Trump Impact on Podcasts Could Reach Beyond News Category
The 47th President could create content opportunities for more than ten podcast categories. Just which ones and how?
The News category had a gangbuster year in 2024.
Thank you presidential election.
Triton Digital says the category popped, growing from 22% of podcast listening to 25%. But President Trump’s influence on podcasting could extend well beyond News in 2025.
Besides News, I counted eleven other categories where Trump and his administration could have influence and provide coverage opportunities for shows.
You can see my list below this photo I took at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on Sunday.
Comedy: This one needs little explanation. Lots of fodder. Especially for Joe Rogan, This Past Weekend with Theo Von, and The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart.
Society & Culture: So many major shows in this category. So much for them to talk about, regardless of political stripes. I’m looking at you Ezra Klein, Shawn Ryan, Honestly with Bari Weiss, and What Now? with Trevor Noah.
Business: Trump is waging the dumbest trade war in history, according to a headline in The Wall Street Journal. So shows about the economy and investing will have ample topics to cover. And ample updates.
Health & Fitness: With Robert F. Kennedy Jr. running the Department of Health and Human Services, we should expect to hear much more about Make America Healthy Again. And vaccines. And the NIH. And the FDA. And beef tallow. And Diet Coke.
Arts: The leadership changes at the Kennedy Center in Washington - with Trump taking over and kicking out Democrat appointees - could represent just the beginning for tension on the arts and culture front.
Education: With gutting the Department of Education on the Trump agenda, this category will have fresh opportunities to talk about the future of education, the state of our schools, and the targeting of Columbia and other major universities.
History: Trump has made history on so many fronts already. His non-consecutive terms like Grover Cleveland. His trials. His impeachments. The assassination attempt in Pennsylvania on live TV.
TV & Film: This presidency is The Apprentice Goes to Washington. Many cabinet members are telegenic and look the part. (Hello central casting? I need someone who looks good in a cowboy hat.) Someone should create a podcast that tracks the Trump White House as a TV show. What cabinet member is on the outs? How long will Elon Musk survive? Will he get fired in the season finale? Stay tuned…
Science: With the National Institutes of Health under the microscope, who knows what stories will emerge here as America’s leading scientists and researchers face cutbacks?
Technology: Meta. Amazon. Microsoft. Apple. Their top execs all went to Trump’s inauguration. What’s more, as long as Elon Musk is hanging out in the Oval Office, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX will surely provide endless stories for tech podcasts.
Government: This category, often overlooked and considered a step-child of the News category, is getting its moment in the sun. Shows here will have abundant material as long as the DOGE project is wreaking havoc on the nation’s capital.
MY RECOMMENDATIONS Make sure you have editorial planning. Sounds simple but you’d be surprised how many podcasters don’t actively and aggressively plan ahead. Stay in touch with the news impacting your part of the universe. It’s so easy to tune out and bury your head under a pillow. But don’t. If major headlines are hitting your genre, this is your time to shine. Become an expert. Reach out to the local media in your town. Get to know your local bloggers. And use local legacy media. Who are the reporters in your town at the local website, TV station, radio station or newspaper? Guest on other podcasts. Now’s the time to build community. So reach out to other shows in your category and do “home and home” interviews, swapping appearances on each other’s shows.
Editor’s Note: If you need help planning your content, I’m happy to brainstorm with you and your team, regardless of your category. Drop me a note by visiting my website here.
John Wordock served as Executive Editor and SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024, helping build Cumulus Podcast Network into a top ten network and top channel on Apple Podcasts. He also used to be Executive Producer for podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He now runs his own podcast consulting company, John Wordock Media LLC.