Intimacy and Professionalism: Dilemmas in the Practice of Chinese Podcasters

As an inherently intimate medium, podcasting offers new opportunities for journalists to engage in innovative media practices. However, for journalistic podcasters, managing intimacy and balancing it with traditional journalistic norms is an important but complex matter that affects the long-term development and democratic potential of news podcasting. This study focuses on a subject rarely studied: Chinese journalistic podcasters, both in terms of how they perceive and construct intimacy and their approaches to navigating the balance between intimacy and professionalization in their podcasting practices. Drawing upon in-depth interviews and document research, this study finds that by adopting humanized storytelling, emotive language, exposure of personal details, use of background audio, and natural dialects, etc., Chinese podcasters are redefining journalistic norms according to the specific demands of podcasting as an intimate medium. At the same time, they are also carefully guarding journalistic boundaries and are wary of abusing intimacy in commercializing podcasts and expanding the market. By examining on these innovative practices, this study enhances our understanding of how news can continue to stay connected with the public amidst digital transformation. It suggests that the practices of these journalistic podcasters reflect the potential for revising the traditional norms of journalism in adapting to new technological environments.