When journalists and scientists sit down to talk: Juggling audience expectations in interactional science podcasts during the COVID-19 pandemic

Given the growing relevance of podcasts in science communication, especially science journalism, this paper analyzes interactional science podcasts from a dramaturgical perspective. Scientists and journalists face conflicting expectations from different audiences, ranging from professional peers to a ‘general audience.’ Nevertheless, their interactions tend to be relatively harmonious. This paper addresses this puzzle and asks how journalists and scientists juggle audience expectations in different roles. It is based on a qualitative analysis of 15 episodes of the prominent German podcast ‘Coronavirus Update,’ sampled through mentions in metajournalistic discourse during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. The analysis shows that conflicting expectations require a certain variation within role constellations: actors speak as (co-)moderator, (co-)expert, and as a representative of the audience. The constellations are stabilized through mutual support of each other’s self-presentation, but also the intentional withdrawal thereof in risky situations. Unpacking those interactional dynamics, shaped by audience expectations, helps to understand the social dimension of science journalism and its emerging practices, such as podcasting.