MISSOULA – A podcast borne out of a journalism classroom at the University of Montana has been named to Apple Podcasts’ “Best So Far” list for 2026, recognizing it as one of the year’s standout new shows.
The 12-episode series called “The Obit Project” is a production of the Montana Media Lab at the UM School of Journalism, co-hosted by Jad Abumrad — founder of “Radiolab” and creator of “Dolly Parton’s America” and “Fela Kuti: Fear No Man” — and Jule Banville, a UM journalism professor and creator of the podcast “An Absurd Result.”
The show grew out of Banville’s longtime classroom practice of having students report and write obituaries about strangers in western Montana, reimagining the form as a way to explore universal truths about memory, legacy and letting go. Students and professional journalists, including several UM Journalism alumni, reported and narrated the episodes, which range from a Montana fighter pilot lost over Vietnam to a circus elephant buried in Dillon. “The Obit Project” is produced in partnership with Montana Public Radio.
People are also reading…
“It’s very cool and unexpected to be singled out by Apple Podcasts in a sea of so many shows,” said Banville. “It’s like being the little podcast that could from the University and journalism school that also definitely can. The students and former students and pros who are featured in this show were such delights to edit — they put so much work and heart into these narratives. I feel so proud of what we all made together and so appreciative of my dear friend Jad, especially, and to UM and the J-school for taking a chance on us and making this happen.”
That sentiment was echoed by her co-host.
“This project was such a joy to make, which seems strange to say when our subject is necessarily death,” said Abumrad. “But that’s kind of the not-so-secret secret of this project. Every story is really trying to capture the moment when a departed person — or elephant, or town — was most alive. And I got to make it with my friend Jule and to learn from her. So it was genuinely fun. Thank you to UM for the support and to Apple for the recognition.”
For the students who reported and narrated episodes, the project offered a rare chance to learn narrative audio from one of the form’s leading voices. Bayliss Flynn, a 2026 UM journalism graduate whose piece was featured on the podcast, said the experience clarified her career path.
“Working on Obit confirmed that narrative audio is what I want to do. It taught me how to really dig for a story — not just in the reporting, but in the writing and editing too,” Flynn said. “I learned to push past the obvious, ask better questions, and keep rewriting until the story felt right.
“Working alongside someone like Jad Abumrad set a high bar and challenged all of us to think more intentionally about every decision we made,” she added. “That experience taught me that great storytelling comes from curiosity and a willingness to keep improving. I’ll carry those lessons with me throughout my career.”
The Apple recognition comes on the heels of a strong showing for the School of Journalism in the 2026 William Randolph Hearst Journalism Awards, often called the “Pulitzers of college journalism.” The school ranked 10th overall and took first place in the intercollegiate photojournalism competition. On top of that, individual students brought home national honors: Maddie McCuddy won the National Photojournalism Championship and Claire Bernard placed second in the national writing competition. The back-to-back honors underscore a program that is producing award-winning work across platforms and storytelling forms.
