News podcasts offer in-depth journalism and commentary on the day’s biggest stories. They can be as short as 20 minutes or as long as a full hour and offer the opportunity to deliver nuance and feeling not found in real-time media, TV sound bites or on social platforms.
In our research, we’ve discovered that there is strong demand for well-produced and engaging news podcasts. However, interviewees also told us that they are somewhat reluctant to pay for any type of news content – particularly as it is already available for free on many platforms.
The top news podcasts around the world are politically focused extended chat formats, often aimed at a particular demographic or geographic market. In the UK, for example, BBC radio and a number of commercial broadcasters are competing with the BBC’s own political-focused podcasts like The Rest is Politics and Ukrainecast. In Norway, public broadcaster NRK is the dominant player with its daily news podcast Oppdatert and other original and repackaged content like true crime series Krimpodden.
The best podcasts deliver quick and accurate news updates, allowing listeners to keep up with the day’s headlines in a convenient audio format. They also allow podcasters to delve into the news of the day, with hosts and guests unpacking the story in more detail.