How podcasts reshaped US elections and broke mainstream media monopoly

Washington, DC — In 2024, the road to the White House ran straight through the podcast studios.

The recently concluded US elections have made one thing unmistakably clear — podcasts are massively transforming the American media landscape, and this shift is only expected to progress further.

Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate turned US President-elect, picked up on it in no time and effectively leveraged podcasts to connect with audiences beyond the conventional mainstream media bubble.

His appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, for example, became a major turning point during the high-stakes election campaign, pulling a whopping 46 million views. Kamala Harris' campaign would soon realise that they simply couldn't match Trump's scale or impact.

Lila Matthews, a California-based guru on US podcasts and pop culture, told TRT World that podcasts enjoy a pan-American "populist appeal."

Trump's move, she points out, "was a stunning display of the power of podcasts." In comparison, Harris' much-hyped Democratic presidential nomination acceptance speech had only 29 million views, proving the advantage of long-form, unscripted conversations over pre-written speeches.

They are unpolished, raw, and feel genuine — ideal for modern audiences who are very well-clued-in and super savvy about how media works, Matthews says, adding, "for candidates, it's an opportunity to connect directly with masses, bypassing traditional gatekeepers."

During the campaign, Trump appeared on over a dozen major podcasts like Joe Rogan Experience, Logan Paul’s Impaulsive and Theo Von’s This Past Weekend. His appearances on shows Bussin’ With The Boys connected him with millions who might never watch traditional news.

Matthews say that podcasts, both political and apolitical, work because they feel personal.

"Listening to a candidate, for instance, speak directly into your ear creates a sense of intimacy that cable news can't match."

The message is clear: podcasts are not just a side note in political campaigning and pop culture — they are the main stage.

"Podcasting as a platform has especially given political candidates a chance to show more of who they really are, rather than what they think the media or the public wants to hear," Matthews adds.

'Traditional media promotes echo chambers'

Adnan Bashir, a Communications and Corporate Affairs Executive based in Ontario, Canada, concurs.

"The podcast format is inherently more conducive to a more stripped-down, raw, and unfiltered two-way dialogue between the host and the guest. It allows the guest to reveal more about themselves with the audience, and to explore dialogue beyond vetted and buttoned-up talking points that generally don't last more than a few minutes at a time," he tells TRT World.

The format demands not only a deeper grasp of the issues but also an ability to navigate unpredictable conversations that can expose vulnerabilities or redefine public perception.

"Extended talking time that can be hours-long, rather than a 15 or 30-minute segment on a broadcast news network, means that the unseasoned politician who may be used to nothing but a concise soundbite is at the mercy of whatever direction the podcast host chooses to pursue," Bashir adds.

Quickly becoming a crucial part of modern political campaigning, especially for congressional and local candidates who often don't get much attention from mainstream media, podcasts seem to be the hot topic du jour in the US.

"I think that more and more podcasts are important. Especially in local elections where the candidates do not always get coverage on traditional media outlets," Esha Krishnaswamy, editor of historicly.net tells TRT World.

Esha, whose popular podcast attempts to debunk myths and misinformation taught in corporate media, adds, "Traditional media promotes echo chambers. There was a recent study of how often traditional media covered Israeli casualties vs Palestinian casualties, and it was disproportional."

Captivating the digital age

In recent years, many renowned journalists have seamlessly transitioned to podcasting, amassing big audiences in the process.

Sarah Koenig's Serial transformed true crime into a cultural phenomenon in the US, while Rogan's The Joe Rogan Experience has become a go-to for long-form interviews.

Similarly, Kara Swisher, with Sway, brings her no-holds-barred insights into the world of tech and politics, while Michael Barbaro's The Daily has become a daily news staple for many.

Tucker Carlson found huge success post-Fox, using podcasts to share his unfiltered and sometimes candid views.

Chris Wallace recently announced that he is leaving CNN, choosing not to renew his high-profile, seven-figure contract. At 77, he's also eyeing podcasts and streaming — which he calls "where the action seems to be."

Podcasts have long been popular, with their influence growing even stronger in this election cycle. Popular anchors such as Rogan, Alex Cooper, and Andrew Schulz were wildly successful years before the 2024 US presidential election, Bashir says.

Effective at finding a home among specific, hyperconnected, and highly tuned-in demographic niches that vaulted them to the top of the media ecosystem, they bagged lucrative deals with major technology and media players such as Spotify and SiriusXM.

"While podcasting has been around for roughly two decades, 2024 marks a watershed moment where its ascent undeniably signals a shift in the outreach and messaging strategy for politicians, business, and community leaders moving forward," Bashir concludes.