Dear Podcaster, Your Words Matter

I love it when inspiration hits. There's nothing quite like being able to put all the missing fragments in your head together to form a coherent thought that communicates something important. This week, I had that moment with our latest blog post. It's one that I've been wanting to get to for a long time but just haven't had the time of day to do so. More on that in a minute though.?

In other news, our very own Christian Gentzel is headed off to his Alma Mater today to speak on his career experience and represent HumblePod as well. We wish him the best with that, and you can find out more info below as well.?

So, let's not delay any longer and jump into this week's newsletter.?

?? Blog Post: Dear Podcaster, Your Words Matter

Like I said last week, I was feeling inspired to write a blog post, but up until yesterday morning, I was missing my muse. Thankfully, Christian notified me that The Onion acquired Infowars today, and with that, I found my muse for the piece I've been wanting to write for some time now.?

This is probably the first of many posts I'll do on the subject of podcasting ethics over time, and it's certainly not going to be my last. If you're curious, I encourage you to take some time to read it today.?

?? Berea Beloved

Our very own Christian Gentzel will be making a trip up I-75 this weekend to spread the good news of HumblePod. He's headed back to his alma mater, Berea College, to take part in their Homecoming festivities. Saturday morning, he'll be a featured speaker at the Communication Department's annual Alumni Roundtable. It's not only a wonderful opportunity for him to reconnect with friends and mentors, but he's also getting the chance to show students how they can turn their podcasting dreams into career realities.

?? Stuff You Should Know

The Influence of Joe Rogan

There's no cute titles or puns in the newsletter this week. We've got some heavy stuff on our minds at HumblePod, and as the U.S. grapples with the fallout of the 2024 Presidential Election, everyone is looking to answer the same question: What happened?

Politico has a wonderful analysis about the unexpected post-election talking point of podcasts and their influence. Their article particularly focuses on Joe Rogan (the current "King Maker" of the industry), young male voters, and President-elect Donald Trump's podcast media blitz.

We don't want to spoil too much for you, but the long and short of it is this: the Trump campaign/administration has always been tapped into online movements and distrust in traditional media and politics. It's so intrinsically tied to his identity, Trump's activity on social media has its own dedicated Wikipedia page.

His appearances on multiple shows like Bussin' with the Boys, This Past Weekend with Theo Von, and of course, The Joe Rogan Experience just shows that Trump and his team know exactly where they need to go to drum up support. Some argue "mainstream media" as we know it is dead, and considering the rise of podcasts, influencers, and more than half the United States getting its news from social media, it's hard to disagree at this point. (Read More...)

The Onion Buys Infowars

On the subject of influence, let's sum this one up with a colloquialism: "Your actions have consequences."

Alex Jones is vile, disgusting human being. The less words said about him, the better. Years spent peddling dangerous conspiracy theories and stoking the flames of fear have culminated into what could almost be described as the perfect form of karma for Mr. Jones.

His Infowars cash cow has been purchase by satire site The Onion and some of the families of Sandy Hook victims as a part of bankruptcy proceedings tied to his Sandy Hook defamation lawsuits.

We've already written about this at length in a blog post, but we'll close with this: Your words matter.

No matter the size of your audience, your voice has an influence whether you want to admit it or not. Please always keep this in mind when you support or platform someone. (Read More...)

?? Launch A Podcast With Us ???

If you're interested in how we can help you or your business with a podcast, let us know! We've helped launch well over 40 podcasts and generated millions of downloads. We're confident we can help you produce a show you'll want to HumbleBrag about.