PODCASTS AS INSTRUMENTS OF POLITICAL COMMUNICATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Podcasting has rapidly developed from an experimental model in digital media to a significant industry within the wider media sphere. This format combines traditional radio features with digital technologies, facilitating flexible, asynchronous, and customized content consumption. In political communication, podcasts and video podcasts serve as tactical promotional tools, offering a relatively unconstrained space that bypasses the institutional limitations of traditional media. This study analyzes current literature on political podcasts, synthesizing both conceptual models and empirical studies. Results identify three key aspects: the sense of intimacy between hosts and audiences, the reflexivity and transparency of discourse, and the potential to advance a further inclusive democratic culture. The analysis also identifies key risks: the aesthetic of authenticity and strong audience relationships may be leveraged to promote radical ideologies or disseminate misinformation. In conclusion, podcasts are changing political communication in the current environment, balancing the potential to democratize the public sphere with emerging algorithmic controls by digital media.