Podcasting Becomes Core Channel For News In U.S., Especially Among Young and Educated.

Podcasting is cementing itself as a mainstream medium for news consumption in the U.S., driven by shifts in audience behavior, a fragmented digital landscape, and rising demand for personalized, personality-led content. According to the 2025 Reuters Institute Digital News Report, the U.S. has one of the world’s most advanced podcast markets, with 15% of adults reporting that they listened to a news podcast in the past week. That matches or exceeds the weekly reach of both print (14%) and radio news (13%), underscoring podcasting’s transformation from a niche medium into a major distribution channel for journalism.

This growth is particularly pronounced among younger, more educated, and higher-income listeners. News podcasts are especially popular with those under 35 — an audience segment increasingly elusive for traditional media — and are disproportionately favored by college-educated Americans. The report highlights the format’s ability to forge deep connections between hosts and audiences, with 73% of podcast listeners saying the medium helps them understand issues at a deeper level.

In the U.S., podcasting is increasingly synonymous with video. Unlike Europe, where audio-first platforms still dominate, YouTube has emerged as a primary distribution platform for American news podcasts. This video convergence reflects broader consumption trends: weekly use of any kind of online video for news in the U.S. has jumped from 55% in 2021 to 72% in 2025.

AA Tale of Two Streams

The American news podcasting space is marked by a clear divide between professionally produced, analysis-driven shows from traditional outlets, and personality-led podcasts offering commentary, often through partisan or alternative media frameworks.

Legacy media brands maintain strong footholds with flagship titles such as The Daily from The New York Times and NPR’s Up First. These shows emphasize reporting, interviews and explainer journalism. But increasingly, they must share the stage with creators like Joe Rogan, whose blend of long-form interviews and controversial opinions reaches vast audiences. According to the report, 22% of U.S. adults said they encountered Joe Rogan discussing or commenting on the news in the week following the presidential inauguration. His influence was especially strong among younger men and right-leaning audiences.

Dr. Craig T. Robertson, who works on the Digital News Project, says while there is some debate about whether The Joe Rogan Experience is a news podcast at all, they included the series since it does regularly feature prominent guests who generate news stories from their appearances.

“It’s among a crop of right-leaning podcasts which have become highly influential in the U.S. political sphere,” he writes in the report, noting other shows including the left-leaning The Meidas Touch Podcast and Pod Save America are also featured in the top six most-mentioned shows in the U.S., which Robertson says shows how podcasts from smaller independent producers can break through in a highly competitive market.

Other prominent figures — Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, Ben Shapiro and Brian Tyler Cohen — were also named as influential sources of news commentary, demonstrating how personality-led shows are reshaping public discourse and capturing demographics disaffected with mainstream journalism.

Monetization And Willingness To Pay

Monetization is another key evolution in the U.S. podcasting space. Publishers are experimenting with subscription models, exclusive content tiers, and bundling audio as part of broader membership offerings. The Economist, for example, offers a podcast+ subscription at $5 per month, and The New York Times gates older episodes and some original shows behind its digital paywall.

While the overall market is currently small, regular listeners are highly interested in news, and Robertson says that results in a willingness to pay for news podcasts. The data shows 46% of news podcast listeners in the U.S. say they would be prepared to pay a reasonable price for news-related podcasts they like.

“Interviewees mention how different types of news podcasts fulfill particular needs throughout the day,” Robertson says. “The news podcast market is still relatively niche and fragmented, but the loyal audiences many podcasts have present a path to potential membership and monetization.”

Podcasts vs. Legacy News

The increasing popularity of podcasts is part of a wider collapse in institutional media influence. For the first time, more Americans report getting news via social and video platforms (54%) than from television (50%) or news websites/apps (48%). News podcasts, often led by charismatic figures, are not only part of this digital migration — they are helping to redefine the news itself, turning hosts into brands and commentary into core content.

Nowhere is the shift toward personality-led news content more visible than in the U.S. This change is being fueled by younger audiences, who are prioritizing digital-first sources, often hosted by charismatic individuals who blend news with commentary and entertainment. It has opened the door to podcasts, especially among younger men, right-leaning consumers, and those with low trust in mainstream journalism.

This evolution is happening faster in the U.S. than in most countries as American audiences are pivoting toward decentralized, personality-driven platforms. In this environment, the Reuters Institute says podcasts are becoming both a refuge from and a challenger to mainstream journalism.

Download the 2025 Reuters Institute Digital News Report HERE.