Podcasting as Public Media: The Future of U.S. News, Public Affairs, and Educational Podcasts

Authors

  • Patricia Aufderheide School of Communication, American University
  • David Lieberman New School
  • Atika Alkhallouf American University
  • Jiji Majiri Ugboma New School

Keywords:

podcasting, public media, platformization, business trends, public podcasting ecology

Abstract

This article identifies a U.S.-based podcasting ecology as public media and then examines the threats to its future. It first identifies characteristics of a set of podcasts in the United States that allow them to be usefully described as public podcasting. Second, it looks at current business trends in podcasting as platformization proceeds. Third, it identifies threats to public podcasting’s current business practices. Finally, it analyzes responses within public podcasting to the potential threats. The article concludes that currently, the public podcast ecology in the United States maintains some immunity from the most immediate threats, but there are also underappreciated threats to it, both internally and externally.

Author Biographies

Patricia Aufderheide, School of Communication, American University

Patricia Aufderheide is University Professor in the School of Communication at American University in Washington, D.C., and founder of the Center for Media & Social Impact. Her books include Reclaiming Fair Use: How to Put Balance Back in Copyright (University of Chicago Press), written with PeterJaszi; Documentary: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford); The Daily Planet (University of Minnesota Press), and Communications Policy in the Public Interest (Guilford Press). She has been a Fulbright and John Simon Guggenheim fellow and has served as a juror at the Sundance Film Festival. Aufderheide has received numerous journalism and scholarly awards, including career achievement awards, in 2010 from Women in Film and Video, 2008 from the International Digital Media and Arts Association and in 2006 from the International Documentary Association. In 2015, she received the George Stoney Award for Documentary from the University Film and Video Association.She is available at paufder (at) american.edu.

David Lieberman, New School

David Lieberman is Associate Professor of Professional Practice in Media Managment at the New School. He joined The New School in 2017 following a career in journalism where he became one of the nation's leading choniclers of the transformation of the media business. He helped to navigate Deadline.com through its start-up period as its Executive Editor, where he reported on media finance, public policy and technology and hosted a weekly podcast . For 17 years prior to that he led USA Today's coverage of the media business. He investigated and explained the rise of the internet, and changes in TV, movies, music, publishing, and video games for the Money section where he was Senior Media Reporter and columnist. During that time he ran the USA Today CEO Forum, conducting public interviews with many of the country's most prominent business leaders. Before working at USA Today, David drove the media business coverage at TV Guide, then the nation's largest consumer magazine, and at BusinessWeek when it was the most widely circulated weekly magazine for business news.

Atika Alkhallouf, American University

Atika Akhallouf is a PhD student in the School of Communication at American University. She came to American University from Syria, where she obtained an MA in Linguistics.

Jiji Majiri Ugboma, New School

Jiji Majiri Ugboma is an MA student in the New School's School of Public Engagement-Media Management program.

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Published

2020-02-27

Issue

Vol. 14 (2020)

Section

Articles

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