Photo courtesy of Teen Vogue
Podcasts have seen a meteoric rise in popularity over the last decade, capable of making their hosts into household names and creating mainstream headlines with their content.
In recent weeks, podcasts have even taken over the election, with both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump appearing on popular podcasts in addition to their more traditional media appearances on the campaign trail. Many see this as a real turning point in how politicians engage with the media in order to reach voters. And I agree, but I think it may be for the worse.
I am in no way a fan of traditional broadcasting media, I do not have cable and do not watch television much at all to get my news. I do, however, see the value in having media platforms with educated journalists who can sit down with presidential candidates and ask informed questions, rather than a podcast host who may not know what they are talking about.
Although the limits of television, particularly time constraints, are serious problems that can lower the value of a candidate even going on television for a sit-down interview, they still have value and should not be neglected.
That being said, podcasts are unequivocally the better outlet for long-form discussion. Whereas Bernie Sanders can go on “The Joe Rogan Experience” and talk, almost uninterrupted, for nearly four hours – he would be lucky to get 15 minutes on a cable news show.
In today’s day and age, social media as a whole has created a whole new avenue for celebrities and politicians to go down. Whereas they used to only be seen on television or in the papers, they can now be engaged with online every day.
This creates a certain humanizing effect that politicians strive to use to their advantage in order to win over voters.
Network television interviews often feel too structured and formulaic, while podcasts offer a chance for what appears to be natural, free-flowing conversations that emulate the day-to-day lives of voters.
My main issue with politicians increasingly using ‘new media’ like podcasts and social networks to engage with voters is that it may lead us down a similar path that we are currently on with streaming services.
Streaming has started to look more like cable than the media utopia that was originally promised. With increased prices for ad-free tiers and what feels like constant roll outs of new platforms who engage in bidding wars for the rights to content, it seems we have gone back to square one.
I fear this may be a similar case for podcasts. The more that politicians and public figures prioritize the medium, the more it becomes like traditional media.
It will start to transform more and more with every interview until there is no clear distinction between an ABC interview and a “Call Her Daddy” episode.
I understand politicians will go where the viewers are and they are more skewed in favor of internet shows over television than ever before, but I worry that these pop-culture/political crossovers will ultimately make new media lose the qualities that make it special.
Have political podcasts or have entertainment podcasts, but keep them separate, or else we may one day look up and see Kai Cenat moderating a presidential debate on Twitch, live from his bedroom and wonder where it all went wrong.
But of course, that’s just one man’s opinion.
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