Examining Podcast Listeners’ Perceptions of the Journalistic Functions of Podcasts

Abstract

Podcasting is a well-established medium with a rapidly growing audience but no established ethical standards or professional practices across a wide variety of genres. Through a representative national survey of American internet users ( n = 1,025), this research examined how much podcast listeners ( n = 529) trust podcasts as a source of news and how they evaluate their journalistic merit. Podcast listeners trust podcasts less than most other sources of information, with the exception of online news and satirical news programs. And though listeners agree that podcasting is a form of journalism, a way to stay informed about news and current events, and a valuable source of information, they’re more skeptical of podcasts when comparing them to traditional news sources of information. Age is the only demographic category that predicts listening frequency.