Podcasting and housing studies

Podcasting is a potentially powerful digital tool for engaging with a broad range of housing, policy, student and professional audiences. In this chapter we suggest that podcasting is a political and ethical process and that each stage of the podcast production process—initiating, creating, disseminating, listening, reflecting and so on—can be used to intervene in the socio-political world politically and ethically. In other words, podcasting is not an apolitical or neutral activity. What we record, how we record it, what we play back to others, and who and what voices we include or leave out of our podcasts are political choices that require our critical attention. Our aim in this discussion is, therefore, to open the debate about podcasting and housing studies that extends well beyond the often-celebratory ideas about the power and utility of this communication medium. We explore the relationship between housing studies, podcasting and community radio to ask, what is it about this modality of communication that is helpful to housing scholars? Given the increasing popularity of podcasting, it is an opportune time to ask some critical questions about academic podcasting.