Podcasting as media

Justin Jackson is ringing the alarm bells about podcasts.

There’s a real chance that they disappear, ala websites and all the rest of the web that so many of us have loved our whole lives.

YouTube is fast becoming the podcast king; or at least a bastardized version of it. I may need to move there out of necessity. But it’s a whole other platform. It’s not calm and reasoned, it’s chaotic and engagement baiting. It’s needy.

A recent post by Nathan Tower (referenced by Justin) beautifully contrasts the intented slowness of podcasts. I want content that is deep, not hurried.

While video, social media, and AI-generated content continue to dominate, podcasting retains something unique: depth.

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This is why I remain deeply skeptical about the push for video in podcasting. Video has its place, but podcasting’s strength lies in its ability to cultivate deeper listening—an experience that doesn’t rely on algorithms or visual spectacle. When podcasting is done right, it thrives in the intimacy of audio, where listeners engage fully rather than passively consuming through a screen.

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Podcasting, at its best, is an antidote to the attention economy. It isn’t built for endless scrolling or fleeting dopamine hits. It’s slow media. Deep media. A space that values intelligence over impulse, conversation over clicks. If we want to save this country, we need connection. We need to listen—to real ideas, from real people, in real conversations.

There’s something special about listening. I can just do life. I can mow the lawn, go on a run, wash the dishes—all while being invested in storytelling and things that matter.