the topic.”
“However, the bulk of [interviewing] was ultimately down to how you can cultivate an engaging environment. If it feels hostile and aggressive, you’re not gonna get any answer that would be worthwhile,” Mohid explained, offering his thoughts on handling disagreements during past interviews—something not limited to the climate change podcast. “I’ve had conversations where I did not entirely agree with the person I’m interviewing, but at the end of the day, you just have to assume good intentions and act in good faith. There will be situations where you need to be antagonistic and challenge their views—that’s the point of having a discussion. Yet, it’s equally important to understand your role and the context you’re in.”
As a girl who has built her entire passion around pen and paper as a medium for storytelling, I find podcasts to be an intriguing and captivating form of communication—one I have yet to fully explore. When I inquired about how he brought the series to life, Mohid eagerly explained the collaborative effort behind it. “It was a whole team thing for sure,” he emphasised. “There’s a guy named Anderson—he was the producer of the series. He was the one who did all the technical components, which is kind of an unsung job that not everyone is aware of its demanding workload. For example, for each episode, you have three different voices, so he had to do the levelling for [them]. You have to choose the background music and ensure everything sounds good. If a podcast doesn’t sound good, no matter how interesting the content can be, people won’t listen.” He added, “There are also other people on our team who weren’t directly involved with the series but I would run through the episode with them for feedback. We actually all sat down and listened to the first episode before I carried on with the rest of the series. It was lovely.”
At one point during the interview, I asked Mohid, “Why a podcast? Why not do a series of blog posts or write a research paper?”, to which Mohid explained his passion for podcasting: “I like sound, and I like conversations. While written work is amazing and you can sense a particular characteristic in each writer, I like conveying clear messages—when you can really hear it and feel the emotions. That’s why podcasts can be all about the aesthetic. It’s the voice, it’s knowing when to speed up, when to slow down, and when to pause. A lot of them, in my opinion, are instinctual. You can get better as you go, but many things can’t be taught, you just simply know.”
Mohid shared with me that this is his first time being granted so much creative licence in terms of directing a podcast, which was something he did not have enough capacity for in the past. “[Podcast] takes so much dedication. The sheer effort involved in producing podcasts is tremendous, and years ago, I just didn’t have the motivation to invest that kind of commitment into creating something of my own. The thing with podcasts is that you have to have a sense of direction. I don’t know if it’s wise to have a podcast on every topic. Only when you’re able to craft out a clear structure does it become easier to create the environment you desire. Even when you do, which was what I did for the series, each episode could have been a series on its own. So, I think it’s important to work with what you have and make the most of the experience.”
“A rewarding aspect of my job is the opportunity to engage with individuals who are not only more interesting and accomplished than I am but also making significant achievements in their fields. After the podcast, I reached out to Professor Naveeda Khan from Johns Hopkins University for a separate interview. We discussed her work at the COPs, where she represented certain interest groups from Bangladesh. It was insightful to hear the perspectives of non-state actors participating in a global climate diplomatic forum. Approaching interviews with genuine curiosity allows you to learn immensely along the way.”
The expansion of the climate discourse has been drastic over the last two decades, but with the alarming concern for the increase in both natural-induced and man-made disasters, climate activism can leave many feeling unmotivated and helpless sometimes. Yet, “it’s never just you”, as Mohid reflected. “Fatigue is a real thing, but there are people far more knowledgeable than I am who are tackling these issues and sparking important conversations. That perspective makes me feel less burdened somehow. We all have our limits, but feeling the limit of your power shouldn’t be disempowering. Instead, it should only be a humble recognition of what you can do. It doesn’t mean you can’t take actions that might help someone else find themselves in a better position.”
By the end of the interview, I had gained a genuine and unfiltered understanding of the complexities of podcasting and the substantial effort required to produce a single episode. And for Mohid, he will always be involved with the media, whether it’s through podcasting or a more traditional outlet. After all, what makes this work inspiring is the connections fostered through conversation and the passion nurtured from pursuing one’s interests while staying grounded in personal values. By crafting an inclusive space, you enable substantive and meaningful dialogues to flourish.
“If I can have a podcast series of my own in the future, I feel like I would do one on hip-hop,” that’s what Mohid told me as we wrapped up our conversation. “I think to create a product that people will want to listen to from time to time, making it entertaining can go a long way.” While I’m definitely looking forward to his future projects, I encourage you to check out the podcast series ‘Climate Change: America and the World’ in the meantime!
