MOTIVATIONS BEHIND THE PRODUCTION OF NEWS PODCASTS IN ESTABLISHED CZECH MEDIA

Abstract

News podcasts are an emerging media phenomenon in Czechia, and yet there has never been a proper analysis of the fundamental incentives for producing them. This study identifies three principal factors that motivate established media houses to create news podcasts alongside other traditional forms of delivering the news: focus on a younger audience, content presentation and the building of trust. Each motive is analysed independently and thoroughly. The study also reveals the background of media marketing strategies concerning podcasts and examines the mechanisms of adapting foreign trends in podcasting to the Czech context. The study focuses on six different Czech news podcasts (including news-politics and news-talk formats) and is based on twelve in-depth interviews with the hosts and their Editors-in-Chief. This work aims to broaden the knowledge of podcasting in Czechia and to help understand how this surging media platform can be generally used to share news stories and information about current affairs.