Peeling the pod: towards a research agenda for podcast studies

Abstract

This article explores how the notion of podcast studies came about and questions its future among well-established media fields. Through a close reading of various definitions given to the term podcast in the formative years of its academic institutionalization, a first-time classification of the central traditions in podcast studies is proposed and critically discussed. This theoretical typology–whereby ‘podcast’ is understood as a technological, socio-cultural, or formalistic concept–draws attention to the complexities and limitations in justifying the very idea of studying podcasting as an autonomous media field. The critical meta-review leads to six research avenues that can make podcasting uniquely meaningful and innovative in wider contexts of media theory, such as sound studies, digital archiving, and everyday studies.