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News — Former and future President Donald Trump eschewed traditional means of reaching out to potential voters — such as multiple debates on national networks — but made appearances on new media outlets not specifically focused on news, such as the Joe Rogan podcast. Vice President Kamala Harris also made appeals to voters on podcasts like those of Charlamagne Tha God, Howard Stern, and “Call Me Daddy.”

“The U.S. media ecosystem is evolving so rapidly that nominees can’t use the same playbook from the last election,” said Virginia Tech communication professor Megan Duncan. “Campaigns need to meet the voters where they are. In a campaign that looked like it was close, the nominees used non-mainstream media channels to find new voters who might not be tuned into politics.”

She answered questions about why candidates have focused on podcasts and what benefits they bring.

What kind of voters could be reached by a podcast appearance?

“The potential voters who listen to podcasts might be part of the ‘news-finds-me’ group. These are folks who aren’t seeking out news on traditional media or even on non-traditional media that isn’t news and current events focused. Instead, they are looking for an entertaining or specialty interest media experience, and they are open to learning when the news invades that space.” 

What advantages might podcast offer that traditional newscasts don’t? 

“Podcasts can attract loyal audiences, in part because they can create stronger parasocial relationships with the audience than journalists who are bound to professionalism and objectivity. Podcasters let you in on parts of their life, and audiences feel more like they know them than they might a national news anchor. These loyal podcast listeners are more likely to be persuaded by the opinion of someone they maintain this parasocial bond with.”

About Duncan  
is an associate professor in the at Virginia Tech. Her research focuses on how partisans judge the credibility of and engage with the news. Using survey-embedded experiments, surveys, and other quantitative methods, she’s interested in knowing more about audiences, their perceptions of the news, how they form opinions, and how to use this knowledge to make democracy stronger. 

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