New Lines is a two years old, American magazine showcasing long form writing from around the world. At New Lines, we believe that each story needs to be globally minded and grounded in local perspective.
We launched Wider Angle in mid-November 2022 as a weekly audio and video podcast to diversify our product and expand our appeal with new and existing audiences in a knowledgeable, captivating way. Wider Angle features engaging, spirited conversations on a variety of important themes on society, culture and politics beyond the main news headlines. Riada Asimovic Akyol, Strategic Initiatives Editor, an avid podcast fan and producer, hosts the show. She sits with fascinating guests from around the world, to offer meaningful views and a Wider Angle. New episodes are published each Wednesday.
Riada is passionate about leading sharp conversations that are both spontaneous and based on a lot of prepared research. Natural in flow, these exchanges on both difficult and lighter topics, always address significant issues. Guests are authors, scholars, journalists, storytellers, experts. Riada leads concise, focused interviews, and the guests and audiences can appreciate the host’s curiosity and determination to lead relevant discussions.
Wider Angle turned out to be the perfect name since the conversations we envisaged were to cover an angle of view wider than traditional presentation. The work of the guests from so many different parts of the world and the fascinating stories they tell or the ideas they present, are addressed through a wide-angle lens. Audiences learn amazing contexts and points of view that are placed in comprehensible form.
We also added a video element to the audio podcast, knowing that the scene before the camera adds another element of authentic connection with the audiences. The branded Wider Angle video framework captures the engaging relationship between host and guest.
The next step was creating the visual identity of Wider Angle as New Lines magazine’s sub brand, with the help of our creative experts. The chosen logo uses the New Lines brand identity as its foundation, using the iconic “W” with modified elements. The Wider Angle logo has an extended and condensed version.
A short Wider Angle video animation is added at the beginning of each episode that is published on New Lines magazine’s YouTube channel. Repurposed content through clips on various digital platforms allows boosted social media shareability, and content discovery.
A remarkable collection of conversations and panoramas is accumulating each week.
Crafted with care, attention to detail and with high quality content across multiple digital platforms, Wider Angle has already met the team's objectives. The audiences have responded enthusiastically, and consistent weekly conversations continue building New Lines brand awareness and interest in this recently launched podcast. Here are just a few of the topics covered in recent conversations:
Hollywood, China and competition for cultural dominance
Christian nationalism as cultural framework in the U.S.
Why we need to take reality TV seriously as a cultural object
Young Indian Women’s aspirations through the prism of Shah Rukh Khan’s fandom
Crystallizing emotions across cultures
Manufacture and weaponization of shame in the U.S.
Politics of Black women’s appearance in the U.S.
Lazy thinking and lingering stereotypes of Africa in much of the Western media
Reflections on contemporary Hong Kong
The culture that too easily discredits women as “hysterical”
