When journalist and author Meg Carney decided to produce a limited-series podcast about PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” in outdoor gear, she knew she wanted to reach a wide audience. With a small team and big goals, she brought on PR expert Kate Ketschek of Revolution House Media to help get the word out.
The result? Forever Chemicals became a #1 podcast on Apple, was featured on the Apple Podcasts homepage, and landed coverage in National Geographic—plus several trade publications that drove significant listener growth.
In this episode of Digital PR Explained, Meg explains how the campaign came together, including why she prioritized niche industry press, what assets helped the most, and how a strong PR partner made it all possible.
About Meg Carney
Meg Carney is an outdoor and environmental journalist with a passion for sustainability and advocacy. Her work spans eight years of freelance writing for outdoor publications and brands, with bylines in Field & Stream, Popular Mechanics, and GearJunkie. She’s the author of Outdoor Minimalist: Waste Less Hiking, Camping, and Backpacking and the creator of two original podcasts: Outdoor Minimalist and Forever Chemicals.
We cover:
- Why Meg decided to hire a publicist
- How she chose Kate Ketschek and what their collaboration looked like
- What kind of press actually drove the most downloads (spoiler: it wasn’t NatGeo!)
- How they landed a homepage feature on Apple Podcasts
- The overlooked value of trade media, industry newsletters, and even Substack
- What worked (and what didn’t) when it came to social media
Resources mentioned:
- Forever Chemicals podcast
- Revolution House Media – Kate Ketschek
- How to submit your show for Apple Podcasts homepage consideration
- Meg’s website & her Substack
🎧 Listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to leave a review if you found it helpful.