Amy Watson
Research expert covering news and publishing
News and podcasts - statistics & facts
An increasingly popular medium, podcasts offer the busy modern consumer an efficient and convenient way to enjoy entertainment whilst on the move. With over three million podcasts globally in 2023, consumers have a wealth of options, and although news podcasts are far from the leading genre, this new way of accessing news has many pluses for audiences.
Several large news organizations like the New York Times and NPR have also launched their own podcasts in an effort to reach news audiences, and there is also a growing number of independent podcasts. The latter kind, however, have the potential to be less credible and biased than those hailing from reputable news organizations, leaving listeners with the challenge of identifying opinions from facts and grappling with trust and credibility.
Independent news podcasts, then, may have their shortcomings, but established news publishers known and trusted for their journalism could look to diversify their news offering and attract new users by offering podcasts to their audiences. In an age when consumers are busier than ever and fatigued by news, a more passive (but still engaging) way of keeping up to date may be a plausible solution to keeping up to date.
News podcasts: a solution to news fatigue?
News fatigue and avoidance is on the rise – a concern for publishers already struggling to attract and retain web traffic, subscribers, and engagement. But could news podcasts offer a ray of hope? Offering audiences a convenient way to stay informed, the medium allows listeners to consume news while on the go, and keeping up to date whilst commuting, exercising, or multitasking at home may be appealing for the modern listener. This is particularly true of those who struggle to find the time or motivation to dedicate to reading and watching news elsewhere. Indeed, one notable advantage of news podcasts is their accessibility, in that they can be downloaded or streamed on various platforms, allowing people to incorporate news into their routines with ease.What kinds of news podcasts are available?
One notable (albeit focusing mainly on U.S. issues) news podcast is 'Apple News Today', a short form daily news podcasts designed to hit listeners with world affairs and happenings early in the day. Elsewhere, the BBC's podcast 'Ukrainecast' gives listeners information and accounts from field journalists in the country, and these specific types of news podcast may be especially interesting to those who wish to keep up to date on a certain topic without overwhelming themselves with additional stories and events. Spotify's offering 'Your Daily Drive' targets casual news listeners seeking news during their commute, not dissimilar to a radio show, and aggregates news from the likes of NPR and the Wall Street Journal, among other publishers.Several large news organizations like the New York Times and NPR have also launched their own podcasts in an effort to reach news audiences, and there is also a growing number of independent podcasts. The latter kind, however, have the potential to be less credible and biased than those hailing from reputable news organizations, leaving listeners with the challenge of identifying opinions from facts and grappling with trust and credibility.
Independent news podcasts, then, may have their shortcomings, but established news publishers known and trusted for their journalism could look to diversify their news offering and attract new users by offering podcasts to their audiences. In an age when consumers are busier than ever and fatigued by news, a more passive (but still engaging) way of keeping up to date may be a plausible solution to keeping up to date.
