Meet the Podcasters: Antoinette Lattouf & Jan Fran

With the launch of Ette Media and its flagship podcast We Used To Be Journos, award-winning journalists Antoinette Lattouf and Jan Fran are part of a new wave of independent journalism on the rise in Australia. 

Just nine months post-launch, the duo have built a loyal and engaged audience of more than 20,000 listens per week, completed a nationwide live tour, and even launched sustainably made t-shirts off the back of fan demand.

We caught up with them to talk podcasting, audiences, and what makes the Etterati community tick.

Acast: You’ve both had extensive careers in mainstream media. What sparked We Used To Be Journos and what gap were you hoping to fill?

We were hoping to fill a media literacy gap! We wanted to create a podcast that would cut through the noise and uncertainty - the AI, algorithms and agendas - and we wanted to speak to a growing section of the community with waning trust in mainstream media and scepticism of the power behind it. Basically, we wanted a place to be able to share our experiences and tell the truth about the way the media works. 

Acast: For those who haven’t tuned in yet, how would you describe the show’s tone and format? What makes it different from other news and current affairs podcasts?

The show’s tone is tongue-in-cheek, matter of fact, curious, energetic, honest and at times blunt. We always say that our north stars are truth and honesty and there's no reason you can't have quite a lot of fun pursuing those two things. It’s different to other news and current affairs podcasts because, well, it’s in the name, We Used To Be Journos implies we don't do things the way journalists have always done them. We also share more of ourselves than traditional news and current affairs podcasters do. 

The show's format is fairly consistent. Each week we bring a ‘no’ and a ‘yes’ from me - i.e. one media story worthy of criticism and one worthy of praise. We also have a segment called Please Ettesplain where we unpack one big media issue from the week. 

Acast: In less than a year, you’ve built an incredibly engaged and loyal audience of ‘Etterati’ that’s steadily growing with every episode. Who is the We Used To Be Journos listener, and how do they typically engage with you beyond listening to the podcast?

If there were traits that connect our Etterati it is, above all, a curiosity about the world and a deep desire to want to make it a better place. Our community is very diverse - diverse in ethnicity, diverse in gender, diverse in age. We have millennial women who follow us on Instagram, older men who watch our show on YouTube, academics who listen with their students and parents who listen with their kids. 

Our Etterati is very engaged - they show up to live shows right around the country, they are constantly giving us tips and story ideas (a lot of which get included in the show). They are our quasi show producers and keep us across the complaint letters they send to media organisations. And they really trust us, what we say and what we stand for. 

Acast: You recently took the show on the road, with back-to-back events in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra. What did the live tour reveal about your audience and the kind of connection you’ve built with them?

It revealed to us just how broad our audience is and also showed just how much people are craving community at this time. It also showed that we are helping to address a trust vacuum. 

Our show was a place for like-minded people to get together and that was the main sentiment that came out when we spoke to guests after the show. Many said it felt so great to be in a space with all of you, you make me feel seen and sane so there's a really strong connection between us and the audience because we're going through something collectively. It’s why they listen, buy our merch and see us live just a few months after we launched. 

Acast: Can you share a moment – whether from a campaign, collaboration or your community – that genuinely surprised you in terms of impact?

We are constantly surprised and impressed by the amount of people that are taking our media literacy skills to heart and applying them in the real world. We know that we’re having a tangible impact because teachers will play our show for their students, folks will send us examples of bad media practice, our exclusives get covered by the mainstream media and media organisations issue apologies and retractions because of our reporting. 

Acast: What does a great brand partnership look like for you and what kinds of brands or campaigns feel like a natural fit for your audience?

Simple - a great brand partnership for us is a brand or campaign that we would promote for free because it’s inherently worth telling people about. 

It's a brand that values the well-being of people, cares about the environment, has ethical practices and is transparent and accountable. 

Acast: You balance serious topics with humour and personality. What role does that play in building trust with your audience?

In terms of building trust I think the biggest thing that podcasters can do to build trust with their audiences is to admit when they are wrong and attempt to rectify that. This can be a difficult thing to do but ultimately it shows that you are there in pursuit of the truth and what you believe to be the right thing rather than the maintenance of ego or for monetary gain.

Also Antoinette has proven she will stand by her values and her ethics as shown in her landmark Federal Court win against the ABC and Jan’s commitment to accuracy and cutting social commentary has earned the trust of audiences over many years. 

Acast: Outside of politics and media, what topics or interests do you love bringing into the show?

Jan loves talking about ethics and ethical conundrums and the eternal question of how to live a good life. 

We also like talking about wellness, how to be well - spiritually and emotionally - in such a destructive world. We're both in our 40s so health and fitness is really important to us and - not going to lie - Jan also LOVES niche gossip. 

Antoinette has two daughters - a teen and a tween, so social media and content targeted at young people is of interest too.

Acast: You’ve been friends since university – how does that long-standing friendship shape the chemistry that listeners hear each week?

We have the kind of short hand that can only come from a decade-long friendship. We also have an added thing in that we’re both Lebanese-Australians who grew up in similar suburbs at the same time and, let’s face it, we’re probably distantly related. We trust each other implicitly and we know one will put the other’s best interest first. We also make each other laugh.

Acast: What’s next for Ette Media this year?

We want to grow our team and our audience and increase our output. We want to focus more on our subscribers and what we can offer them specifically. We also want to do more live shows around the country where we can connect directly with audiences. We want to expand our podcast offering and grow all of our social media platforms - TikTok, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. So continued growth and impact. 

Quick-fire round - by Jan Fran

Favourite moment from the live shows? 

Meeting all the legends who showed up 

Dream brand partner?

The super company that I am about to put all my super in anyway

Most-used app on your phone?

Apple Podcast app. I actually have an addiction to podcasts that is not healthy

Early bird or night owl?

Absolute night owl. F*ck the morning every time.

Comfort TV show?

The Sopranos again and again. 

Go-to weekend activity?

Sitting a metre away from my son and staring at him for 12-16 hours because he’s a magical being.

Favourite way to switch off?

Hahahahahah good one. 

Fran will appear at Cairns Crocodiles on Thursday 14 May, in conversation with fellow Acast creators Abbie Chatfield and Osman Faruqi.