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The Death of the News. The Birth of the Podcast.
By Stephanie Berlin

One of the first things any journalism student at a university will learn is that the traditional news media — newspapers, broadcast and magazines — are dying. Why? Specialization. Satellite radio provides specialized shows, music and news. Cable television and digital video recorders have provided audiences with more channel selections and the ability to easily record and watch shows. The Internet and its myriad of news sites, blogs and other news outlets are providing readers with something they’ve never had before: the ability to pick and choose their news coverage.

No longer does Jane Smith have to sit through two stories about a waterskiing squirrel just to hear about the WTO protests in Hong Kong. These new media let readers peruse whatever news they choose, whenever they want.

And now another technology is being thrown into the mix: podcasting. Podcasting — the New Oxford American Dictionary 2005 Word of the Year is defined as "a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player" — is the latest way people are picking and choosing their content. Podcast subscribers can listen to shows on a variety of topics, from news and sports to technology and even Harry Potter. And this latest form of media lets listeners not only choose their content, but they can play and replay these broadcasts on their PCs or mp3 players at any time.

With more than 3,000 podcasts available on iTunes alone, this opens up a whole new world for companies looking for a fresh, new way to communicate with their employees and customers. Not only does podcasting provide companies with a unique way to deliver information, but it also comes with some unique benefits.

Perhaps the biggest advantage a podcast can give a company is increased visibility. Not only is this one more way for a company to put itself out there, but podcasting a show about its industry also can help position it in the marketplace. Think of it as an audio contributed byline.

Podcasting a show also can increase awareness of a company’s products and services by reaching markets and audiences that were not previously reachable, further extending the institution’s brand. A company needn’t even podcast its own show; simply sponsoring an existing podcast can raise awareness. Podcasts run the gamut from technology to movies to religion, so finding a show to sponsor that reaches your target demographic shouldn’t take long.

Podcasting or sponsoring a show can help position a company as a thought leader by becoming an early adopter of this new medium.

A company’s podcast also can be used to communicate with employees and other campuses. Personalize your internal newsletter by podcasting it for employees. Podcast a sales meeting for your offices in Tokyo. Podcast a class for some distance learning. The possibilities are infinite.

Podcasting also carries benefits for the listener. All anyone needs to do is subscribe to the show through a podcatcher — like iTunes — that will automatically download the show when a new one is available. Listeners are then free to listen to shows whenever they please. They could listen at work or at home, or they could upload podcasts to mp3 players and listen in the car or at the gym. Podcasting comes with a mobility that newsletters, releases, bylines and e-mails just don’t offer.

As podcasting begins to take hold as a communications tool — a recent Pew Internet study found that, as of April 2005, an estimated 6 million people subscribed to podcasts — it is imperative that companies begin augmenting their current communications system with this new medium. Examples could include podcasting from a trade show, interviewing an industry leader or creating buzz for your newest product.

The point is to offer your listeners something that they can’t get anywhere else. Starting this year, M/C/C will offer podcasts with certain issues of Technique, offering further insights into particularly complex or interesting articles.

Next month we’ll explain how you too can develop your own podcast. Until then, you can begin to develop your show. Determine your target audience and get to know it. Decide on a goal for your show. Outline what it is you hope to accomplish with your podcast. Outline some potential topics for your show and decide on the tone you want to present.

The age of specialization is here. Make sure your company is at the forefront. Podcast.

Click here to download a Podcast from this issue of Technique.

E-mail the author: Stephanie Berlin

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