This post was updated April 29 at 11:45 p.m.
Podcasts are beginning to lose their reputation as reliable forms of news and social commentary.
Celebrity culture has led many to ascribe respect and trust to influencer posts and podcasts. A large majority of podcast listeners in the United States take news and statements made by podcast hosts at face value, regardless of their genre. This level of trust causes listeners to hold podcasters in high regard, opening up their commentary to more scrutiny when it comes to politically and socially charged topics.
Having risen in popularity over the last few years, podcasts vary in type and topic. For many of these audio shows, there are different standards for fact-checking and extrapolation than in a more traditional news organization.
Similarly, many of these shows are purely for entertainment purposes, centering conversations on pop culture, comedy or art. Hosts of primarily comedic podcasts sometimes also dabble in politics and other, more contentious social topics. Making money off their banter and conversations, it can be unclear whether or not these hosts are truly informed on the subjects they speak on.
Many more-established educational podcasts feature guest experts, such as the “Cult of Pedagogy,” while others, such as “Emergency Intercom” and “Just Trish,” are far less serious. “Emergency Intercom,” for example, explores hosts Enya Umanzor’s and Drew Phillips’ personal experiences, inside jokes and opinions – and is a well-known comedy podcast. Beloved for their quirky humor and candid takes, Umanzor and Phillips recently crossed the line regarding informed opinion-sharing to many of their fans.
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Having just come off a monthlong break, the podcasting duo is now receiving backlash from listeners for making considerably tone-deaf comments in its March 28 episode. Claiming renowned climate activist Greta Thunberg had “fallen off” in terms of her relevance, Phillips made a dig at Thunberg’s lessened media presence. Thunberg, however, has continued to speak out about climate change and has been using her platform to loudly advocate against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, having recently been arrested for her front-line efforts.
Listeners were largely shocked by Umanzor’s and Phillips’ comments, many insisting they were insensitive. Statements about Thunberg upset fans, with many posting that the hosts’ lack of awareness of Thunberg’s recent activism and the Israel-Hamas war was telling of Umanzor’s and Phillips’ ignorance of global politics.
Even influencer and podcast host of “Just Trish” Trisha Paytas criticized Umanzor and Phillips on her show for their lack of awareness. No stranger to controversy herself, Paytas has previously been criticized for cultural appropriation and ignorance, for example, falsely claiming to be transgender and claiming to be of Asian descent. Although it is ironic that Paytas called out Umanzor and Phillips, she at least acknowledged that a line from a comedic joke to a politically salient topic had been crossed.
Because “Emergency Intercom” is promoted as a comedy show, perhaps listeners and the internet are misplacing expectations of how informed and politically active these hosts must be. While hosts should be educated and sensitive to the consequences of making uninformed statements, the informal nature of their platforms do not exactly set the stage for nuanced political, economic or social takes.
There are certain lines that should not be crossed when making witty commentary on public figures, such as Thunberg, who has no grouping in the influencer and celebrity realm. Certainly existing within the public and international spheres of politics and influence, Thunberg has made a name for herself by advocating for the necessity of addressing climate change, even speaking in front of the United Nations at age 16. Thunberg’s public presence naturally opens her up to scrutiny and criticism, but “Emergency Intercom” seems to have overstepped when criticizing her in a lighthearted manner as they would another influencer of the same caliber as themselves.
Such an uncalled-for diss to a well-known activist is clear grounds for backlash, especially as “Emergency Intercom” fans were expecting a funny and fresh episode typical of its previous content after the hosts’ monthlong hiatus.
Traversing from entertainment to politics, Umanzor and Phillips’ uninformed comments relate to a larger trend within podcasting. With such a large number of podcasts putting out a wide array of information – fact-checked or not – whether or not listeners of entertainment podcasts should place such high expectations on the host’s expertise comes into question.
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Hosts are at full liberty to speak on whatever topic they find fit, but, at the same time, should be held accountable for their statements. They should not expect a lack of ramifications and criticism if they make unsanctioned comments about topics or people they are not knowledgeable about.
Even when in a casual, joking manner, podcast hosts should either make informed comments or none at all. Not only are they debasing the credibility of their podcast, but they are also attracting backlash – something “Emergency Intercom” could take into account when filming its next episode.
Not all press is good press when your platform depends on fans listening to your podcast.
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