The “Cultural Entrepreneurship” of Independent Podcast Production in Australia

ABSTRACT

Independent podcasting in Australia continuously evolved throughout 2016–2019, with an increasing focus on generating economic capital. This article draws on semi-structured interviews with 16 Australian podcast producers and participant observations at three consecutive Audiocraft events (national podcasting conference). It uses Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of alternative forms of capital (1986) and Michael Scott’s (2012) figure of the ‘cultural entrepreneur’ to analyse the contribution seven independent podcast producers have made to Australian podcasting’s alternative forms of capital. It finds their contribution is significant as ‘change agents’ subverting its revenue-focused ‘doxa’. This study is part of a larger practice-based doctoral project.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Britta Jorgensen

Britta Jorgensen is a practice-research PhD candidate at Swinburne University in Melbourne, researching independent podcasts and narrative journalism in Australia. She is a supervising producer for All the Best and has taught and mentored emerging producers at the University of Melbourne, Monash University and in community radio. She won a 2018 Burning Seed grant for her interactive audio installation, The Complaints Department. She is currently an ARC Discovery Project research assistant analysing podcasts on antimicrobial resistance (superbugs) and producing a podcast series about it. She has produced audio documentaries for ABC Radio National, Audiocraft, the Emerging Writers Festival and the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia. She is the editorial assistant for The Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media.