Podcasting, the intimate self, and the public sphere

Podcasts often take the form of traditional public affairs and public service media in a hyper-competitive, neoliberalized space that prizes above all the attention given by individualized listeners to specific creators willing to put some version of their intimate selves on display. This dynamic is present in all forms of commercial media, but it is put in particularly sharp relief in the world of contemporary podcasting. This introductory essay considers this tension and, in doing so, frames the articles that appear throughout the special issue.