Podcasts are the new best way to consume information
Written by Hrystyna Bobel | Archived Nov. 10, 2020
Illustration by Jake Barnard
It’s no secret that podcasts have taken over as the trend in media over the past few years. Every media company has at least one podcast and many are accompanied by a social media account—either twitter or instagram or both.
Podcasts are versatile, they can be a daily or weekly show in which hosts can discuss recent topics. They can also be a series. These kinds of podcasts are important for people like journalists because it allows them to produce long-form investigative work that they know people will listen to.
Gone are the days where people dedicated time to reading the newspaper or watching the nightly newscast. Our information consumption habits molded by social media use have conditioned us to simply skim over articles and lose interest faster than it took to gain it. We are busy people and we want something we can consume without much effort (If you get past this point in reading, thank you).
This is why podcasts are awesome. They allow listeners to get the same amount of information they would when reading the news all while doing something else. You can listen as you do household chores, work out, or during your morning commute.
The true power of podcasts though, is the effect they have on their listeners. They allow you to hear the real voices of the people telling their stories. All the pain, the joy, and every emotion in between can be felt through the voices and the sounds.
Listening is different than seeing, listening forces you to use your imagination. Imagining the story unfold in your mind places you in the footsteps of the people experiencing something in real life. I believe this is the best way to feel the strongest connection to something. Why tell a story if the audience won’t be truly impacted by it?
Along with this, listening to the conversations in a podcast makes the audience feel like they’re there with the hosts. They laugh along with them, they react to something shocking or rediculous with them. They feel connected and because of that they become loyal listeners.
People talk about podcasts the same way they talk about books, sharing their current favorites and offering a synopsis. Not only are we connected to the podcasts, we also use them to connect with our peers and learn important information along the way.