Toward a linguistics of media interaction. Design of meaningful user participation from independent podcasting

Abstract

In 2004, José Antonio Gelado introduced podcasting into Spain after an intense period of experimentation based on the work carried out by the pioneers of the medium in the USA. In the Spanish context, podcasting is an example of a digital medium essentially promoted by a community of independent and non-professional creators, without any prior connection to the communication field. Numerous and relevant voices have defended that the emergence of new media such as podcasts is building a new media ecosystem characterized by the decentralization and democratization of agenda-setting. For this reason, this research focuses on the real possibilities for citizen participation in this medium. The fieldwork was based on a mixed-methods research design integrating an analysis of the most relevant podcast rankings in Spain, a total of 22 in-depth interviews with users and podcasters, analysis of the spaces for participation in the medium, and non-participatory observation practiced on the Spanish podcastphere. In contrast to the certainly celebratory claims that defend that the Internet, and more specifically digital platforms, give a voice to those who do not have the opportunity to participate in traditional mass media, our results determine that in most cases such participation is not sufficient for ordinary citizens to be empowered in a real manner, due to the multiple barriers that both media and digital platforms continue to represent. Finally, we propose a preliminary theory of media interaction taking into consideration seven key concepts: neobroadcasting, technology, ecosystem, grammar, cartography, interoperability, and evolution.