CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The history of journalism spans the growth of technology and trade, marked by the advent

of specialized techniques for gathering and disseminating information on a regular basis that has

caused, as one history of journalism surmises, the steady increase of "the scope of news available

to us and the speed with which it is transmitted". Before the printing press was invented, word of

mouth was the primary source of news. Returning merchants, sailors, travelers brought news

back to the mainland, and this was then picked up by peddler spedlars and traveling players and

spread from town to town. Ancient scribes often wrote this information down. This transmission

of news was highly unreliable and died out with the invention of the printing press. Newspapers

(and to a lesser extent, magazines) have always been the primary medium of journalists since the

18th century, radio and television in the 20th century, and the Internet in the 21st century.

(Source: Wikipedia, “History of Jouralsm”).

Journalism is the gathering, organizing, and distribution of news -- to include feature

stories and commentary through the wide variety of print and non-print media outlets. It is not a

recent phenomenon, by any means; the earliest reference to a journalistic product comes from

Rome circa 59 B.C., when news was recorded in a circular called the Acta Diurna. It enjoyed

daily publication and was hung strategically throughout the city for all to read, or for those who

were able to read. During the Tang dynasty, from 618 A.D. to 907 A.D., China prepared a court

report, then named a bao, to distribute to government officials for the purpose of keeping them

informed of relevant events. It continued afterward in a variety of forms and names until the end

of 1911, and the demise of the Qing dynasty. However, the first indication of a regular news
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publication can be traced to Germany, 1609, and the initial paper published in the English

language (albeit "old English") was the newspaper known as the Weekly News from 1622. The

Daily Courant, however, first appearing in 1702, was the first daily paper for public

consumption. It should come as no surprise that these earliest forays into keeping the public

informed were met with government opposition in many cases. They attempted to impose

censorship by placing restrictions and taxes on publishers as a way to curb freedom of the press.

But literacy among the population, as a whole, was growing and because of this, along with the

introduction of technology that improved printing and circulation, newspaper publications saw

their numbers explode; and even though there remain pockets of news censorship around the

world today, for the most part, journalistic freedom reigns. Soon after newspapers got a foothold,

the creation of the magazine became widespread as well. Its earliest form was such aptly named

periodicals as the Tattler and Spectator. Both were initial attempts to marry articles of opinions

with current events, and by the 1830s, magazines were common mass-circulated periodicals that

appealed to a broader audience. They included illustrated serials aimed specifically at the female

audience.

Time passed, and the cost of news gathering increased dramatically, as publications

attempted to keep pace with what seemed to be a growing and insatiable appetite for printed

news. Slowly, news agencies formed to take the place of independent publishers. They would

hire people to gather and write news reports, and then sell these stories to a variety of individual

news outlets. However, the print media was soon about to come head-to-head with an entirely

new form of news gathering -- first, with the invention of the telegraph, then quickly followed by

the radio, the television, and mass broadcasting. It was an evolution of technology that seemed

all but inevitable. Non-print media changed the dynamics of news gathering and reporting

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altogether. It sped up all aspects of the process, making the news, itself, more timely and

relevant. Soon, technology became an integral part of journalism, even if the ultimate product

was in print form. Today, satellites that transmit information from one side of the globe to

another in seconds, and the Internet, as well, place breaking news in the hands of almost every

person in the world at the same time. This has created a new model of journalism once again, and

one that will likely be the standard for the future.

A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For

example, an episodic series of digital audio files that users can download to a personal device to

listen to at a time of their choosing. Podcasts are primarily an audio medium, but some distribute

video, either as their primary content or as a supplement to audio. A podcast series usually

features one or more recurring hosts engaged in a discussion about a particular topic or current

event. Discussion and content within a podcast can range from carefully scripted to completely

improvised. Podcasts combine elaborate and artistic sound production with thematic concerns

ranging from scientific research to slice-of-life journalism. Many podcast series provide an

associated website with links and show notes, guest biographies, transcripts, additional

resources, commentary, and occasionally a community forum dedicated to discussing the show's

content. The cost to the consumer is low, and many podcasts are free to download. Some

podcasts are underwritten by corporations or sponsored, with the inclusion of commercial

advertisements. In other cases, a podcast could be a business venture supported by some

combination of a paid subscription model, advertising or product delivered after sale. Because

podcast content is often free, podcasting is often classified as a disruptive medium, adverse to the

maintenance of traditional revenue models.

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 Podcasting is the preparation and distribution of audio files using RSS feeds to the devices

of subscribed users. A podcaster normally buys this service from a podcast hosting company

such as Sound Cloud or Libsyn. Hosting companies then distribute these audio files to streaming

services, such as Apple and Spotify, which users can listen to on their smartphones or digital

music and multimedia players. As of June 2024, there are at least 3,369,942 podcasts and

199,483,500 episodes. Podcast creators tend to have a good listener base because of their

relationships with the listeners.

In September 2000, early MP3 player manufacturer i2Go offered a service called

MyAudio2Go.com which allowed users to download news stories for listening on a PC or MP3

player. The service was available for about a year until i2Go's demise in 2001. In October 2000,

the concept of attaching sound and video files in RSS feeds was proposed in a draft by Tristan

Louis.[17] The idea was implemented by Dave Winer, a software developer and an author of the

RSS format. Podcasting, once an obscure method of spreading audio information, has become a

recognized medium for distributing audio content, whether for corporate or personal use.

Podcasts are similar to radio programs in form, but they exist as audio files that can be played at

a listener's convenience, anytime and anywhere. The first application to make this process

feasible was iPodderX, developed by August Trometer and Ray Slakinski. By 2007, audio

podcasts were doing what was historically accomplished via radio broadcasts, which had been

the source of radio talk shows and news programs since the 1930s. This shift occurred as a result

of the evolution of internet capabilities along with increased consumer access to cheaper

hardware and software for audio recording and editing.

In August 2004, Adam Curry launched his show Daily Source Code. It was a show focused

on chronicling his everyday life, delivering news, and discussions about the development of

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podcasting, as well as promoting new and emerging podcasts. Curry published it in an attempt to

gain traction in the development of what would come to be known as podcasting and as a means

of testing the software outside of a lab setting. The name Daily Source Code was chosen in the

hope that it would attract an audience with an interest in technology. Daily Source Code started

at a grassroots level of production and was initially directed at podcast developers. As its

audience became interested in the format, these developers were inspired to create and produce

their own projects and, as a result, they improved the code used to create podcasts. As more

people learned how easy it was to produce podcasts, a community of pioneer podcasters quickly

appeared. In June 2005, Apple released iTunes 4.9, which added formal support for podcasts,

thus negating the need to use a separate program in order to download and transfer them to a

mobile device. Although this made access to podcasts more convenient and widespread, it also

effectively ended advancement of podcatchers by independent developers. Additionally, Apple

issued cease and desist orders to many podcast application developers and service providers for

using the term "iPod" or "Pod" in their products' names. The logo used by Apple to represent

podcasting in Apple Podcasts.( Source :podcast en.m.wikipedia.org)

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The increasing popularity of podcasts has transformed the way people consume news and

information, yet the role of podcasts in contemporary journalism remains unclear. Despite their

growing influence, podcasts often lack the editorial oversight, fact-checking, and accountability

mechanisms that are standard in traditional journalism. This raises concerns about the credibility,

reliability, and impact of podcast-based journalism, particularly in an era of misinformation and

disinformation. Furthermore, the blurring of lines between journalism and entertainment, as well

as the commercialization of podcasting, pose additional challenges to the integrity and

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independence of journalistic practices. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the role of

podcasts in contemporary journalism, exploring their potential benefits, limitations, and

implications for the future of news and information dissemination.

1.3 Objective of the Study

The objectives of this study are to:

1. Explore the current state of podcast-based journalism, including its forms, formats, and

content.

2. Examine the benefits and limitations of podcast-based journalism, including its potential

for in-depth reporting, storytelling, and audience engagement.

3. Investigate the challenges and concerns surrounding podcast-based journalism, including

issues of credibility, accountability, and commercialization.

4. Analyze the impact of podcast-based journalism on the media landscape, including its

influence on traditional journalism and the dissemination of news and information.

1.4 Research Questions

The following questions were designed to guide the study:

1. What is the current state of podcast-based journalism?

2. What are the benefit and limitations of podcast-based journalism?

3. What are the challenges and concerns surrounding podcast-based journalism, and how

can they be addressed?

4. How does podcast-based journalism influence traditional journalism and the media

landscape?
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1.5 Significance of the Study

The significance of any study has to do with the importance or relevance of the study not

just to the academic setting or terrain but to the society at large. As such the findings of this

study will contribute to the understanding of podcast-based journalism's role in the evolving

media landscape and Provide insights into the benefits and challenges of podcasting as a

journalistic medium, inform the development of best practices and industry standards for

podcast-based journalism and then enhancing the credibility and accountability of podcast-based

journalism.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study is meant to investigate the current state of podcasting in journalism because it

allows for an exploration of the various forms and formats of podcasting in journalism and

enables an examination of the benefits and challenges of podcasting in journalism.

1.7 Definitions of Terms

Here are some definitions of terms that may be used in the study:

 Audio Journalism: It is a form of journalism that uses audio to narrate stories and provide

information to its audience.

 Digital Journalism: The practice of using digital platforms to report and tell news stories.

 Fact-Checking: The practice of verifying the accuracy of information and sources.

 Investigative Journalism Podcasts: Podcasts that conduct in-depth investigations and

exposés on specific topics or issues.

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 Journalism Professionals: Individuals working in the Field of journalism, Including

Reporters, editors, producers, and anchors.

 Media Organizations: Companies or entities that produce and distribute media content,

including news outlets, radio stations, and online platforms.

 Online Journalism: The practice of using online platforms to report and tell news stories.

 Podcast-based Journalism: The practice of creating and distributing journalistic content

through podcasts.

 Podcast: A series of digital audio files that are released on a regular schedule, such as

weekly or monthly, and can be downloaded or streamed online.

 Podcast creators: Individuals or teams responsible for producing and distributing podcasts.

 Podcast Platforms: Online platforms that host and distribute podcasts, such as Apple

Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

 Podcast Audience: The group of people who listen to or engage with podcasts.

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 CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The chapter takes a review of relevant materials as it relates to the topic in view. Hence it

aims at exposing readers to a vast level of knowledge, what others have said concerning the

subject matter, and other research work that has been done, concerning the subject matter as a

result of this, the following are the basic concept that will be discussed in this chapter: Historical

review, this part of this study, takes an overview of the history of journalism and podcasting then

the history and evolution of podcasting in journalism. Conceptual review, Empirical Review and

Theoretical framework.

2.1 Historical Review

2.1.1 History of Journalism

The earliest known journalistic product was a news sheet circulated in ancient Rome: the

Acta Diurna, said to date from before 59 BCE. The Acta Diurna recorded important daily events

such as public speeches. It was published daily and hung in prominent places. In China during

the Tang dynasty, a court circular called a bao, or “report,” was issued to government officials.

This gazette appeared in various forms and under various names more or less continually to the

end of the Qing dynasty in 1911. The first regularly published newspapers appeared in German

cities and in Antwerp about 1609. The first English newspaper, the Weekly News, was published

in 1622. One of the first daily newspapers, The Daily Courant, appeared in 1702. At first

hindered by government-imposed censorship, taxes, and other restrictions, newspapers in the

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18th century came to enjoy the reportorial freedom and indispensable function that they have

retained to the present day. The growing demand for newspapers owing to the spread of literacy

and the introduction of steam- and then electric-driven presses caused the daily circulation of

newspapers to rise from the thousands to the hundreds of thousands and eventually to the

millions. Magazines, which had started in the 17th century as learned journals, began to feature

opinion-forming articles on current affairs, such as those in the Tatler (1709–11) and the

Spectator (1711–12). Appearing in the 1830s were cheap mass-circulation magazines aimed at a

wider and less well-educated public, as well as illustrated and women’s magazines. The cost of

large-scale news gathering led to the formation of news agencies, organizations that sold their

international journalistic reporting to many different individual newspapers and magazines. The

invention of the telegraph and then radio and television brought about a great increase in the

speed and timeliness of journalistic activity and, at the same time, provided massive new outlets

and audiences for their electronically distributed products. In the late 20th century, satellites and

later the Internet were used for the long-distance transmission of journalistic information.

(Source: Wikipedia, History of journalism).

Audio journalism has become a significant part of the media industry in recent years. It is a

form of journalism that uses audio to narrate stories and provide information to its audience. The

emergence of audio journalism came as a response to the changing preferences of the audience.

Listeners now prefer audio content over visual content, especially when they are on the go. This

preference for audio content has led to the rise of podcasts, audio books, and other audio content.

Audio journalism has also made it easier for people with visual disabilities to access news and

information. Audio journalism emerged in the early 20th century, with the first commercial radio

broadcast in 1920. It quickly became a popular form of entertainment, and people began to rely

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on radio for news and information. However, it was not until the 1960s that audio journalism

became a significant part of the media industry. The Vietnam War and the civil rights movement

were two events that brought audio journalism to the forefront. News organizations sent reporters

to cover these events, and they used audio recordings to capture the sounds and voices of the

events. These recordings were then broadcast to the audience, providing them with a more

immersive experience.(Source: FasterCapital “The Rise of Audio Journalism:NPR’s Leading

Role” 27 jun 2024 fastercapital.com)

2.1.2 History of Podcasting

The term “podcasting” was coined in 2004 by journalist Ben Hammersly in a newspaper

article for “The Guardian”. He was writing about the potential for a boom in amateur radio,

arguing that the ingredients were all there: blogging - popular, production software - cheap, and

MP3 players - all the rage. But what to call it? “Audio blogging? Podcasting? GuerillaMedia?”

We all know which one stuck (Hammersley, Ben {February 12, 2004}. “Audible revolution.”

The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 22, 2013)

Podcasting was, in fact, developed in 2004, when Adam Curry, former MTV video jockey,

and software developer Dave Winer, coded a program known as iPodder, which enabled them to

download Internet radio broadcasts to their iPods. Curry now hosts The Daily Source Code, one

of the most popular podcasts on the Internet. It was in 2005 that the big companies started

recognizing the opportunity - Apple leading the way with iTunes 4.9, the first update with native

support for podcasts. And speaking of recognition, the very same year, George W. Bush became

the first President to have is weekly address delivered as a podcast. Fun fact: 2005 is also the

year in which “Podcast” is declared “Word of the Year” by the New Oxford American

Dictionary. During a keynote speech in 2006, Steve Jobs demonstrated how to make a podcast
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using GarageBand. This would have been a sign to all competitors that the medium was to be

taken seriously. The popularity of podcasts was on the up and up, with Ricky Gervais setting a

Guinness World Record for most downloaded podcast over a quarter of a million per episode for

the first month. Fast forward a few years and Adam Carolla becomes the Guinness World Record

holder for the most downloaded podcast. He only managed to accrue 59 million unique

downloads between March 2009 and March 2011. Measly. By 2013 the demand was undeniable

- Apple announced 1 billion podcast subscribers. This was also the year in which Personal Audio

“Patent Troll” sued several high profile podcasters for royalties, claiming they had a patent on

podcasting since 2009. This was only overruled in 2017, when the court ruled they did not, in

fact, invent the medium. With so many different podcasts popping up every single day, on a

plethora of platforms, it’s hard to tell how many people actually listen to them. The latest data

(2019, from Music Oomph) would suggest approximately 165 million people have listened to a

podcast. Considering the low barrier to entry (they’re basically free to make), we can’t imagine

they will become less popular any time soon!(Source: Onefineplay :A BRIEF HISTORY OF

PODCASTING. Onefineplay.com)

The true godfathers of podcasting are Dave Winer and Adam Curry. Dave Winer is a

software developer, RSS evangelist and developer of the popular weblog package Radio User

land. Today he produces Morning Coffee Notes and Trade Secrets. Adam Curry produces the

wildly popular Daily Source Code. Adam is well known as a mid-80s former MTV VJ.

Podcasting started before the term was even invented, with an idea from a meeting in 2000

between Adam and Dave. The two were talking about automated media distribution. The

conversation centered around video rather than audio. Dave was against the idea of a

subscription-based system for video downloads. Remember, this was 2000, before the worldwide

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leap in the number of broadband internet connections. Dave felt the internet simply had not

evolved to the point where it would support large video downloads, not to mention the cost of

delivering content. His analogy was that it was taking longer to download video than it was to

play it, and many times the video was poor quality and you really did not know what you were

going to get. Adam’s idea was to look at internet connections differently and to consider all of

the bandwidth that goes to waste when you are not using your internet connection. He wanted a

software solution that could download items that he subscribed to. This really wasn’t a new idea,

but there were no tools to do this in the fashion they desired. Dave was already working on Real

Simple Syndication (RSS) a web feed that allows users and applications to access updates to

websites in a standardized, computer-readable format. RSS feeds also benefit users who want to

receive timely updates from favorite websites or to aggregate data from many sites. Dave had

made some revisions to the original RSS 0.91 specification developed by Netscape and

formalized RSS 2.0 in 2003. The RSS 2.0 standard was released by Harvard under a Creative

Commons license. In the meantime, Dave wanted to come up with a format to deliver content via

a subscription system. So he thought the process would need to be broken into three problems:

What software do you use when creating the content?

What software reads the content?

Where do you find the content?

These three elements needed to come together to make the vision developed at that meeting

in 2000 happen.

Until the summer of 2004, progress was slow and, even though many of the individual

pieces were there in place, they were not all tied together until Adam decided to try his hand at

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programming and developed the first rudimentary podcatcher application with Apple Scripts.

Dave initially thought that what Adam had created would not work, but with his hacked together

Apple Script, Adam was able to capture and download the audio post that Dave embedded in his

weblog. Adam’s program read Dave’s RSS feed and downloaded the audio file. Adam’s

“podcatcher” program was looking for items within Dave’s RSS feed known as enclosures. The

program simply grabbed the file within these enclosures, downloaded it, and then utilizing the

API released for iTunes, put the file in his iTunes playlist, which then could be synced to his

iPod. Dave and Adam worked for four years after that original meeting to make subscription and

automatic file downloads of video and audio content easy for the masses. Things seem to always

come full circle and by a little luck in that we had a quasi-celebrity promoting what they had

accomplished: Adam’s simple Apple Script lit a fire for the development of podcasting, which is

in full swing today. Adam Curry says, “Podcasting is where developers and users party

together.” This has been a profound battle cry and has resulted in amazing achievements in a

short time. The momentum behind podcasting is simply amazing. The number of people racing

to make it easier to produce and consume podcasts is going on at a frenzied pace with at least a

dozen teams bringing software products that are largely free to the marketplace. The Open

Source community and the initial innovations and foresight of Adam and Dave were the keys to

the explosive growth and initial creation of software tools that skyrocketed the growth of this

medium. Today teams of individuals collaborate to bring new features to the software tools we

are going to discuss in detail. By early 2005, new media creators were jumping into podcasting

and a number of podcast directories started to emerge to support the cataloging of podcasts being

created. One of the most popular at the time was PodcastAlley dot com and later PodcastPickle

dot com. In January of 2005, the first podcast network appeared at techpodcasts.com, which

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today is a property of RawVoice. Other networks such as The Podcast Network began to emerge.

Some of these networks were topic-focused and others carried a wide variety of content.In May

of 2005, Todd Cochrane, the CEO of RawVoice, brought into the podcasting space the very first

major advertiser. His advertising deal with GoDaddy.com proved to be a maturing point in the

space when people realized that they could make a full-time living creating new media and

distributing it as a podcast. In July of 2005, Apple introduced Podcasting Support into iTunes

and an explosion of new listeners and new media creators jumped into podcasting. This is also

about the time that mainstream media started to understand the power of automated delivery of

media content and very quickly you had new media creators content and mainstream media

content being given equal billing on iTunes. In August of 2005, the inaugural People’s Choice

Podcast Awards ceremony was held in Ontario, Calif., during the first Podcast Expo. From this

point on, a number of companies jumped into the podcasting space and several have been

venture funded. With the majority of those companies, business models are built around

advertising revenue in podcasting. As of 2021, there were estimated to be approximately 500,000

active podcast creators producing a variety of audio and video content. Some of the largest show

today, that were born in this space and did not cross over from new media, easily reach more

than a million listeners each month. The average podcast though today reaches between 1,000

and 50,000 listeners. (Source: Kathryn Milewski “Podcasting: A brif history” 22, Apr 2022

https//live365.com).

2.1.3 Evolution of Podcasting in Journalism

It is no secret that journalism is experiencing a crisis in the digital age of media. As

circulation numbers plummet alongside advertising revenues, national newspapers are

hemorrhaging money, while many smaller outlets have bled dry. Digital advertising now

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outstrips traditional forms of advertising so optimists in the media industry might suggest by

moving content online, journalism could survive in the 21st Century. Yet news corporations have

not enjoyed the opportunities presented by the rise of the Internet. Facebook and Google have

established an uncompromising hegemony on the digital advertising market, accounting for 60%

of its revenue this year. In the wake of this profound dislocation, media companies have

scrambled to adapt to their new reality to avoid going extinct. Online news sites have resorted to

click bait stories. Newspapers have retreated behind paywalls, with the FT leading the way in

2002, and the Times and the Telegraph following its lead in 2010 and 2012 respectively. The

Guardian still allows free online access to their journalism but has resorted to begging for

donations at the bottom of every article. Internationally, some newspapers have survived by

acquiring billionaire philanthropic patrons, like the Washington Post with Jeff Bezos. Journalists

and editors are innovating, adopting new forms of media and new business strategies to keep

their industry afloat. Amidst this turmoil, one promising type of “new media” has experienced an

incredible rise in recent years to provide some hope: the daily news podcast. When podcasts first

appeared, they were known as audioblogs. They represented a democratic alternative to radio, a

space where anyone with a microphone could make their voice heard. Through the 2000s

podcasts became more polished and professional but still struggled to make a significant

mainstream impact. That all changed in 2014 when a radio show called The American Life

produced a true-crime podcast spinoff called Serial. It quickly became a sensation as 5 million

people tuned in to its 12 episodes. It proved the potential of the podcast in a time when

smartphones allowed people to consume them at any time and in any place. They became

recognised as a high quality and in-demand alternative to radio one could personalize to their

tastes. Yet despite this success, podcasts have found it difficult to monetise their popularity.

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After quickly gaining popularity, true-crime series like Serial, S-Town or Sleuth have found it

difficult to attract advertisers before their seasons came to an end. Serial relied on audience

donations to create a second series. Yet the medium seemed perfect for advertisers as most

podcast listeners are in the 18-34 age bracket that advertisers find notoriously difficult to access.

Research shows 85% of people listen to the end of podcasts and at 90 seconds on average,

podcast adverts are longer than those on TV or radio.

Thus in 2017, journalism was looking for new forms of media to expand into and podcasts

were looking for a reliable revenue stream. Like some strange corporate rom-com, they found

exactly what they were looking for in each other, and the daily news podcast was born.

2.2 Conceptual Review

2.2.1 Understanding the Concept of Podcasting

The word podcast is a noun and a verb; it signifies both the production of a discrete audio

text and the produced text itself. While the noun podcast often signifies an audio file, the object

is a combination of an audio MP3 file, an XML (Extensible Markup Language) metadata file,

and an RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feed that makes distribution and listening possible.

Colloquially, the term podcast generally refers to an episode or series of audio-content

downloaded or streamed from the internet on demand or via a subscription service. A

portmanteau of the words broadcast and iPod, the word podcast was coined by journalist Ben

Hammersly in an article for The Guardian in 2004 about a possible coming boom in amateur

radio production. Later that year, a blog post by tech journalist Doc Searls also adopted the term

in his anticipation of a burgeoning form of audio distribution. The time between these early

predictions and the podcast boom was relatively short. A Google search for the word ‘podcast’ in

2004 turned up 24 hits. By the end of 2005, the same search turned up over 100 million. By
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August 2005, the term had earned its place in the Oxford English Dictionary. The verb to podcast

is a process and practice that emerged from the convergence of genres, institutions, business

models, media histories, and social and cultural practices. No one person invented podcasting;

rather the technology emerged around 2004 as theresult of the introduction of the RSS file

format, a rise in users with multimedia-ready computers and Mp3 players, and the availability of

faster broadband that supported the easy downloading and streaming of the audio files. Software

developer Dave Winer and former MTV VJ and tech entrepreneur Mark Curry are the two

people most often attributed with developing and popularizing both the RSS technology that

allows for the aggregating and downloading of web content and with creating and popularizing

podcasting software.(“Podcast Definition & meaning”. Britannica Dictionary).

2.2.2 Understanding the Concept of Journalism

Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts,

ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree

of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (professional or not), the methods of

gathering information, and the organizing literary styles. The appropriate role for journalism

varies from country to country, as do perceptions of the profession, and the resulting status. In

some nations, the news media are controlled by government and are not independent. In others,

news media are independent of the government and operate as private industry. In addition,

countries may have differing implementations of laws handling the freedom of speech, freedom

of the press as well as slander and libel cases. The proliferation of the Internet and smartphones

has brought significant changes to the media landscape since the turn of the 21st century. This

has created a shift in the consumption of print media channels, as people increasingly consume

news through e-readers, smartphones, and other personal electronic devices, as opposed to the

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more traditional formats of newspapers, magazines, or television news channels. News

organizations are challenged to fully monetize their digital wing, as well as improvise on the

context in which they publish in print. Newspapers have seen print revenues sink at a faster pace

than the rate of growth for digital revenues.

2.3 Opinion Review

2.3.1 Benefits of Podcasting in Journalism

Podcasting, with it's global reach and unique challenges, offers creators the opportunity to

each diverse and engaged audiences.

Some of its most notable benefits are:

 Global reach

 Flexibility of format and content

 Community building

 Authority and Credibility

 Opportunity to make money with modest audiences

 Global Reach: One of the main benefits of podcasting is it's ability to reach audiences

worldwide without the geographical limitations faced by other media. Podcasts can be

accessed anytime and from anywhere, allowing content creators to reach people from

different cultures, languages, and geographical locations. This global distribution offers

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 podcasters the opportunity to connect with a diverse audience and significantly expand their

reach. Examples of successful podcasts, such as those addressing universal themes or

offering multilingual content, demonstrate the power of podcasting to transcend geographical

and cultural barriers.

 Flexibility of Format and Content: Podcasting offers incredible flexibility in terms of

episode formats and content, allowing creators to adapt to their audience's preferences and

explore various topics and styles. From informative interviews to thrilling narratives and

casual conversations, podcasters have the freedom to experiment with different styles and

formats to keep their audience engaged. This flexibility also allows for adapting to emerging

trends and exploring new ideas and approaches to keep content fresh and relevant. The

ability to customize the format and content of a podcast is one of its major strengths,

enabling unlimited creativity and deeper connection with the audience.

 Community Building: One of the most notable advantages of podcasting is its ability to

create and cultivate engaged communities around common interests. Podcasts offer listeners

the opportunity to connect with others who share their interests and passions, fostering a

sense of belonging and camaraderie. Podcasters can encourage community participation

through various strategies, such as social media interaction, organizing live events, and

creating online discussion groups. These communities not only provide support and

camaraderie to listeners but also offer content creators a solid base of loyal followers who

can contribute to the ongoing success of the podcast.

 Authority and Credibility: Podcasting offers content creators a unique platform to establish

themselves as authorities in their niche and build credibility with their audience. Through

regularly delivering high-quality content, delving into specific topics, and engaging in
20
 relevant conversations, podcasters can position themselves as experts in their respective

fields. Furthermore, the ability to offer interviews with opinion leaders and subject matter

experts can help reinforce the podcast's credibility and increase its appeal to listeners. A

Establishing authority and credibility is crucial for building a base of loyal followers and

maintaining the long-term success of the podcast. With a consistent focus on delivering

valuable and reliable content, podcasters can earn the trust of their audience and become an

influential voice in their industry.

 Opportunity to make Money with Modest Audiences: While content monetization still

presents many challenges, there is now the possibility of making money even without a large

critical mass of followers. Typically, the creator economy was reserved for those with a large

audience and high playback volume. However, the current trend indicates that monetization

can also be achieved with small audiences. Being consistent in content creation, building a

community around a podcast, and monetizing it through subscriptions or donations is a great

opportunity for niche topics and should be considered as a very good alternative.( Source ;

Leo Menendez” Advantages and disadvantages of making a podcast” mumbler blog seventh

Jan. 2024 https/mumbler.io)

2.3.2 Limitations of Podcasting in Journalism

But beware, because it's not all sunshine and rainbows. Podcasting also presents many

challenges which we'll discuss below. Some of it's limitations are:

 Saturated competition

 Challenging monetization

 Time management and commitment

 Criticism and negative feedback

21
  Initial Investment and limited resources

 Saturated Competition: As podcasting gains popularity, the market has become

increasingly saturated, presenting a significant challenge for new content creators. With

thousands of new podcasts launched every day, standing out among the competition is a

tough task. Market saturation means podcasters must strive even harder to differentiate

themselves and capture the attention of potential listeners. Strategies such as producing high-

quality content, effective promotion, and collaborating with other podcasters can help

creators stand out in an increasingly crowded market.. It's crucial to recognize this challenge

and work to excel amidst the crowd.

 Challenging Monetization: One of the most significant limitations of podcasting is the

challenge associated with monetizing content. While many podcasters aspire to generate

income through their programs, the monetization process can be complex and require

considerable time and effort. Monetization options include advertising, sponsorships, listener

memberships, donations, and selling merchandise, among others. However, securing

advertising and sponsorship deals, as well as building a follower base that allows for

significant income generation, can be a lengthy and challenging process. Podcasters must be

patient and persistent in their pursuit of monetization opportunities and often need to explore

multiple income sources to keep their program viable in the long run.

 Time Management and Commitment: One of the most significant challenges that

podcasters face is effectively managing time and maintaining consistent commitment to their

audience. Regularly producing quality episodes requires careful planning, dedication, and

discipline. Time management can be challenging for those with other work or personal

commitments. It's crucial to establish a realistic production schedule and stick to it to

22
 maintain audience interest and build a solid follower base. Additionally, maintaining

consistent commitment to the audience requires clear and transparent communication about

any changes in scheduling and active response to listener comments and questions. With

effective time management and constant commitment, podcasters can build strong

relationships with their audience and ensure the ongoing success of their program.

 Criticism and Negative Feedback: The public nature of podcasting means that podcasters

are exposed to criticism and feedback of all kinds from their audience. While positive

feedback can be rewarding and motivating, receiving criticism and negative feedback can be

challenging and discouraging for many content creators. It's important to remember that

constructive criticism can be a valuable tool for personal and professional growth. Instead of

taking negative feedback personally, podcasters can use it as opportunities for learning and

growth. Listening to listener feedback, identifying areas for improvement, and working on

them can help strengthen the podcast and improve the listener experience. By maintaining an

open and receptive attitude towards feedback, podcasters can even turn the most negative

criticism into opportunities to improve and evolve their program. Additionally, podcasters

should consider that receiving feedback from the audience is not easy at all. Even if the

comments are negative, they are proof that the podcast is gaining more visibility.

 Initial Investment and Limited Resources: Starting a podcast can require a significant

initial investment in equipment and technical resources. From quality microphones to audio

editing software and hosting services, the costs associated with launching and maintaining a

podcast can add up quickly. For many aspiring podcasters, especially those with limited

resources, this initial investment can represent a significant barrier to entry into the medium.

Additionally, the time and energy required to produce content should also be considered as

23
 limited resources. The lack of access to technical and financial resources can make it difficult

for some content creators to enter the world of podcasting and limit their ability to compete

with other established programs. However, with creativity and determination, it is possible to

minimize initial costs and make the most of available resources to launch and

 Podcasting is a dynamic and exciting medium that offers a unique space for creative

expression and connection with the audience. With the right combination of passion,

dedication, and proper support, anyone can find success in the world of podcasting. .

( Source ; Leo Menendez” Advantages and disadvantages of making a podcast” mumbler

blog seventh Jan. 2024 https/mumbler.io)

2.4 Empirical Studies

According to Newman 2021, the application of new technology in journalism contributes to

the development of new forms of journalistic content. Podcast that present content posted online

and allow online users to access them whenever and however many times they want are

experiencing continued success around the world.

The aim of this paper is mapping the use of podcasts in Serbia, starting above all from

podcast as journalism technology.

This section examines, already existing works, relating to this study. We are going to be

looking at the case study of podcast in Serbia.

The fact they got through questionnaire and digital and the method used in getting the fact

is https//podcast.rs/platform. The relationship between New Man objectives is to analyse the

impact of podcast-journalism on media landscape.

24
Podcasts in Serbia: Research results and discussion

The first podcasts in Serbia appeared in 2005, almost at the same time as everywhere else

in the world (a year later). It was the endeavor of the media house B92 comprising a radio,

television and website, which wanted to get another channel for disseminating information

content broadcast on radio (radio shows: Ritam srca and Kažiprst) and television (TV show

Utisak nedelje) (Martinoli, 2020). The same as everywhere else in the world, in the first years of

the development of podcasting in Serbia, mostly audio content was produced as podcasts, which

had already been broadcast on one of the radio stations. During the second phase, podcasts were

exclusively produced for online listening. At this stage, in Serbia as well, podcasts are launched

by the media and other organizations, journalists and enthusiasts. Many of them do so in search

of a field in which their freedom of speech will not be restricted. At the same time, podcast

technology is still used by radio stations to give their listeners the opportunity to download and

listen to missed shows on their websites (for example, Radio Belgrade - public radio service).The

number of podcasts is on the rise – in February 2019, there were 88 podcasts in Serbia

(Martinoli, 2020) and today there are 203 podcasts on the site aggregator https://podcast.rs/ from

Serbia and the region. The thematic diversity is great and there are the following areas: society

(96 podcasts), entrepreneurship (38), sports (28), technology (28), news (21), pop culture (20),

art (12), health (12), science (9) and education (9). Some podcasts that publish news and

information content have been launched by media companies: news agencies - Beta and Fonet,

online media – Krik, Istinomer and Nova.rs, and newspaper – daily Danas (Table 1). These

podcasts make up 10.3% of the total number of podcasts. The popularity of one type of podcasts

– daily news podcasts – is significant and has a growing trend in the world. “Daily news podcasts

make up less than 1% of all those produced but account for more than 10% of the overall

25
 downloads in the US and 9% in France and Australia, according to the analysis of publicly

available data. These shows are clearly punching well above their weight with audiences and

have played an important role in helping to inform the public about a range of subjects, including

corona virus” (Newman and Gallo, 2020: 5). The number of daily news podcasts is growing and

Newman and Gallo have recorded the existence of 102 daily news podcasts in six countries in

the West – the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Sweden and Denmark

(Newman and Gallo, 2020).

Table 1 News podcasts in Serbia examples compared

PODCAST DANAS BETA FOCAST U MIKROFON KIRK RETROVI PODKAST

NAME PODCAST PODCAST NAGLAS RAL NOVA.RS
Medium that Danas, daily News News Istinomer online KRIK, online Istinomer, Nova.rs, online
founded the agency beta agency medium medium online medium
podcast fonet medium
Launch April 2020 May 2020 May 2020 March 2019 January 2020 November October 2020
2010
Host Journalist Beta Fonet Journalist, Dania Krik Istinomer Nova.rs
vucenic
Format Commentar News One story Interview Behind the sky Commentar Interview
y of main y
headlines of
the week
Length 30-35 mins 5 mins 5-30 mins 15-25 mins 15-25 mins 5 mins 25-60 mins

Although podcast as a new media form in Serbia appeared very quickly after it appeared

everywhere else in the world and regardless of the fact that the number and type of content is

26
growing, there is still no monetization of this content (Martinoli, 2020). Only one crowdfunding-

based podcast is sustainable and some are trying to generate revenue from advertisers (Agelast

and Podcast Nova RS, for example). Some podcast authors in Serbia believe that podcasts should

stay outside of the media business. This refers to those podcasts that affirm the alternative and

underground social and art scene. “Podcasts should be underground, alternative, other sounds...”

(Nebojša Krivokuća, podcast Prešlicavanje, in Martinoli, 2020: 187). The main reasons why

podcasts do not make money yet are that the audience does not know enough about this media

form, the offer is still not wide, there are financial barriers on the part of users, technological

barriers that make access to content difficult and low response of advertisers (Martinoli, 2020).

This is how Newman and Gallo present the situation on the global media scene: ‘‘Some

commercial publishers are already deriving significant revenue from podcasts, especially in the

United States. More than half of Slate’s total revenue now comes from podcasts. NPR is

expecting to earn $55M from podcasting next year, overtaking radio in terms of sponsorship

income. But outside the English-speaking world and in smaller markets, monetization is far more

challenging, with lower consumption and much lower interest from advertisers. But short-term

revenue is often not the only motivation. Publishers see podcasts as a good way to build brand

awareness and loyalty, which some hope may eventually transfer into subscriptions or

donations’’ (Newman and Gallo, 2020: 6).Podcast audience research as part of the overall media

scene in Serbia was for the first time conducted by the Center for Media Research of the Faculty

of Political Sciences in Belgrade (2020) Informing in the digital environment in Serbia. “The

research was conducted on a dedicated sample –people who use the Internet at least once a week

to learn about current events were surveyed. The findings presented in this research refer to the

Internet population older than 16 years of age (without the upper age limit) on the territory of the

27
entire Republic of Serbia, taking into account gender, age, education, region and type of

settlement” (Center for Media Research, 2020: 13). The results highlight this area of media

scene: - 35% of participants listened to podcasts in the previous month.

- The largest share is made by those users who listened to the news podcasts, politics and

international events (17%). Those who listened to podcasts related to science, technology, art

and health (15%) (Center for Media Research, 2020) came second.

- “Those who listen to podcasts point out their advantages: more than one half think that

podcasts allow them to better understand various topics than it is the case with other media

services (57%); they offer a more interesting approach to news (56%) and give a wider range

of topics and perspectives (52.5%). Slightly less than one half of the participants think that

podcasts are more suitable than other media services to provide information (49%)”

Funding: Case Study of Alternative Online Audio Format ‘‘Alarm’’] (Drašković& Prodanović,

2017).Center for Media Research, 2020: 23).

- Looking at age groups, young people listen to podcasts the most (45%), but also

approximately a third of online users are older (Table 2).

Table 2 Podcast listeners in Serbia by age group

16-24 45%
25-34 41%
35-44 31%
45-54 31%
55+ 25%
Source: Center for Media Research (2020: 23)

28
 The results show that podcasts as a new media form are a growing fielfield in Serbia - their

number is increasing, there is an audience that is interested in this type of content presentation

and points out that podcasts allow a certain topic to be explained in more detail. Since podcast

technology is cheaper than radio and television broadcasting and since its broadcasting does not

require the permission of the regulatory body, it is run by other companies, not just media

companies. Such an example is the podcast Protok which has been founded by a company

working in the field of new technologies with the aim of analyzing topics related to the

relationship between society and technology (Mihajlov Prokopović, Jevtović & Jovanović,

2019).When it comes to the relationship between journalism and podcasts in Serbia, the results

show that there are podcasts that broadcast journalistic content. The initiators of these podcasts

are the mainstream media and journalists who work outside the media organizations. Media

organizations launch podcasts as part of their specific media offer that is in line with the type of

journalism nurtured in the parent medium. For example, on the front page of the Danas podcast,

there is only one sentence: “Journalists of the Danas daily comment on the most popular news

from the previous week”. Most of these podcasts were launched in 2020. If we compare the

number of daily news podcasts in Serbia with the development trend in the developed world

which is on the rise, there are still very few daily news podcasts.

These are: FoCast, Beta podcast and Podcast Nova.rs.It can be concluded that the podcast

that we called the individual endeavor of the author, considering that it is realized outside the

media institution, is a freer form of expression and is often very popular - for example, podcasts

Daško and Mladja and Agelast. Both of these podcasts are produced by journalists who have

launched their own podcasts. As an example, we quote a part of the text from the title page of the

Agelast podcast: “Through conversations and travels, this is my search, my attempt to escape

29
from nonsense. The Agelast podcast is a project by Galeb Nikačević. Also, when we talk about

the diversity of content that is placed through podcasts, it can be noticed that some traditional

journalistic genres, while adapting to the new media form, can also be found in podcasts. Such is

the case, for example, with film critics who have found their place in podcasts through a specific

discourse on art - for example, the podcast Remarker: Zadovoljstvo u tekstu (engl. Remarker:

Pleasure in Text).

2.5 Theoretical Framework

A theory is seen as an attempt at synthesizing and integrating empirical data for maximum

clarification and unification. A theory is a set of assumptions, propositions or accepted facts that

attempt to provide a plausible or rational explanation of cause-and effect relationships among a

group of observed phenomenon (Business Dictionary, 2017, as cited in Asemah, Gujbawu,

Ekhareafo & okpanachi, 2012)

2.5.1 Uses and Gratification Theory

Elihu Katz first introduced the uses and gratifications theory when he came up with the

notion that people use the media to their benefits. The perspective emerged in the early 1970s as

Katz and his two colleagues, Jay Blumler and Michael Gurevitch continued to expand the idea.

This theory was contemporary because it contradicted older views that assumed the audience

was a passive group. ''The uses and gratifications approach views the audience as active;

meaning that they actively seek out specific media and content to achieve certain results or

gratifications that satisfy their personal needs'' (Rossi, 2002). The uses and gratifications theory

30
of the media is one of the theories of mass communication that call attention to what people do

with the media rather than what the media do to people (Edegoh, Asemah &Nwammuo, 2013) .

The theory seeks to investigate what people do with communication content, instead of

what the communication content does to them. Folarin (1998) notes that the theory perceives the

recipient as actively influencing the effect process, since they selectively choose, attend to,

perceive and retain the media messages on the basis of their needs and beliefs. The focus

according to Folarin(1998) was shifted from media production and transmission functions, to the

media consumption function.During the era of limited effects theory, the researchers turned their

focus to media consumers to further explain how influence is limited. The new body of thought

that resulted was called the uses and gratifications theory which claimed that media do not do

things to people; rather people do things with the media. That is exactly what the study is all

about, the introduction of podcasting in contemporary journalism has made way for individuals

to express themselves as they seem fit through the use of the media because the media has no say

over their right as individuals.

2.5.2 Media Convergence Theory

For news to reach the global population, there is a need for various media platforms from

which users can get information. Therefore, media convergence is a theory in which all media

merge as one medium due to evolving communication technologies (Peil & Sparviero, 2017).

However, Henry Jenkins views media convergence differently, focusing on technical, social,

cultural, and global convergence. Technological convergence is whereby data is converted into

digital mode and disseminated using the latest digital platforms (Jenkins, 2004). Social

convergence explains the ability of consumers to move freely from one platform to the other,
31
seeking and comparing relevant information (O’Sullivan & Fortunati, 2021). Cultural

convergence entails connecting consumers, consumers, and various media platforms to enhance

creativity and create new types of stories. Finally, global convergence is whereby the media

content disseminated can reach people worldwide. For instance, music, news, television

programs, and film give cultural hybridity (Li et al., 2020). Media convergence has increased

social and political participation across the globe.

Media convergence has increased audience participation through content creation

capabilities. The power to dominate media has largely been bestowed in the hands of private

owners, while large media corporations own only a few media companies (Yoedtadi et al., 2021).

This has given much leverage to content creators to choose from different forms of media and

determine the one they feel comfortable using in content creation (Ostic et al., 2021). In addition,

big media corporations are now market-driven, improving their flexibility of topics, the value of

service, and ensuring elitism in media professionals (Girardin et al., 2020). This provides the

general population with more social participation, whereby people from marginalized

communities can have opportunities to air their grievances. The competition and need to seek

unique topics boost the companies to discuss some of the most controversial topics and affect the

society, making media convergence positively impact social participation. This theory also

applies to the study. Since the creation of podcast it has given room for many young content

creators to show case their skills and talent with the aid of media convergence in the sense that

their words can go far and beyond.

Summary of the Review

The essence of this review was to examine, already existing knowledge and previous

studies that has been conducted as it relates to the subject matter. Thus the review takes a look at
32
a brief history of podcasting, journalism and the evolution of podcasting in journalism. It then

went further to examine the podcast and it’s function and the role it plays in the contemprory

journalism and the researcher also gave his opinion on podcast and societal benefits. Review of

empirical studies and theoretical framework for the study was also discussed in this chapter.

33
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Preamble

The chapter provides a detailed explanation of how the research was conducted. It is a

critical component of the research study as it outlines the methods used to gather and analyze the

data. This chapter also provides a rationale for the choice of methods, including the design of the

study, the sampling procedures, the instrument of data collection, as well as the validity and

reliability of the results. It provides a comprehensive understanding of the research process and

ensures the transparency and replicability of the research results. It is contained and explained

under the following subheadings;

 Research Design

 Population of the Study

 Sample Size

 Sampling Procedure

 Instrument of Data Collection

 Validity of Study

 Reliability of Instrument

 Methods of Data Collection

 Method of Data Analysis

34
3.1 Research Design

The researcher adopted the survey research method to determine the role of podcast in

journalism. According to Asemah, Gujbawu, Ekhareafo and Okpanachi (2017), a survey is an

empirical study that uses a questionnaire or interview to discover descriptive characteristics of a

phenomenon. The Oxford Handbook of Survey Methodology (2008) sees survey research as “a

systematic investigation of experiences, opinions, attitudes, or behaviour through the collection

of data from a sample of individuals using standardized procedures.”

Berger (2000), cited in Asemah et al (2017), avers that surveys are used to determine what

people know, what people think, what people own, what people do, what people plan to do, what

people’s attitudes are, people’s tastes, people’s beliefs and what people value.

A survey research method is a systematic approach used to gather information from a

sample of individuals using standardized procedures such as self-administered questionnaire or

personal interviews.

Since this research work say it to ascertain the role of podcasts in journalism, it is

appropriate to use the survey research method and the questionnaire as a tool to conduct this

research. The survey research method was used because it enabled the researcher to collect large

amounts of data relatively quickly and at a lower cost compared to other methods.

3.2 Population of the Study

The population of this study is culled from the honest bunch podcast show which is usually

hosted by four wonder people Nedu, Husband material, Deity Cole and Ezinne. Research has

show that it is a show created for the Gen Z. The podcast has an estimate of 323,000 followers

35
on Instagram and 212,000 thousand on YouTube. But we will be focusing on the YouTube

followers. Therefore, the population of the study in this research work is 212,000 thousand.

3.3 Sample Size

The sample size for this study is 100. The researcher arrived at this figure by using the

Crochan sample size determination formula formulated by Crochan in 1977 since the population

is greater than 5%.

Formula:n=N

1+N(e)^2

Where n=Sample Size

N= Total Population

E= error margin

n=212,000/1+212,000(0.10)^2

n=212,000/1+212,000(0.01)

n=212,000/1+2120

n=212,000/2121

n=99.95

Approximately 100

3.4 Sampling Technique

This study made use of the simple random sampling technique. It's implies the selection of

data in such way that each event in the population has an equal opportunity of selection. This

36
involves a random sample of which will be done and carried out by the three faculties (Arts,

Education and Engineering) from the existing 15 faculties in the University of Benin.

3.5 Research Instrument

The instrument used by the researcher to collect data for this research is the questionnaire.

According to Asemah et al (2017), “a questionnaire is a structured form, either written or printed,

that consists of a formalized set of questions designed to collect information on some subject or

subjects from one or more respondents”. Business Jargon (2016) sees it as a data collection

technique wherein the respondents are asked to give answers to a series of questions, written or

verbal, about a pertinent topic. The questionnaire will be distributed to online audience, who are

regular listeners or users of podcast.

3.6 Validity of the Instrument

Content and face validity techniques were used to check the questionnaire copies by the

project supervisor, who is an expert in the field of Advertising and Public Relations as well as in

the Department of Mass Communication. The instrument was tested and evaluated in terms of its

relevance and adequacy, as well as the appropriateness of the topic. Comments and corrections

were made and the final draft of the questionnaire was prepared by the researcher.

3.7 Reliability of the Instrument

Mehren and Lehmann (1991), cited in Asemah et al (2017) sees reliability as the degree of

consistency between two measures of the same thing. Asemah et al (2017) refer to it as the

consistency of scores obtained by the same person when retesting with an identical test or with

an equivalent form of the test on different occasions.

37
 Reliability coefficient is a numerical representation, between 0.0 and 1.0, representing the

accuracy of a test, research instrument or rating.

. The questionnaire helped in getting answers to the research questions. In a bid to test the

reliability of the questionnaire, the researcher conducted a pilot study by first distributing 20

copies of the questionnaire. Payne (2017) avers that a pilot study is a research study conducted

before the intended study.

H0 Podcasting is relevant to contemporary journalism?

H1 Podcasting has no much relevant to contemporary journalism?

Whereby the number of H0 is 66 and the number of H1 is 16

Reliability coefficient interpretation is – The higher the number, the better the reliability.

The podcasting which is relevant to contemporary journalism is 66% from the test. The

reliability coefficient is

66% = 66/100 =0.66

3.8 Method of Data Collection

The researcher adopted the direct delivery and retrieval method of data collection, which is

also known as face-to-face administration, to gather data for the purpose of this study. The

researcher alone gave the respondents copies of the questionnaire which contained questions

relevant to the study and also retrieved the answered questionnaire alone. The period of data

collection was two weeks. The instrument of data collection for this study which is the

questionnaire was adopted in determining the role of podcast in contemporary journalism

38
3.9 Method of Data Analysis

The data analysis, presentation, and interpretation were done based on the data collected

using the instrument of data collection - the questionnaire. The researcher further analyzed the

data using simple percentages and table presentations and gave necessary explanations beneath

each table for easy understanding.

39
 CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

The chapter presents and analyzes the data collected through the questionnaire. The data

collected were analyzed using the simple percentage method. A total of 100 copies of

questionnaire were sent to the online audience and we got a total number of 82 respondents,

therefore represent 100% of the sample size being studied. The details of the questionnaire are

analysed below using frequencies, percentages and tables for the presentation of data.

4.1 Data Presentation and Analysis

Table 1: Distribution of Respondents by Gender

Gender No of Respondent Percentage

Male 44 53.66%
Female 38 46.34%
TOTAL 82 100
Source: Field Survey 2024
Table 1 shows that the study is composed of both males and females. However, male

respondents were more available to participate in the study. This is as a result of male more

interest in podcasting.

Table 2: Distribution of Respondents by Age bracket

Age No of Respondent Percentage
17-23 52 63.41%
24-30 29 35.37%
31+ 1 1.22%
TOTAL 82 100
Source: Field Survey 2024

40
 Table 2 shows that the study was composed of respondents within various age

distributions. It indicates that a greater proportion of the respondents are between the ages of 17

and 23.

Table 3: Have you heard of podcasting in communication?

Variables No of Respondent Percentage
Yes 62 75.61%
No 12 14.63%
Maybe 4 4.88%
Not sure 2 2.44%
Others 2 2.44%
TOTAL 82 100
Source: Field Survey 2024

Table 3 indicates that a large proportion of the respondents are well exposed to

podcasting in communication. While the others shared different opinions on their exposure. This

shows that the respondents are exposed to podcast.

Section 4: Which podcast programmes have you watched/listened to?

This explains the type of podcast the respondents has watched and listened to. To mention

but few we have Honest bunch podcast, So Nigerian, Mind podcast, Nkiru podcast, Curiosity

made me ask podcast, Shxts n gigs. But the mostly watched podcast are honest bunch podcast

and Curiosity made me ask according to the respondents.

Section 5: Which podcast programme interests you the most?

This explains the podcast programme that interest the respondents mostly. To mention but

a few Honest bunch podcast, Curiosity made me ask, Shxts and gigs and so on.

41
 Table 6: Do you think podcasting has any moral lessons?

Variable No of Respondent Percentage

Yes 65 79.27%
No 0 0%
Maybe 13 15.85%
Not sure 2 2.44%
Others 2 2.44%
TOTAL 82 100
Source: Field Survey 2024

Table 6 indicates that a large proportion of the respondents believes that podcasting has a

very good moral lesson, while some percentage are sitting on the fence to know if it has moral

lessons or not the remaining percentage says it doesn’t even have an idea.

Table 7: Do you think podcasting is relevant in journalism?

Variables No of Respondent Percentage

Yes 66 80.49%
No 2 2.44%
Maybe 12 14.63%
Not sure 2 2.44%
TOTAL 82 100
Source: Field Survey 2024

Table 7 indicates that a large proportion of respondents thinks that podcast is relevant in

journalism, while some percentages are not really sure about it.

42
 Table 8: Would you love to study podcasting if given the chance?

Variable No of Respondent Percentage

Yes 16 19.51%
No 29 35.37%
Maybe 27 32.93%
Not sure 10 12.2%
TOTAL 82 100
Source: Field Survey 2024

Table 8 indicates that quite a number of respondents would not love to study podcasting if

given the chance, some would have love to study the course while the others rather not say.

Table 9: Has watching/listening to podcasts helped you?

Variable No of Respondent Percentage

Yes 46 56.1%
No 10 12.2%
Maybe 16 19.51%
Not sure 9 10.98%
Others 1 1.22%
TOTAL 82 100
Source: Field Survey 2024

Table 9 indicates that quite a number of respondent believes that watching/listening to

podcast has helped them, while the others has a different opinion about it.

43
Table 10: Has challenges occurred since you started watching/listening to podcast?

Variable No of Respondent Percentage

Yes 8 9.76%
No 53 64.63%
Maybe 6 7.32%
Not sure 14 17.07%
Others 1 1.22%
TOTAL 82 100
Source: Field Survey 2024

Table 10 indicates that most of the respondents have not encounter any challenges since

they started watching/listening to podcast shows, while the others have a different opinion.

Section 11: How can this challenges be tackled?

The respondents gave some solid solution's on how to tackle the challenges that is

normally faced in podcasting.

 By providing opportunity for TV watching

 By increase training system for the podcast

 To increase technology

 Podcast should be made accessible to everyone especially the private ones

 There should be more knowledge on the topics discussed by the podcast

 To always listen to the news

44
Table 12: Do you think podcast shows are only limited to Gen Z generation?

Variable No of Respondent Percentage

Yes 8 9.76%
No 63 76.83%
Maybe 5 6.1%
Not sure 5 6.1%
Others 1 1.22%
TOTAL 82 100
Source: Field Survey 2024

Table 12 indicates that a large proportion of respondents believes that podcast show is not

only limited to the Gen Z generation, while the others have a different opinion

Table 13: Do you think podcasting is relevant in our society?

Variable No of Respondent Percentage

Yes 71 86.59%
No 3 3.66%
Maybe 6 7.32%
Not sure 2 2.44%
TOTAL 82 100
Source: Field Survey 2024

Table 13 indicates that a large number of respondents believes that podcasting is relevant in

our society today. While the others have their opinion.

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Table 14: How has podcast influenced you?

Variable No of Respondent Percentage

Positively 56 68.29%
Negatively 1 1.22%
Maybe 5 6.1%
Not sure 20 24.39%
TOTAL 82 100
Source: Field Survey 2024

Table 14 indicates that quite a number of respondents has claim to believe that podcast has

influenced them positively. While the others has a different opinion.

4.2 Discussion of Finding

4.2.1 Research Question One: What Is The Current State Of Podcast-Based Journalism
And How Is It Evolving?

In answering this question data presented in Table 7 and 8 will be used. In determining the

current state of podcasting-based journalism and how it evolving we will talk about how podcast

is relevant in journalism and if given the chance to study podcasting would they love it. In Table

7 the data presentation revealed 66 respondents (80.49%) believes that podcast is actually

relevant in journalism, 2 respondents (2.44%) do not believe that podcast is not relevant in

journalism. However 12 respondents (14.63%) it says maybe podcasting is relevant in journalism

and the 2 respondents (2.44%) are not sure of it. The shows that the ratio of the number believes

that podcasting is relevant in journalism.

Moreso, data presented in Table 8 revealed that 16 respondents (19.51%) it says if they are

given the chance to study podcasting it would be worth it, while 29 respondents (35.37%) do not

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agree with the idea of studying podcasting if given the chance. However 27 respondents

(32.93%) it says maybe they would love to study podcasting and the remaining 10 respondents

(12.2%) are not really sure about it. This explains the number of respondents who don’t want

podcast are more. So the current state of podcast-based journalism is still on a shaky ground and

more effort need to be put in place although it is very relevant in journalism and its evolving by

bring in new things to make people to be more active and participatory in journalism.

4.2.2 Research Question Two: What Are The Benefit And Limitation Of Podcast Based
Journalism?

Section 5 and Table 14 will be used in answering this research question. In determining the

benefit and limitation of podcast-based journalism will first found out what podcast programme

interest the respondents and how it has affects them. Section 5 explains the podcast programme

that interest the respondents mostly. To mention but a few honest bunch podcast, Curiosity made

me ask, Shxts and gigs and so on.

However, data presented in Table 14 revealed that 56 respondents (68, 29%) it says they

have being positively influenced by podcast, while 1 respondent (1.2%) believes he is negatively

influenced by podcast. However 5 respondents (6.1%) it says maybe podcast has changed them

and 20 respondents (24.39%) are not sure. This show that a large percentage of respondents are

positively influenced and benefited from podcast.

4.2.3 Research Question Three: What Are Challenges And Concerns Surrounding Podcast-
based Journalism, And How Can They Be Addressed?

Table 10 and section 11 will be used in answering this research question. In determining

the challenges and concerns surrounding podcast-based journalism and how they can be

addressed a few questions were asked in table 10 and section 11of the questionnaire. Table 10

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data presentation revealed 8 respondents (9.76%) says they have been faced with challenges

since they started watching/listening to podcast, while 53 respondents (64.63%) it says they have

not faced any challenges at all. However 6 respondent (7.32%) it says maybe and 14 (17.07%)

are not sure about and the other 1 respondent (1.2%) is not different from the others. This shows

that more respondents do not agree to have faced any difficulty while watching/listening to

podcast.

Moreso, section 11 reveals how the challenges can be addressed. The respondents gave

some solid solutions on how to tackle the challenges that is normally faced in podcasting.

 By providing opportunity for TV watching

 By increase training system for the podcast

 To increase technology

 Podcast should be made accessible to everyone especially the private ones

 There should be more knowledge on the topics discussed by the podcast

 To always listen to the news

4.2.4 Research Question Four: How Does Podcast-based Journalism Influence Traditional
Journalism, And Media Landscape?

Table 3 and 13 will be used in answering this research question. In determining how

podcast-based journalism influence traditional journalism and media landscape we look how

many have heard about podcasting and if podcasting is relevant in our society. Table 3 data

presentation revealed 62 respondents (75.61%) has heard of podcasting in communication, while

12 respondents (14.63%) have not heard of podcasting in communication. However 4

respondents (4.88%) says maybe, 2 respondents (2.44%) are not and the other 2 respondents

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(2.44%) are no different. This show that a large proportion of respondent have heard about

podcasting in communication.

Moreso, Table 13 data presentation revealed 71 respondents (86.59%) thinks podcasting is

relevant in our society, while 3 respondent (3.66%) do not think podcasting is relevant in our

society. However 6 respondents (7.325) says maybe it is relevant and 2 respondents (2.44%) are

not sure. Majority of the respondents thinks that podcasting is actually relevant in our society.

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 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Summary

This chapter summarizes the details of what the study is about, the method used in

collecting data and the findings of the collected data. The study was carried out to determine the

role of podcast in contemporary journalism. It was carried out using the survey research method.

The researcher made use of perception and attitude change theories in carrying out the study. The

researcher also made use of the questionnaire as the instrument of data collection to gather data

from the respondents which provided the findings of the study.

From the responses gathered from the respondents through the questionnaire, the following

are the findings of the study:

1. What is the current state of podcast-based journalism, and how is it evolving? 80.49%

respondents believes that the state of podcast is good and its quite relevant in journalism.

2. What are the benefit and limitations of podcast-based journalism? 68.29% of the

respondent says they have being positively influenced by watching podcast and its has a

lot of benefits.

3. What are the challenges and concerns surrounding podcast-based journalism, and how can

they be addressed? 64.63% of the respondent says they have not really experience any

challenges.

4. How does podcast-based journalism influence traditional journalism and the media

landscape? 75.61% have heard of podcasting

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5.2 Conclusion

From the analysis of the data, the obvious conclusion from the study is that podcasting is

very relevant in contemporary journalism. The study showed that a large proportion of the

respondents are well-exposed to podcasting. The study further revealed that podcasting in

journalism has a lot of lessons that the viewers can take with them and the respondents believe

that podcast play a much greater role in journalism even more than traditional form of journalism

because compared to normal means of reporting events like stories, unlike podcast where issues

are discussed and contrary opinions are entertained. Also, most of the respondents who claimed

to have listened/watched to podcast were satisfied with them and had a favourable perception of

them.

5.3 Recommendations

Arising from the findings, the study recommends the following:

i. Podcast should incorporate podcasting into existing media strategies as it will make more

audience to be very aware.

ii. Podcast should foster audience engagement and interactivity as it will give room for

suggestion and engagement from the audience in order to make it more lively.

iii. Podcast should investigate podcasting’s impact on local journalism so as to know where to

improve on and what is lacking.

iv. Podcast should develop targeted content strategies

v. Podcast should explore podcasting potential for diverse representation

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5.4 Suggestions for Further Research

Based on the findings of this study, below are some suggestions for further research:

i. Examine the role of podcasts in local journalism, including storytelling and community

engagement.

ii. Explore strategies for making podcasts more accessible to diverse audience, including

those with disabilities.

iii. Investigate how podcasts foster audience participation, feedback and community

building.

iv. Develop guidelines for ethical podcasting practices, fact-checking and source

verification.

5.5 Contributions to Knowledge

The study has made significant contributions to the existing body of knowledge in several

ways. Firstly, it has provided empirical evidence of the role of podcast in contemporary

journalism. The study has shown that podcast have been effective in capturing the attention of

the target audience, generating interest, and motivating viewers to take action.

Secondly, the study has contributed to the understanding of the factors that influence the

effectiveness of targeted online advertisements, such as the medium used and the type of content.

The findings of this study can inform the development of effective online advertising strategies

for other financial products and services.

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 Finally, the study has contributed to the understanding of the attitudes of university

students towards financial products and services in Nigeria. The findings of this study can inform

the development of effective financial literacy programs for university students, which can help

to improve their financial management skills and promote financial inclusion.

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