Audio Storytelling and The Economist: How a Long-Running Publication Might Have Found Appeal to Younger Consumers
Many media outlets have began jumping on the audio storytelling bandwagon, proving, that audio is nowhere near dead. In fact, audio seems to be more alive than ever, not only as a newfangled form of storytelling that only hip and up-to-date publications are making use of, but as a form of storytelling that older publications have also found intriguing.
The Economist, which has been “published since September 1843,” is not necessarily something you would expect to see younger people reading in print, or online, for fun in their spare time. But, according to its website, the publication has started to switch up its old formula, beginning to produce audio editions along with their print and online product. This is something that’s not only great for those who are fans of both old school broadcast journalism and new school podcasting, but also more accessible for those who might have vision problems or learning disabilities. Along with its full-sized audio editions, the publication has also been releasing specified podcasts with run times of anywhere from as short as 12 minutes to as long as an hour.
Scrolling back through its website, The Economist has only been creating these podcasts since the beginning of May 2015. Though only recently producing podcasts, The Economist has hundreds of them on its website, over 1,700, according to its Soundcloud page — looking like it’s only gone a day or two without releasing a new one. Its podcasts consist of interviews, highlights from past Economist editions and continuing series like “Money Talks.”
Undoubtedly, The Economist saw the value in making podcasts and took swift advantage of it. This is clear in the sheer number it’s produced in the past almost two years and its large fan following. The publication has 830,000 followers on its Soundcloud and holds a solid four-star rating on iTunes, with most user comments being people saying they’ve been waiting for an Economist podcast and a lot of the negative ones, directly relating to the podcast itself, complaining solely about some episodes being too short. The Economist also has almost 300 listens on a podcast that went up less than six hours ago on its Soundcloud (linked above).
The Economist is a clear example of how long-running publications can stay relevant in the technological age. Audio is something that transcends age, unlike other forms of media. Media consumers who are older tend to like audio because of consuming broadcast radio, whereas younger media consumers tend to like audio because of podcasts. Due to this, although some younger media consumers might not necessarily read the online or print editions of The Economist, they might still partake in weekly podcasts because of their short, portable, and thus, digestible format.
