Podcasting as a channel for two-way communication
According to many people in the Podcast community, one of the greatest strengths of the medium is the two-way communication that it facilitates. This is often presented as a unique feature of new media; one that is not enjoyed by traditional print and broadcast media.
I have a slightly different take on this.
There is nothing particular to the technology of Podcasting that makes it a better channel for two-way dialog. In fact, in its current incarnation, Podcasting suffers from a greater challenge when it comes to breaking the “half-duplex” barrier.
Why is Podcasting such a marvel of communication, then?
Where traditional media has sheltered its personalities, either by choice or by accident, Podcasters have extended themselves to their audience. Producers thrive on feedback and input, and consumers thrive on the power that is the permission-based culture, and the feeling of being a part of a community in which their voice can be heard. The hobbyists have known this for a long time; businesses and traditional media are starting to figure this out.
December 24th, 2006 at 12:17 pm
[...] Yesterday I blogged about a key difference of Podcasting and traditional media; the accessibility of the personalities (Podcasting as a channel for two-way communication). That is, Podcasters are far more accessible, and engaged, than their counterparts in print and broadcast media. This is both good and bad. While this offers endless possibilities to engage an audience and develop the program together, it also presents a significant problem: how can you avoid being overwhelmed? [...]
December 24th, 2006 at 12:17 pm
[...] I reconnected with a good friend, Stephen Hardiman, today. It’s fun to talk to Stephen because I always get juiced about something new and he has a way of taking my ideas and putting a new spin to them. Today was no exception. He summarized my description of the relationship between Podcast producers and Podcast consumers from my recent posts, Podcasting as a channel for two-way communication and Size matters, using the phrase “asynchronous intimacy”. [...]