Why Podcasts could Save America
Media. We consume it. We bitch about it. We argue over it. Whether you hate it or not, it’s hard to argue the impact the media has on all of our lives. It can inform our opinions and elicit our most intense emotions of hope, anger, and fear. And in 2020, these emotions have been as fervent as ever. Between the global pandemic that has rattled the world to its core, and the protests against police brutality and racial injustice, this year has taken a serious toll on the American psyche.
Anyone who consumes traditional media (cable news networks, news publications, etc.) would probably tell you the country is more divided than ever. They’ll tell you the left and the right are at each other’s throats, and they’ll insist there’s no room for civil discussion. In some respects, these people would be right. Media outlets like Twitter and cable news have essentially turned into breeding grounds for alarmist rhetoric and rampant fear mongering on both sides of the political spectrum. Keyboard warriors pick fights and fire shots in the comments section, while TV personalities disguised as legitimate journalists preach to millions of Americans every night about the dangers of the opposite party. It almost feels like there’s nowhere to turn for a rational discussion.
Enter, podcasts.
While traditional broadcast radio is past its prime, podcasts have become a popular source of media and entertainment. There are podcasts for every interest and topic, and they’re easily accessible via streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts. But here’s the best part. While some podcasts are owned by media companies, many of them are owned by the very same people who create and host them.
What does this mean? Well, it means that there are plenty of podcasts out there with no allegiance to any political or corporate interests. And, since podcasts aren’t broadcast on traditional radio networks, hosts and guests don’t have to worry about being censored. They can say what they truly believe.
Podcasts generally aren’t tied down by time constraints, either. Many of them are recorded in longform. Joe Rogan, one of the most popular podcasters in the industry, routinely puts out episodes that run for three hours, sometimes even longer. His episodes are usually one-on-one discussions with authors, entertainers, doctors, etc. Basically, anyone with an interesting story to tell has a place on Rogan’s podcast, regardless of opinion or affiliation.
This isn’t to say that different podcasts don’t push different beliefs. Pod Save America, for instance, is a left-leaning political podcast that is generally critical of President Trump and conservatives. The Ben Shapiro Show, on the other hand, is a conservative podcast that often points out the flaws and weaknesses of Democrats and liberals. These podcasts push different opinions, but they both generally run for at least an hour per episode. This gives the hosts enough time to flesh out their thoughts and present strong arguments.
Podcasts give us what we need more than anything right now: space for thoughtful, long-form discussions. Tune into any cable news network and you’ll get the same spiel: a split-screen with two talking heads echoing the same point to one another for five minutes until it’s time to cut to commercial break. Or, on the occasion the network brings in someone with a contrarian opinion, the host will throw loaded questions at the guest in an attempt to trip them and score a soundbyte. There’s no thoughtful discussion. No attempt to look at an issue from a different perspective. Just a whirlwind of nonsense.
This country has suffered a lot of wounds over the past seven months. The only way these wounds will heal is through open and honest conversation, and podcasts provide an arena for these conversations to take place. Sure, we might not be able to hop in on a discussion with Joe Rogan or Ben Shapiro. But we can take the topics and ideas we learn from their shows and talk about them with our friends and family.
Once we have these conversations, we’ll realize that this country isn’t as divided as it seems. We’ll learn that Americans, for the most part, are reasonable, thoughtful people. And even though our opinions might differ, we all want what’s best for the country we call home.
