Sally Herships and Alan Hall, an editor of Herships’ documentary “As Many Leaves,” spoke at the Third Coast International Audio Festival in Chicago Nov. 9–11. Photo: Bill Healy

Should a journalist take to the mic to share a personal story? The short answer: Maybe.

Whether you’re a news host who wonders how much to reveal about yourself in your interview questions or an independent podcast producer hoping to mine your family history for material, you’ll want to tell your own story in a way that also serves your audience.

On this podcast produced for Current’s The Pub, Annie talks about what happens when a journalist tells a personal story with Sally Herships, the producer behind “As Many Leaves.” Produced for BBC Radio 4, the documentary tells the story of being unexpectedly left by her husband. Herships and Alan Hall of Falling Tree Productions gave a presentation at the Third Coast International Audio Festival about the process of making the story.