Podcasting & the Future of Democracy

Room: History, Biography & Religion, 2nd Floor

In the post-mortem of the last U.S. presidential election, one medium has garnered particular scrutiny: podcasts. Once the domain of comedians and hobbyists, podcasting has since evolved into a prominent medium at the nexus of power and influence. Some observers have gone so far as to dub 2024 the first “podcast election.”  While podcasting has undoubtedly provided enterprising individuals with uncensored access to disengaged voters, it has also become a means of amplifying unchecked disinformation. All those seeking to influence must wrestle with that contradiction. This talk will discuss podcasting as a contested democratic space of discourse, discontent, and disinformation.  

Halima Gikandi is an award-winning journalist and audio producer based in Brooklyn. Until recently, she served as the Nairobi-based Africa Correspondent for the NPR program "The World," where she reported on politics, democracy, and security across Africa. Since 2018, she has produced news, radio documentaries, investigations, and podcasts at the intersection of human rights, law, and international relations.