A new report by online media publication Inside Radio breaks down how many podcast listeners view the U.S. as it approaches its 250th birthday.
The analysis centers on a Kettering Foundation-Gallup study that found that 1,000 conservative and liberal podcast audiences were more aligned in support of the right to protest and critical of government officials on both the Democratic and Republican sides.
The Findings.
Free Speech. 71% of those who listen to liberal podcast influencers said people with radical views should be allowed to protest or speak out against the government as long as it was nonviolent.
For those who listen to conservative podcasts, 40% strongly agreed.
U.S Institutions
8% of liberal podcast users agreed that political leaders are held accountable to the nation’s laws and Constitution, compared with 26% of Democrats. On the conservative side, right-leaning influencer audiences, 33% agreed, versus 48% of Republicans overall.
Voting
54% of liberal-leaning podcast audiences said voting is a very effective way to influence government, slightly higher than among Democrats overall. Conservative audiences were less optimistic, with 41% saying voting is very effective compared with 51% of Republicans.
The Gallup survey found that podcast listeners pretty much felt the same on civic engagement, protest rights and institutional accountability. Those differences were generally larger among left-leaning influencer audiences than among their conservative counterparts.
“Although only a small share of Americans identify podcasters or influencers as primary news sources, Gallup says the findings highlight how emerging media figures may be shaping political attitudes in ways that differ from traditional partisan patterns,” said Inside Radio.
