Romans 10:17 – So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

We took a deeper look at the basics behind the podcasting phenomenon. A new paper from The Fellows in Journalism examines how news organizations around the world are capitalizing on the growing popularity of podcasts. Even traditional media outlets like BBC and The New York Times have recognized podcasts potential and reach.
Two mainstream radio programs that are available as podcasts include Pulse of the Planet and On the Media, as well as several other public radio shows. Local NPR stations such as WBUR in Boston with Only A Game, WNYC with On The Media, and KCRW with The Business and Left Right & Center have packaged a variety of NPR radio shows as podcasts, and these radio shows continue to be among the most popular podcasts with listeners. Just as radio was being curtailed in 2009, an array of new science fiction epic podcasts across the United States, such as The Byron Chronicles, Edict Zero-FIS, and We Are Alive, took advantage of the new media, making it possible for fans to listen to them in large quantities on MP3 players.

Galatians 3:2 – This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

The ease of sharing and accessing audio content has completely changed how content is distributed. Getting shows in front of audiences was expensive and complicated; that was until podcasts brought stories straight to iPods in 2003. As iPods have grown over the years from lifestyle products to daily items, so has podcastings popularity and its content distribution.
In the United States, podcasts such as thrillers Homecoming and Lime Town achieved the reverse, making the move into TV. By 2016, drama podcasts were growing rapidly, sparking thoughts on how shows might be commercialized. In 2017, news was looking for new forms of media to branch out, while podcasts were looking for a steady stream of income.
Yet, this media seemed like the ideal fit for advertisers, since the majority of podcast listeners were within the age range 18-34, which advertisers have famously struggled to reach.

Hebrews 3:7-8 – Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,   (Read More…)

The percentage of Americans listening to podcasts has also increased significantly in the past decade. Almost overnight, podcasts became the go-to marketing outlet for a new generation of media consumers, who spend far more time on the Internet than watching TV or listening to the radio.

Isaiah 55:11 – So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

A new paper from The Fellows of Journalism reports podcast listeners are much younger than traditional viewers or readers at every media outlet, and radio stations are aggressively courting this new audience, while newspapers are treating podcasts as extensions of their brands, another means to reach out. Clearly, The New York Times — and other major media companies — has begun linking its podcast presence with its overall brand, and increasing the number of paid wall-access participants among dedicated podcast listeners.
With mainstream media outlets like National Public Radio and The New York Times, National Public Radio has been double-downing its podcast presence, producing incredible shows like NPRs How I Built This, and I am convinced that podcasts have their best days ahead.

James 1:19-27 – Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:   (Read More…)

Especially when looking at it through a marketing lens, you cannot deny the importance that podcasts hold as content platforms.
Yet, podcasts hold a lot of potential for getting content out there for people, and to their ears even more specifically. Podcasting could result in a media landscape where lots of people are producing and consuming entertainment simultaneously for one another, but the listeners are limited by the amount of time available to them. Part of the success and attraction of audio podcasting is that, similar to radio, it is easy to multitask when listening to audio content, making it a popular choice during work, running, and commutes.
Because, at last count, a vast choice of audio content has been developed for use in the past year, and the choice is being dispersed across innumerable platforms. With Spotify making a massive investment into the podcasting space earlier this year, spending $340M to buy Gimlet Media and Anchor, you can be sure the enthusiasm around audio-based content is higher than it is ever been. Podcasting used to be a new-fangled way of disseminating audio programs online, but has grown 25% y-o-y, with nearly 40 million people listening to some form of podcast.

Luke 8:15 – But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

The growth in podcast journalism shows media companies will keep on innovating in order to keep a viable financial future in this new digital era. The success of daily news podcasts, as well as the other new forms of media newspapers are diversifying into, show that the rise of the Internet does not necessarily signal a death knell for journalism. In our series, we hope to demonstrate how podcasting works as a medium, and what to keep your eyes peeled for as it pertains to new content.
Newspapers and radio stations in Sweden produce news explainer podcasts: daily podcasts of 20-30 minutes, usually going into more detail about a specific subject. Videos from the daily newscast may be shared on a stations website, while the podcast may provide deeper insight into some of the weeks biggest stories. If you would like to find out podcast download numbers and listener demographics, ask for the media kit, which will include that information as well as ad rates.

Hebrews 4:2 – For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

Adding podcasts to your digital marketing and communications strategy can provide a profitable outlet to promote content; it can help you reach new audiences and attract existing audiences; and it can enable you to get your desired messages straight to those audiences.
According to The New York Times, the number of people listening to at least one podcast per month increased between 2018 and 2019 alone, from 1 in 4 to 1 in 3. Serial debuted in 2014, a year in which the Edison Research Annual Infinite Dial Report said 15% of the nation had heard at least one podcast over the previous month. The fight changed in 2014, when a radio program called The American Life produced a spinoff real-crime podcast called Serial.
The number of new podcasts about the news rose globally by nearly 12,000 from January to October 2019, a roughly 32% rise. According to TechCrunch, 2019 marked the biggest year-over-year growth of podcast listening, along with the creation of new podcasts.

Matthew 13:13-15 – Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.   (Read More…)