Podcast listeners are unable to distinguish between series that shared false or unsubstantiated information and those that did not. Prominent political podcasters played a key role in spreading the ‘Big Lie’ about the 2020 election. They spread vaccine and COVID disinformation. Steve Bannon, Heather Heying and Bret Weinstein are prime offenders.

The major tech companies that develop podcasting apps – such as Apple, Spotify, and Google are recommended to start moderating more aggressively and use algorithms to demote right-wing content to prevent chuds from finding new series.

Additionally, since podcast audiences often attribute a certain level of esteem to the hosts of their favorite series, popular podcasters should recognize their positions of authority and use this status wisely. It is critical that podcast hosts qualify their statements with the appropriate level of uncertainty, challenge guests who fail to do the same, and bolster seemingly factual statements with evidence, perhaps by sharing relevant links. An example of this dynamic was on display during a September 2022 episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” when Rogan was fact-checked in real time, both by a guest and later by external sourcing.

Podcasts are only beginning to shape public opinion and political debates in vital ways. How the industry evolves from here has implications for the tasks and responsibilities of tech companies, regulators, listeners, and hosts. These shifts will also factor prominently in the diffusion of unsubstantiated or false content.