Host Qualities: Conceptualising Listeners’ Expectations for Podcast Hosts

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Lene Heiselberg & Iben Have

ABSTRACT

This article empirically identifies and conceptualises listener expectations of podcast hosts based on a general and open research question concerning which expectations podcast listeners have for podcast hosts. From an explorative empirical study of 20 online focus group interviews with Danish radio- and podcast listeners, the article concludes that the expectations of podcast hosts are grouped into three categories: knowledge, storytelling, and parasocial relationship. The three categories have underlying themes: some are distinct expectations for podcast hosts; others are of a more general character. Additionally, the study contributes to a better understanding of the inherent qualities of podcasts as a medium and provides useful knowledge for podcast producers about user preferences.

Lene Heiselberg & Iben Have (2023) Host Qualities: Conceptualising Listeners’ Expectations for Podcast Hosts, Journalism Studies, DOI: 10.1080/1461670X.2023.2178245