Journalism in the age of audification: Features of narrative non-fiction podcasting in Spain

  1. Alfredo Arense Gómez 1
  2. Maria de la Peña Pérez Alaejos 2
  3. Raúl Terol-Bolinches 3
  4. Luis Miguel Pedrero Esteban 1
  1. 1 Universidad Francisco de Vitoria
    info

    Universidad Francisco de Vitoria

    Pozuelo de Alarcón, España

    ROR https://ror.org/03ha64j07

  2. 2 Universidad de Salamanca
    info

    Universidad de Salamanca

    Salamanca, España

    ROR https://ror.org/02f40zc51

  3. 3 Universidad Politécnica de Valencia
    info

    Universidad Politécnica de Valencia

    Valencia, España

    ROR https://ror.org/01460j859

Journal:
Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media

ISSN: 1476-4504 2040-1388

Year of publication: 2024

Volume: 22

Issue: 2

Pages: 163-185

Type: Article

DOI: 10.1386/RJAO_00098_1 GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openOpen access editor

More publications in: Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media

Abstract

The digital ecosystem has promoted on-demand audio listening as a complimentary and even alternative to traditional radio. Some 51 per cent of Spanish internet users listen to podcasts on a regular basis, and podcast consumption in Spain is the highest in Europe. Narrative non-fiction podcasts are giving impetus to topics and issues which may be absent from traditional radio, limited by production schedules and the constraints of the antenna. Audio documentaries combine information, fiction and context through narrative and audio elements that are unusual in conventional audio journalism. This article describes the expressive nature of narrative podcasts in dealing with issues of public interest, identifying their differential features through a content analysis of sixteen podcasts released in Spain in 2021 and 2022. This study identifies the descriptive and narrative features of the stories, the approach, structure, use of music, sound effects and silences. The results reveal a strong emphasis on elaborate sound design, a credible enunciative voice, a journalistic perspective and the use of testimonies, sound effects and textures often hybridized with fiction.

Funding information

Funders

  • The Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities; Knowledge Generation
    • ID2023-149124OB-100

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