Hannah Hethmon, H. Hethmon Consulting The National Archives are the paper trail of a nation, the keepers of stories that changed everything. But is that what people think when they hear “archives?” In 2019, The National Archives embarked on an experimental project to create a podcast series that would open up the archives and invites listeners down into the "bowels of the archives." Listeners of On the Record joined staffer Matt Norman on a quest to uncover the true stories behind popular history through scripted storytelling, intimate conversation with TNA experts, and (of course) fascinating original documents. The result is a show that prioritizes stories as a way to reach beyond the physical confines of The National Archives’ brutalist structure and into the earbuds of anyone eager to dive deeper into the stories “you think you know.”

1. Beyond the Limits of Physical Space
Opening Up The National Archives through Narrative Podcasting
Hannah Hethmon
@hannah_rfh

2. @hannah_rfh

3. @hannah_rfh

4. @hannah_rfh

5. @hannah_rfh

6. “Podcasts fill in the gaps in
your days with intimacy. Of
all the media available at the
moment, podcasting is the
most like a relationship.”
-Noelle Acheson
-Noelle Acheson
Regular podcast listeners…
...like long-form content
...like uncovering true stories
…are educated and brand-
loyal
...want to discuss the episode
they just heard
@hannah_rfh

7. @hannah_rfh

8. #1 Archetype of a Spy
(Bond & Noor Khan)
#2 Lawrence and Bell
(T. E. Lawrence & Gertrude Bell)
#3: Double Agents and Double Standards
(Mata Hari, the Cambridge Five, John
Vassall)
On the Record
Series 1 Episodes
@hannah_rfh

9. Producing On the Record
1. Show concept development & episode story
development
2. TNA buys equipment (£500) & TNA staff used
our story plan to conduct interviews
3. I edit the audio, write narrative script. TNA staff
reviews and edits script
4. TNA staffer is coached through episode
narration
5. I put it all together, add music & SFX
@hannah_rfh

10. Results
Downloads of 450-600 per episode (not including
plays on TNA website)
Staff improved storytelling skills
Proof of concept, collaborative model
Series 2 coming soon with a new mini-series theme!
Testing out new improvements to the model (ex: 2 co-
hosts)
Possibility of Series 3 being discussed
What’s Next?
@hannah_rfh

11. Hannah Hethmon
info@hhethmon.com
@Hannah_rfh
Listen to On the Record
wherever you get your podcasts