Podcasting Islam in the Anglosphere: Muslim counterpublics in the UK, US and Australia

Podcasts are emerging as a powerful medium for information exchange and public dialogue. Within the Muslim digital space, podcasts have become viable alternatives to mainstream media, where Muslims have been routinely marginalised, vilified and misrepresented. Drawing on counterpublics theory, this study employs digital ethnography to explore how Muslim-owned media platforms reclaim self-agency and construct online publics in Anglophone contexts. It examines the audience metrics and discourses of four popular Islamic podcasts: The Thinking Muslim (UK), Blogging Theology (UK), OnePath Network (Australia) and Zaytuna College (US), with a focus on their content production, charismatic appeal and pan-Islamic orientation. It finds that the podcasts actively shape counterpublics through their engagement with decolonial thought, traditionalist scholarship and the amplification of Muslim lived experiences. While this paper highlights the benefits of fostering Muslim representation and counter discourses, it shows how podcasts can equally be susceptible to insider bias, ideological silos and the rise of influencer culture. In particular, the paper outlines the unexpected crossover between left and right-wing counterpublics and new ways of constructing religious authority online.