The podcast industry is currently experiencing a significant upheaval, if not a fully fledged crisis. This tumultuous period is marked by notable shifts and challenges, as exemplified by the struggles of pioneering companies like Gimlet Media. Once a stalwart in the podcasting world, Gimlet has faced a dramatic downturn, leading to its de facto disintegration.
This trend is not limited to Gimlet alone: many established podcasting entities are undergoing similar trials, with a substantial reduction in their workforce, signaling a broader industry shake-up as the medium turns 20. Amidst this backdrop of uncertainty and change, the triumph of the new podcast by P.J. Vogt, Search Engine, is nothing short of remarkable. Search Engine's winning formula - a mix of innovation and resilience, familiarity and unpredictability - is unique in the podcasting landscape. The involuntarily charismatic Vogt, known for his involvement in the now-infamous Reply All podcast, has brilliantly navigated through the controversy and challenges - his interim podcast about cryptocurrency, Crypto Island, was also masterful. His latest venture stands as a testament to his ability to change and innovate in a rapidly evolving media context.
Nick Quah, one of the most authoritative voices in podcasting commentary, has aptly noted that the appeal of Search Engine lies in its unique approach to storytelling and content exploration. According to Quah, the podcast's team has mastered the art of infusing each episode with a sense of genuine discovery and intrigue about matters that are, at once, very big and very small, but not too big to be unmanageable and not too small to be irrelevant. This approach has effectively captivated listeners, making each episode a journey of exploration, revelation, and insight. I have found myself drawn to Search Engine diverse range of topics, each presented with depth and thoughtfulness, often over the course of two installments. I found myself recommending the podcast to a broad spectrum of individuals, regardless of their specific interests or backgrounds: college students asking why Adderall is not easily prescribed in Italy, friends worried over the rise and rise of Fentanyl, acquaintances interested in the sheer absurdity and intrinsic malevolence of the diamond market (an "unnatural monopoly"). Each episode offers something new and engaging, making Search Engine a standout example of the creative potential within the podcasting medium even in complicated cycles such as the current one.
It's obvious that 2024 will be a pivotal year, as ongoing social, political, and environmental crises are intensifying. These challenges, which range from escalating geopolitical tensions and deepening societal divides to the ever-growing urgency of climate change, promise to test communities worldwide. As we sleepwalk into dictatorship and escalating wars, the role of media - particularly influential podcasts - will become increasingly significant.
With their unique format, style and "tone of voice" (no pun intended), podcasts offer a blend of intimacy, immediacy and hyper-mediation that is unmatched by other media forms. None of my students read newspapers. Few get news from "legacy" or "mainstream" media, whatever that means. And yet, most listen to podcasts. The podcast "master voice" – authoritative, insightful, "relatable" and often deeply personal, albeit in a parasocial way – can be both informative and reassuring. At the same time, the ongoing popularity of podcasts like Joe Rogan's, which often court controversy and polarized opinions, spreading disinformation and misleading "facts", raises questions about the broader implications of the medium's growing influence. The Joe Rogan Experience exemplifies the complexity and contradictions of podcasting. It illustrates how powerful these platforms can be in shaping discourse and public opinion, for better or worse. Nevertheless, it is important not to overstate the importance of Rogan (and his imitators) in our fragmented, dispersed media environment. In fact, as Ben Smith told Brooke Gladstone in an episode of On The Media:
Ben Smith: I thought it was a really interesting statistic that was stuck with me the other day that we published in Semafor, that if you ask people if they have a favorite podcast, not everybody does. The likeliest person to be their favorite podcaster, no surprise is Joe Rogan, but what's interesting is, only 5% of people say it's him. That's the biggest share of the market is somebody who has 5% of the market. It's a very unusual long tail of a market where the biggest share is 5%, and many, many people are succeeding with fractional percentages. It's a very wide open unconsolidated place where people are looking for smaller, more intimate conversations with people who specific take on the world they relate to. It's also just people are sick of the last thing and ready for something new.
In short, there's hope.
Best overall podcasts
Joshua Citarella's conversations with media scholars
If Books Could Kill, Michael Hobbes and Peter Shamshir
The essence of these podcasts lies in the role of their hosts as interpreters and facilitators. P.J. Vogt skillfully interviews experts and academics on diverse subjects, from methamphetamines to food poisoning, translating complex ideas into accessible concepts for the general audience. Similarly, Michael Hobbes and Peter Shamshiri meticulously deconstruct, demistify, and challenge the foundations of popular pseudo-scientific/academic works in fields like economics and sociology, exposing their logical flaws and superficiality - in their own way, they prefigured the demise of the field of behavioral economics. Jane Marie's incisive critique of the American Dream reached new heights in the third season, particularly during her interactions with a life coach. This culminated in an intense moment where she - an accomplished podcaster - became the subject of "critical" analysis by a multi-level marketing "guru". Joshua Citarella stands out as a polymath, a sort of Renaissance Man bridging the gap between academics and artists across various mediums. Collectively, these podcast hosts are not just disseminators of information; they are genuine educators, fostering critical thinking and intellectual engagement in a compelling, accessible way.
Best limited series
Believe in Magic (BBC Sounds): Jamie Bartlett's follow-up to the crypto queen is another fascinating story about scammers and grifters. This one focuses on a mysterious charity, social media celebrities, mental illness and parental abuse.
The Coming Storm (BBC Sounds): Gabriel Gatehouse chronicles America's rapid descent into madness, conspiratorial thinking, and societal collapse. If you believe that your country is dysfunctional, it means that you've never lived in the US.
Marianna in Conspiracyland (BBC Sounds) Key idea: the pandemic did not simply affect people's bodies, but their mind. In other words, many went crazy. Long Covid persists. People - the Brits and the Germans, in this specific series - didn't just fall ill: they plummeted into the rabbit hole and got stuck in there. The aftermath will be felt for a very long time.
The Immortals (BBC Sounds). Aleks Krotoski explores the frontiers of the extreme longevity pioneers, including many influential vampires roaming the Silicon Valley (no surprise).
Land of the Giants - The Twitter Fantasy, Peter Kafka tells the story of Twitter (X) at a crucial moment for the platform, exactly one year after Elon Musk took over and finally killed the bird for good.
Elon Musk Unmasked: Paris Marx's four episode series one of the most egregious Silicon Valley edgelords is priceless - literally: you can listen to the full package for free.
ACFM on Novara Media, Jeremy Gilbert, Nadia Idle, and Keir Milburn.
The War on Cars, Doug Gordon, Sarah Goodyear and Aaron Naparstek.
Bungacast, Alex Hochuli, George Hoare and Philip Cunliffe.
The Dig on Jacobin, Daniel Denvir.
Know Your Enemy, Matthew Sitman and Sam Adler-Bell.
Tech Won't Save Us, Paris Marx.
Academic Edgelords, Gordon Katic, Victor Bruzzone, Matt McManus, Ethan Xavier (AKA “Mouthy Infidel”) curate a series of brilliant conversations about "scholarly provocateurs" on topics ranging from anarco-capitalism to post-truth. Phenomenal.
Standout episodes (selection)
"Donnie Darko — Richard Kelly makes the ultimate 1980s mixtape", MUBI podcast, April 6, 2023
"New Order. Blue Monday", Song Exploder, episode 252, May 3 2023
"Bruce Springsteen's" Dancing in the Dark", but also The Specials' "Ghost Town" (this is about Margaret Thatcher's nightmarish neoliberal policies in the early '80s), Soul Music, BBC 4
"Nervous Laughter with Ari Aster and Joaquin Phoenix", The A24 Podcast, April 19 2023
"Ends of the Earth", Act One (Exit Strategy), This American Life, hosted by Ira Glass, originally September 16 2022, but rebroadcast in 2023.
"Death Interrupted", Radiolab, reported by Latif Nasser, December 15 2023 (a perfect companion to the previous episode)
"Astra Taylor, The Age of Insecurity", The New Books Network podcast, November 28 2023 (by the end, Astra goes full-on profanity - excellent stuff)
"The Zone part 1" featuring Quinn. Slobodian, Bungacast, April 4 2023 (great conversation about one of the best books of the year)
"New Cities, Old Scams with Quinn Slobodian", Novara Media, November 23 2023 (ditto)
"Is it worth it to confront drivers?", The War on Cars, June 27 2023
"Born this way?", Radiolab, September 8 2023.
"Toy Soldiers", Radiolab, November 3 2023
"The MLM-to-coaching pipeline", The Dream, September 20 2023
"Mona Chalabi", Longform, hosted by Aaron Lammer, Max Linsky, and Evan Ratliff, November 15 2023
"Milton Friedman and the Masking if Our Times with Jennifer Burns", Know Your Enemy, December 3 2023
"Silicon Valley vs. Humanity with Malcolm Harris", This is Hell!, April 19 2023
Joshua Citarella in conversation with Benjamin Bratton, November 30 2023 (two episodes)
"Why the Former Giants of Digital News Outlets are Falling", On The Media, November 24 2023
"In a Song of the Summer, Clues for January in Iowa", hosted by Astead W. Herndon, I listen to the New York Times's Run-Up because I am a masochist and this series truly terrifies me. The Dec 28 2023 episode in particular, was horrifying. It's hopeless. Make sure to listen to the very end. Or not.
R.I.P.
What Future with Joshua Topolsky
Here Be Monsters hosted by Jeff Emtman
NPR's Up First podcast is sponsored by ExxonMobil (December 2023): seriously? You suck. This is worse than Mobil sponsoring PBS Masterpiece Theater back in the day. Read more about the ongoing scam here. Obviously, I have unsubscribed from most NPR podcasts.
Biggest Disappointments of the Year
The entire 2023 slate of Serial Productions podcasts was underwhelming: The Kids of Rutherford County, The Retrievals, The Coldest Case In Laramie
Most promising podcast of 2024
"How to Keep Time", The Atlantic, hosted by Ian Bogost and Becca Rashid (Season 5 on an ongoing series)
highlight: Season 5, Episode 2, , "How to Look Busy". Excerpt:
Best audio news of 2023
Spotify's audiobooks now included in Premium subs.
Amazon Audible has always been awful - an audio platform for normies - and the Swedes' new package might be the final nail in the coffin.
Previously
