Potentialities of Podcasting in Health Journalism — An Analysis of Three Podcasts About Covid-19 in Portugal

Abstract

The pandemic caused by covid-19 was a lever for the appearance of several podcasts dedicated to the disease. In several countries, including Portugal, the media added audio content to their traditional information offering by using this digital tool. The podcast's popularity has grown with audiences, and media companies look to this platform as a good strategy to diversify content and thus reach audiences. In times of crisis, such as a pandemic, the need for populations to access credible information they can trust and thus gain knowledge to help them make decisions increases. In this particular case, covid-19, the populations felt the need to be informed about an unknown disease, looking for information about symptoms, contagion, or means of personal protection, and podcasts represented an answer to these information needs. This article examines how three Portuguese podcasts dedicated exclusively to covid-19 treated the disease. Based on the data, we will reflect on the importance of this new tool for health journalism. The results of the research allow us to conclude that the national podcasts on covid-19 analyzed follow some patterns identified in the coverage of health topics in Portugal and that, adopting an “advisory” tone, they placed themselves in the position of supporting tools in combat the pandemic by clarifying, informing and clarifying issues related to the disease.