SXSW: Audible's "Chasing the Truth" Panel

This past Friday I was invited to share a moment with Audible at SXSW 2026. If you aren't familiar with Audible, it is the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling. They hosted their "Chasing the Truth: How the Stories We Tell Spark Cultural Change," panel featuring veteran podcast hosts: Paul Holes (Finding The Lost Girls), Leon Neyfakh (OnlyFantasy), and Laura Beil (Dr. Death Season 5), moderated by Nicole Cobler, Axios Austin Reporter. The panelists discussed the process of transforming true stories into compelling podcasts and shared behind-the-scenes insights on investigative narration, research, and the ethical responsibilities of storytelling.

Panel highlights included:

• Leon Neyfakh on the future of nonfiction storytelling: “Audible has not stepped back from (investigative audio storytelling]. They have continued to support journalists who are doing ambitious work and taking six months, nine months, or a year to get a story right. I feel very lucky to be on a platform that has stayed the course.”

• Laura Beil on the effectiveness of audio storytelling: “There is a difference in impact with audio … when you hear a story in [a person’s] voice, it’s a lot more impactful, a lot more intimate.”

• Paul Holes on why he chooses audio for his investigative storytelling: “For the cases that I work, which are visually very disturbing, I can more discreetly tell the story… the audio space does give that medium to have the listener find the types of pieces I work on more palatable.”

Photo by Mat Hayward, Getty for Audible

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