Messenger Mic’d — news beyond the news, available now

The Diocese of Covington Messenger office has launched a weekly podcast called Messenger Mic’d to share news from the diocese. Released on Spotify on Oct. 3, the podcast features the first episode, Baby Boxes, Blessings, Beatifications, which covers local and national stories.

Laura Keener, the editor of the Messenger and diocesan director of communication, hosts the program alongside multimedia correspondent Bella Bailey and staff writer Maura Baker. The team records the episodes at the Thomas More University podcasting studio in Crestview Hills.

Maura Baker said the podcast serves as an extension of the Messenger rather than a replacement for its print work. She noted the conversational format allows the hosts to provide more detail about people and places in the diocese that might not appear in standard news stories.

The podcast is part of a digital expansion requested by Bishop Iffert five years ago and grew following the hiring of Bella Bailey in 2024. Keener said the project responds to the various ways people choose to receive news today.