News is one of the core features of Amazon’s AI software Alexa, and news organizations are trying to figure out the best ways to use Alexa. So far, there’s two main ways news organizations can use Alexa: Flash Briefings and skills. In Flash Briefings, the user asks Alexa for their Flash Briefing, and Alexa will […]

You might have heard: Digital publishers are growing increasingly concerned about the effects of ad blocking But did you know: Web advertisements face ad-blockers, DVRs let viewers fast forward through commercials, and now podcasting has an advertising problem of its own: The 15-second skip button lets listeners easily skip over ads. Podcast advertising has struggled […]

You might have heard: NPR instructed staff to no longer promote its podcasts or NPR One app on air, a result of NPR’s local station structure But did you know: Public radio is at a crucial intersection, Ellen Gamerman writes: Both its hosts and audiences are aging, and its business model is getting more competition […]

Swedish podcasting platform Acast launched a new product on Monday that offers podcasters a new way to generate revenue. Called Acast+, the platform now offers podcasters the option to sell their product directly to listeners without advertising. Podcasters can set their own price, and revenue is then split with Acast. Listeners will have the option […]

The New York Times wrote this weekend about the surge in podcasting and Apple’s relationship to that surge, but Marco Arment argues that podcasts still work more like an “old-school blog,” rather than the App Store. Podcasters have control over monetization and analytics, and podcasts can be hosted anywhere, with podcasters retaining control and ownership. […]

While Americans might see Donald Trump’s rise as a historic, unpredictable event, Ricardo Bilton writes that Italians have a different perspective: They see Trump as America’s version of former Prime Minister Silvo Berlusconi, “an entertaining, almost comical spectacle who nonetheless became a very serious candidate, impossible to ignore.” A new podcast from Mic and The […]

If you’re looking to start a podcast at your news organization, but aren’t sure what topic you should tackle, Melody Kramer and Christine Eriksen are here to help. Kramer and Eriksen compiled a list of more than 200 podcast ideas, including interviewing people on your block, a news program about the election from the perspective […]

You might have heard: NPR says it will no longer promote its podcasts or NPR One on air (NPR Ethics Handbook) But did you know: On the surface, it seems silly that NPR wouldn’t want to promote its successful NPR One product on air, Joshua Benton writes. But while NPR One encourages localization and brings […]

Advertising remains a major challenge for podcasting, and many brands are still unwilling to spend money on podcasts. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that advertisers are expected to spend $35.1 million on podcast advertising this year, but the lack of audience measurement tools remains a big problem. Nicholas Quah says these current challenges […]

In a Q&A with MediaShift’s Sonia Paul, Tow Center fellow Vanessa Quirk (who worked on the Tow Center’s Guide to Podcasting) says for most podcasters, making a profit and making a high-quality podcast are likely not compatible. Quirk says: “Unless you have a strategic plan going into it and an awareness of the medium and […]