For many educators, a primary source qualifies as something that provides a firsthand account of a certain event or piece of information, whether it be a historical document, journal entry or photographs taken during that time. A self-described “history educator and analyst,” social studies teacher Eric Salmonsen ’03 M’07 believes these sources could entail something broader, and arguably more fun.
“I want my students to look beyond the traditional primary sources such as old newspapers and diary entries and recognize that everything that exists could be analyzed and clues about the past extracted,” said Salmonsen, who majored in social studies education at Oswego. “This includes pop culture ‘artifacts’ such as movies, TV shows, fashion, food, toys, games, et cetera.” To share his philosophy with fellow educators and his students, Salmonsen launched Everything Is a Primary Source, a weekly podcast where all kinds of media ranging from Star Wars to Buddy Holly and the Crickets songs are fair game to be discussed and analyzed for their historical and cultural relevance. Combining his love for radio, popular culture and education, the resulting series was a match made in heaven. “I’ve always loved talk radio, as it’s different every time you tune in,” Salmonsen said. “The same thing goes with podcasts, and I started to listen to some really great conversational [and] analytical programs during the opening days of COVID as I was hanging out around the house more often than usual. My favorite podcast is Star Wars Minute, in which the two hosts and a guest or two break down each Star Wars movie minute by minute. The conversations they have on that show remind me a lot of the kinds of chats I have with my wife and friends about media and pop culture, and I figured why not put a microphone in front of us?" The series has featured a wide variety of guests ranging from Salmonsen’s friends and family to Oswego professor and author Gwen Kay, with whom he discussed the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act of 1938 as a primary source, and film star Laura Cayouette, who helped him analyze Quentin Tarantino-directed Western films. Since the series’ inception in 2021, Salmonsen has expanded its content to include a wider array of voices on a greater variety of subjects through a method he dubbed “the karaoke of podcasting.” By allowing random strangers to discuss one item from an assortment of pop culture paraphernalia in an on-the-spot interview, he has marketed the idea that everyone has a story. “All it takes is seeing a video cassette of Dumbo or, you know, like a T-shirt from the ’70s or whatever I have that particular day, and it will spark people’s memories,” he said. “I think of all the endeavors [I have pursued], that one I’m proud of because I find it rather unique.” Looking back on his experiences hosting and producing, Salmonsen acknowledged how podcasting is an engaging, productive way to inform others and spark conversations on an endless variety of topics. “I know a lot of people want to do it and I encourage it,” he said. “It’s a great way just to get your ideas out there.” Thus, he has taken it upon himself to share podcasting’s joy and benefits with others by offering coaching services to aspiring producers hoping to get their series off the ground, and invaluable mentorship to students involved in his school’s podcast club. “Everyone has a story and most people are happy to talk about what interests them,” Salmonsen said. “These two ideas have indeed influenced the way I look at the world, and it also explains why mine is just one of millions of podcasts.” Salmonsen also offers social studies consulting services for teachers whose “humanities classes may be in need of some fine tuning.” His efforts have received notable attention in the educational community. The Everything is a Primary Source method has gained recognition by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), who recently approved his proposal to present the method at its upcoming 103rd annual conference this December. For more details about Everything is a Primary Source and the services Salmonsen provides, check out everything-history.com.
~Ethan Stinson '22