Baur, Monica
[UCL]
This paper focuses on science popularization through western French-language independent podcasting, critically discussing what are also called “native podcasts.” Previously, sound distribution on the internet was costly and rare, though in recent years the accessibility of podcasting has enabled amateur content creators to make their scientific knowledge accessible to a wide audience. Thus, the podcast medium’s democratization has subsequently led some science amateurs to professionalize and popularize their activities. This paper wishes to provide an overview of the French-speaking field of science podcasts in the broadest sense of the term (whether referring to experimental sciences, social sciences and the humanities, or even general culture topics). This paper makes use of 18 interviews conducted with French-speaking podcasters and the observation of several science popularizing podcasts in order to investigate scientific mediation strategies in the contemporary podcast ecosystem. As such, it analyzes the practices of podcasters and the ways in which they adapt and evolve in the French-speaking media landscape. This paper will therefore examine podcast producers’ relationships with other agents in the podcast industries, including hosts, distribution platforms (e.g. French podcast app Majelan), and production studios (e.g. Binge Audio). It will also analyze the search for an economic model, especially in the context of science popularization. Finally, it will discuss how certain science podcasters do not seek out funding in order to maintain their editorial independence, while others fundraise through their listening community with the use of crowdfunding. The overall aim of this paper is to highlight and attempt to understand two types of practices: the practices associated with podcast creation and those of popularization. It does so under the scope of the relationship between creators and other agents of this ecosystem, from production studios to listeners.
Bibliographic reference |
Baur, Monica. SCIENCE PODCAST PRODUCERS: WHAT IS THEIR PLACE IN THE WESTERN FRENCH-LANGUAGE PODCAST ECOSYSTEM?.AoIR 2022 - Decolonising the Internet (Dublin, Ireland, du 02/11/2022 au 05/11/2022). |
Permanent URL |
http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/273035 |