The Express Compress, a weekly podcast, marked its first birthday on May 1 — with its staff excited to see the unique way to deliver news and entertainment continuing to grow and evolve.

The podcast, which is posted each Saturday morning on Spotify and Apple Podcast, is produced by Advertising Sales Representative Michaela Fye with Assistant Advertising Manager Megan Muthler and Managing Editor Laura Jameson as co-hosts.

All three said they’re goal for the podcast was to offer another avenue for local residents to access information and direct them to The Express’s website, lockhaven.com.

“We started our podcast hoping to draw people to our website and social media and it has been even better than expected,” Muthler said. “From giveaways, to taste tests, to a synopsis of the week’s news, we have something for everyone on The Express Compressed.”

PHOTO PROVIDED Nonprofit Roads to Peace was previously featured on The Express Compressed to talk about the work it does and services it provides to those suffering from domestic violence.

The Express Compressed has seen steady growth over time.

It currently has 12 followers on Apple Podcast and 54 on Spotify with Spotify seeing 463 streams on average.

Its recently created YouTube page, “The Express Compress” — where special guest interviews are featured — is just kicking off, with nine videos to check out. Videos include taste tests of local coffees, teas and baked goods along with trivia and information about local nonprofits.

“For me, The Expressed Compressed offers both an informational avenue for our community and a reprieve from some of the hard parts of life,” Jameson said. “We have fun questions, guests and discussions. But we also make sure to incorporate information about local events, nonprofits and the people who make this community so great.”

The Express Compressed is often broken down into key segments, though they can be subject to change:

— Hot Topics: Where hosts Megan Muthler and Laura Jameson read results of various polls showcased on “The Express Compress – Hot Topics” on Facebook. The co-hosts will discuss the final numbers and give their own thoughts on the polls. Polls can either be focused on local — such as what restaurant has your favorite burger or which area greenhouse is the best — or can be fun questions such as Coca Cola versus Pepsi or what is your favorite musical.

— Weekly News Updates: News is still a focal point for The Express Compressed. Each week, Muthler and Jameson read summaries of four articles featured in previous print and digital editions of The Express. Jameson also fires through a “News in 60 Seconds for Less” segment which offers listeners the chance to learn about a dozen or more major headlines from the week prior. At the end of the segment, listeners are reminded all stories may be found on lockhaven.com.

— Trending Topics: Almost each week, Muthler provides a list of trending topics. From entertainment, the latest release of a product, fashion, and even recalls, she brings listeners something new they may not have previously heard.

— Dear Annie: Similar to the popular trend of reading Reddit stories — which became popularized by YouTube and other podcasts — The Express Compressed features a segment where Muthler and Jameson review a “Dear Annie” from the week prior. Dear Annie is featured daily in The Express on its History and Advice page and sees Annie Lane offer readers advice on various topics. Muthler and Jameson review and offer their own thoughts on both the issue and Annie’s response.

— Special guests: Each week The Express tries to have a new guest on. These interviews are included on both the podcast and in video format on The Express Compress on YouTube. Guests include local businesses discussing their products and services; nonprofits — like Roads to Peace — explaining the resources they provide to the community; and trivia between the co-hosts.

PHOTO PROVIDED The Express Compressed crew are pictured in a promo image for its February episodes. Standing are Producer Michaela Fye and Co-Host Megan Muthler with Co-Host Laura Jameson kneeling.

— Upcoming Events: Each podcast concludes with a listing of upcoming events in and around Clinton County in the following week. Those interested in having their event included, may contact Fye, to learn more. She may be reached by email at mfye@lockhaven.com.

— Giveaways: Each month, The Express Compressed offers giveaways of gift cards, gift baskets and more. These giveaways are often a spotlight for its sponsors for the month and could be as simple to enter as participating in a hot topic poll that week.

— Sponsorships: Each podcast features two commercials for local businesses. Fye noted a business can purchase one or both commercials to showcase their products, services and more. Sponsors may choose to record their commercials or request Muthler or Jameson handle the voice work. Along with the commercial, sponsors receive print advertisements and other perks such as the ability to guest star for a week and offer a giveaway of their product. Businesses interested in sponsoring a month, may contact Fye to learn more.

Fye, Muthler and Jameson say the past year has been a great experience in working to bring something new and fresh to the Clinton County community in how it consumes its music.

“It has been an experience learning new things about how the podcast works for sure from the background of things. It has also helped me meet a lot of people in the community,” Fye said. “It’s so much fun to do and a great alternative to just the paper. In the future I hope to continue to make the podcast sound even better, gain more followers and interactions.”

Fye noted she still wants to continue engagement with listeners in any way that she can.

For Muthler, she said it’s been nice to watch the podcast’s continued growth.

“It’s been so nice to watch it grow this year into what it is now, and we can’t wait to see where it goes this year,” she said. “We are also always encouraging ideas, so if you feel like we could be doing something differently, or you’d like us to experiment with new segments, you can drop us a comment in our Facebook group.”

Jameson said she’s heard from community members the podcast has helped remind them of news and events they could have otherwise forgotten or not heard of.

“It makes me happy to know that, not only are we offering something fun, but also informational that reminds listeners we’re here to provide you with as much information as we’re capable of,” she said. “With my editorial based mind, I want The Express Compressed to continue to pull our listeners to our website and other platforms where we offer news about the community they live and work in.”