Can Podcasts Keep The Trust They've Earned?

Trust in podcasting extends beyond the host and the listener to a larger, overall trust in the idea of podcasting. Interestingly, podcasting enjoys a greater level of trust than other forms of media. But for how long? 

Photo by Charlotte May from Pexels

In The States, trust in traditional broadcast media is at or near an all-time low, a trend that has been happening since the 1970s. 

And we're all keenly aware that, left to their own devices, the social media platforms we use every single day would serve their own interests far more often than they'd serve ours.

Weirdly, podcasting doesn't follow those trends. Listeners report rather hard-to-believe trust scores for podcasts. A trust that's even extended to the ads played on podcasts.

Why? Part because there's no algorithm deciding what podcast episodes someone should and shouldn't be exposed to. And because there aren't multinational media conglomerates vying for their share of a limited set of channels, frequencies, or shelf space on a newsstand. 

But that's changing. 

We're starting to see some of the same scenarios that predicated trust issues consumers have with other forms of media worming their way into podcasting.

The rise of celebrity podcasters and other fast-growing personality-based podcasts are getting podcasts in the ears of 70% of the population who don't yet consume podcasts regularly. That's great! But is it good for the perception of trust in podcasting? 

Take a look at any of the podcast ranker charts, and you'll find plenty of shows—incredibly popular shows—that you wouldn't consider all that worthy of your trust.

Mainstream media is bringing the same biases and points of view that are staples of their broadcast content to their podcasts and networks. 

Billions of dollars of investments in podcasting are consolidating voices, enabling more rapid production, and further siloing podcast content. But they're also getting podcasters, and people in the business of podcasting paid, which is also a Very Good Thing. 

But I wonder about the cost to the trust podcasting has enjoyed thus far. 

-----

Links

Trust in traditional broadcast media is at or near an all-time lowPeople trust the ads and commercials they hear on podcastsPodcast Pontifications episodes on truthPodtrac top...

Trust in podcasting extends beyond the host and the listener to a larger, overall trust in the idea of podcasting. Interestingly, podcasting enjoys a greater level of trust than other forms of media. But for how long? 

Photo by Charlotte May from Pexels

In The States, trust in traditional broadcast media is at or near an all-time low, a trend that has been happening since the 1970s. 

And we're all keenly aware that, left to their own devices, the social media platforms we use every single day would serve their own interests far more often than they'd serve ours.

Weirdly, podcasting doesn't follow those trends. Listeners report rather hard-to-believe trust scores for podcasts. A trust that's even extended to the ads played on podcasts.

Why? Part because there's no algorithm deciding what podcast episodes someone should and shouldn't be exposed to. And because there aren't multinational media conglomerates vying for their share of a limited set of channels, frequencies, or shelf space on a newsstand. 

But that's changing. 

We're starting to see some of the same scenarios that predicated trust issues consumers have with other forms of media worming their way into podcasting.

The rise of celebrity podcasters and other fast-growing personality-based podcasts are getting podcasts in the ears of 70% of the population who don't yet consume podcasts regularly. That's great! But is it good for the perception of trust in podcasting? 

Take a look at any of the podcast ranker charts, and you'll find plenty of shows—incredibly popular shows—that you wouldn't consider all that worthy of your trust.

Mainstream media is bringing the same biases and points of view that are staples of their broadcast content to their podcasts and networks. 

Billions of dollars of investments in podcasting are consolidating voices, enabling more rapid production, and further siloing podcast content. But they're also getting podcasters, and people in the business of podcasting paid, which is also a Very Good Thing. 

But I wonder about the cost to the trust podcasting has enjoyed thus far. 

-----

Links

Trust in traditional broadcast media is at or near an all-time lowPeople trust the ads and commercials they hear on podcastsPodcast Pontifications episodes on truthPodtrac top podcastsTriton Digital podcast chartsPodcast Insights top podcasts Over 100K active podcasters trust BuzzsproutGot a podcasting service? Become a sponsor of Podcast Pontifications.

Serious about podcasting? Join the Advancing Podcasting Community today!

Got a podcasting service? Become a sponsor of Podcast Pontifications.Serious about podcasting? Join the Advancing Podcasting Community today!

-----

Podcast Pontifications is a production of Simpler Media. New episodes are released weekly, providing ideas and questions every serious podcaster should be thinking about.

It's created and hosted by Evo Terra. Follow him on Twitter for more podcasting insights as they come. Allie Press assists with the production and transcription of the show.

If you received value from today's episode of Podcast Pontifications, return some of that! We call it value-for-value and there are many ways to show your support.

Mentioned in this episode:

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th.

Abortion is a basic healthcare need for the millions of people who can become pregnant. Everyone should have the freedom to decide what’s best for themselves and their families, including when it comes to ending a pregnancy. This decision has dire consequences for individual health and safety, and could have harsh repercussions for other landmark decisions.

Restricting access to comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion, threatens the health and independence of all Americans. Even if you live in a state where abortion rights are upheld, access to safe medical procedures shouldn’t be determined by location, and it shouldn't be the privilege of a small few.

You can help by donating to local abortion funds. To find out where to donate for each state, visit donations4abortion.com.

If you or someone you know needs help, or if you want to get more involved, here are 5 resources:

1. ShoutYourAbortion.com is a campaign to normalize abortion.
2. DontBanEquality.com is a campaign for companies to take a stand against abortion restrictions.
3. Abortion.cafe has information about where to find clinics.
4. PlanCPills.org provides early at-home abortion pills that you can keep in your medicine cabinet.
5. Choice.CRD.co has a collection of these resources and more.

We encourage you to speak up! And spread the word.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
Podsights - https://podsights.com/privacy