Abstract

In recent decades, technological advances have enabled the news to go farther, faster and to more consumers. The spatial and temporal constraints that had always affected the information sector lost their importance, opening a window of opportunity thanks to digitization and the internet massification. However, the promised potential quickly faded: the lack of investment, excessive voluntarism and the distance between media companies and research led the media industry to successive failures, with thousands of media closed worldwide. Today, there is no doubt that journalism is experiencing one of the worst periods in its history. It may sound strange that technological evolution has converted an opportunity into a difficulty, but it happened. Nonetheless, how can the process be reversed, transforming the current difficulty into the previous opportunity? This paper delivers some proposals that seek to explore the potential of mobile devices and looks towards these as an escape from the crisis that affects the media companies.

Abstract

  The podcast has expanded as a consumer product within the online audio ecosystem. The term has become popular, and its fame is increasing in the public sphere, whereas its definition and distinct identity, especially with respect to radio, are still being constructed. While different players, including large platforms and multimedia companies, are positioning themselves in this environment, a podcasting culture distinct from the original amateurism is also taking root. The aim of this paper is to explore the extent to which and in what way the routines and practices of creation, production, and distribution have been formalized to determine whether these processes are fostering a specific professional podcasting culture in Spain. Using semistructured in-depth interviews conducted with professionals linked to the podcasting sector, we aim to determine some of the practices that these players are starting to see as well-established within and unique to the industry, as well as those practices that have yet to become established. On the one hand, thanks to the increase in business volume and investment from production and distribution companies, the space for professionalization has been consolidated. The production standards and perceived quality of this audio content have been affirmed. On the other hand, definitions and categories related to this medium’s identity; the requirements with respect to understanding an audience, especially in its qualitative dimension; and the professional profiles and dynamics that must be established remain to be explored.