Journalist Lea Utz helps people make important calls. She shows something that is often missing from podcasts: compassion.
podcast logo Photo by: WDR
The number has already been entered, maybe you let it ring for a moment, only to hang up again hastily. Everyone knows it. For some, it’s the fear of phone calls (a problem that’s worsening for Gen Z). Others avoid a specific call. How nice would it be if someone patted you on the shoulder and encouraged you. Journalist Lea Utz does exactly that in “Telephobia.” In most cases, it’s about more than just encouraging you to call.
“Telephobia – This call”Season 2, a new episode every Wednesday in the ARD audio library
Utz laughs, cries and gets angry. Experiencing the emotions of guests is quite therapeutic. It is true that she is sometimes voyeuristic. Even when it comes to sensitive topics, like the fear of calling Norman's bully or the clinic because of an illness, Utz knows how to ask the right questions and cheer up his guests. So far, the new season is mostly about lost things: deceased parents, broken relationships, and an incomplete fantasy book. But also about unanswered questions like the classic one in Germany: Was my grandfather a Nazi?
Calls often carry the hope of coping better with the past or dealing with a current problem. That is touching. The difficult thing is that you can only see the emotional world of the person who finally decides to call.
What about those who don't want to be called at all or don't care to hear their story on the podcast? In some episodes, the fact that there are good reasons for this is overlooked. Also because Utz seems to take the side of the guests through his compassion. This is made clear simply by the fact that he often says phrases like: “We are writing a message.”
Participants can bookmark a question after the podcast: What happens when I finally call?