Listening In: Building a Profile of Podcast Users and Analyzing Their Political Participation

ABSTRACT Past research has shown that Internet use for news leads to increased political participation levels, both offline and online. Other forms of digital and user-generated media such as blogs have also yielded similar results. However, little is known about podcast users and their role within democratic societies. This article outlines findings from an online survey conducted in the United States that lend support to the notion that podcast use for news leads to political participation, even when controlling for the effects of other media forms. This article also identifies demographic predictors for those who are likely to be podcast users.