On podcasts like former President Donald Trump’s recent appearances This past weekend with Theo Vonalong with an appearance by Vice President Kamala Harris Call her fatherthey have brought political debates into the podcasting spotlight.
The podcast industry is booming. A huge 100 million Americans say they listen to podcasts every week. From self-help tips and career advice to true crime and celebrity gossip, audio content has become the fabric of our lives. But in the run-up to the election, will these evolving media habits affect the political information we take in and, above all, who we vote for?
The answer may lie across the pond. In the run-up to the UK election in July, the political podcast genre boomed. More than downloads of political podcasts rose 50% because the electorates were prepared to vote, with some series, for example News Agents, the drawing bigger ones public than traditional print newspapers. For the first time, voters went to the polls with a podcast in their back pocket.
Intimate format
Audio content, especially podcasts, has a unique ability to blend into our lives and capture our most unguarded moments. Unlike television and radio, which are often enjoyed in the company of others, research shows that podcasts are mostly consumed when people are alone.
Whether we’re having breakfast or going to work, podcasts narrate our daily movements. It’s an intimate format where regular listeners build connections with trusted hosts and publications. More than half of US podcast listeners They say they follow podcast hosts on social media and six in 10 say they’ve watched a movie, read a book or listened to music based on a podcast recommendation. Podcasts can shape our cultural consumption beyond the length of an episode.
And when big news comes out, it’s striking how much we crave perspectives from our favorite shows. When President Joe Biden announced that he would not run for re-election, podcasts began producing episodes to meet listener demand. In the five weeks since the president stepped aside, the leading political show Pod Save America It released a whopping 22 episodes—such is the audience’s appetite for the ups and downs of the current political cycle.
Given the intimacy of podcasts, the influence of political podcasts can be particularly powerful, for better or for worse.
They can allow audiences to make sense of complex issues and allow for more nuanced discussions than the 24-hour news cycle can accommodate or social media subscriptions allow. Whether they’re providing explanations or humanizing candidates’ backstories, podcasts offer an accessible way into politics. This kind of content, delivered in an accessible audio format, can help us make more informed decisions and increase voter turnout.
Emerging risks
Unlike traditional media, when mistakes are made, it can be difficult for podcasts to provide corrections or retractions. The editorial policies of each show or production house are tailor-made, and there is no regulatory body that oversees them. It’s easy to pass around misinformation—intentional or accidental.
And then there is the danger of echo chambers. The reality is that most of us aren’t going to spend hours listening to content we strongly disagree with. And while a lot of people might come to a podcast based on a recommendation, this is its own kind of echo chamber if we accept suggestions from people we’re already politically aligned with.
There are antidotes aimed at combating this, the rise of shows where two hosts from both sides of the political aisle come together to discuss both sides of an issue. The UK is very popular The rest is Politics it’s a case This broad political performance, along with its sister production the leaderincluded Over 20 million downloads During the UK election campaign. No mean feat in a nation of 67 million people. Including US productions Breaking points and Begging to differ they are trying to strike the same balance and, in the process, achieve the same success.
The global rise of podcast production allows listeners to hear international perspectives on their own or another country’s politics. some 20% of the BBC the american listeners live in the US The rest is Politics: USA It has a large following in the UK, as mentioned above Pod Save America (which regularly features in the UK top 50) and podcast giants such as The Ezra Klein Showwho often delve into political issues.
Capitalizing on impact
The exact impact the US election has had on the podcast landscape remains to be seen. But there’s every chance you’ll attract legions of new listeners who will become regulars.
Growing listenership means more influence, but podcasting is still quite a niche market for leveraging that influence—for both political parties and brands. Despite their popularity, there are currently 2 million active podcasters in the world, sharing their sounds with over 100 million YouTubers and countless social media experts.
Also, artificial intelligence is charging heavily, a space they’re eager to take a bigger part in, whether it’s translating podcasts into multiple languages, speeding up and automating production processes, or helping iterate ad campaigns at high speed. As brands and political parties devote more attention and money to the podcasting space, consumers will see competition, quality and choice grow.
The impact and reach of the format — and its role in November’s result — will be closely scrutinized by politicians, pollsters and forecasters in the coming months. While this may be America’s first podcast election, it certainly won’t be the last.
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