Goldman Sachs Talks

Alex Blumberg & Jacob Weisberg, The Power of Podcasting

The popularity of podcasts continues to surge with millions of listeners turning to their smartphones each day for audio content ranging from quick news to immersive storytelling. In this discussion, Alex Blumberg, co-founder and CEO of the podcasting network Gimlet Media and Jacob Weisberg, Editor-in-Chief of The Slate Group describe the impact podcasting is having on the media landscape.

Blumberg on the impact of podcasting on the media landscape: “We’re at the dawn of the second golden age of audio... Now that we have on demand audio available to everyone, it’s changing the forum the same way that on demand TV changed the forum... We’re seeing and we are going to continue to see an explosion of new kinds of programming. I think it’s going to continue to penetrate mainstream behavior.” 

Weisberg on advice for journalists: “You need to understand the business for self-protection reasons if no other. When I went into journalism, you could just be a good journalist and leave the business side to other people. But now it’s evolving so quickly that I think it’s crucial that you understand what business model supports what you do, whether it’s sustainable and what the future of it is.”