The B of podcasting in today's media landscape represents an unprecedented opportunity for the news industry. Five years after the report News Podcasts and the Opportunities for Publishers and the first articles that introduced the media to podcast production as a way to revitalize journalism, it is safe to say that a variety of audio content is emerging that enriches the journalistic offerings.

In addition, the podcast has gained great popularity, being Spain one of the countries with the highest consumption among digital news users with 44% of followers, according to the Digital News Report Spain 2024. This report also points out that the podcast attracts qualified audiences: 54% have a high income and 56% have a high level programs of study . It also interests mainly young audiences (18-24 years old, 62%) and young adults (25-34 years old, 58%).

In a context of permanent digital transformation, where the media seek to adapt to new consumption habits, the podcast emerges as a strategic resource This audio format enriches the news offer and allows the media to extend their influence, connect with new audiences and build immersive journalistic stories. It is also an opportunity to implement new forms of partnership in newsrooms.

The Map of Digital Media in Spain, carried out within the framework of theDIGINATIVEMEDIA II project (2022-2025), shows that by the end of 2024, 4 out of 10 (39.3 %) of the 2,845 active digital media surveyed publish podcasts, with non-native media leading production: 1 out of 2 (52.8 %).

The general media show a strategic commitment to podcasts. In particular, regional, regional and/or local media stand out for offering original production: of the 1,119 digital media that offer podcasts, 879 (78.6%) are local.

Regional and local journalism has found a niche to enrich its content with new narratives, telling stories that can interest other audiences, have a longer life cycle than the immediate news and broaden its dissemination.

In the context of the growing relevance of audio, news organizations are adapting by creating work areas specialized in audio storytelling, partnerships with production companies or brands for the development and monetization of series, and the management of products through networks and platforms.

The main Spanish and Latin American media groups have established specific Departments for the production of original audio and to ensure the integration of sound narrative in news coverage.

The print media, which have incorporated professionals specialized in sound projects, stand out. As a result, there is an evolution towards integrated organizations and newsrooms that combine professional profiles from journalism and the audiovisual field.

Collaborations are also sought with other media that are not directly competitive, national and international podcast production companies and distribution platforms.

The growing influence of intermediaries, such as social networks and broadcasting platforms, poses the challenge of reintermediating the audio market. These alliances are presented as a way to increase production, expand the market and obtain financial resources through sponsorship or branded podcasting.

The predominance of conversational podcasts is evident because it is an agile production format that relies on the voices and specializations of media professionals. This new format makes it possible to offer more extensive, specialized and regular conversations.

However, digital journalistic media are beginning to experiment and allocate resources to new forms of storytelling, among which stand out the narrative podcast, special coverage, documentary sound recreations and dailies or news summaries:

• The narrative podcast builds immersive stories based on long-form research, with a careful sound design and structured around a storyline. It uses techniques that seek to keep the attention of the occasional student, such as the creation of characters, suspense and twists in the story, guided by an empathetic narrator.

• Special coverage shows a journalistic deployment, generally transmedia, to report in depth and exhaustively on events of relevance in the public diary . They go beyond the mere transmission of facts, seeking to provide context, analyze and explain the multiple dimensions of an event.

• Documentary sound recreations reconstruct past events through sound, with file materials, expert participation and fictional parts. The main goal is to offer an accurate and evocative representation, using sound as the main tool . It is based on an exhaustive research and the use of documentary sources to guarantee the veracity of the recreation. From a narrative perspective, it combines documentary and fictional elements to create an immersive experience, transporting the occasional student to the place and time of the recreated event.

• Finally, the format daily is a product increasingly present in digital media. It is a digital audio content with a curated selection of news, regular periodicity, limited duration and a narrative treatment that pivots on its presenter and the professionals of the media that produces it.

Currently, national and regional headers are joining this genre, which is distributed through platforms and social networks, expanding the news impact of the media and providing focus and context without depending on live broadcasting.

In summary, journalistic podcasts have gained relevance through flexible access to sound products that provide a variety of content. The main journalistic brands have seen in them an opportunity to extend their prestige and influence, to create a closer connection with their audiences and, consequently, to do good journalism.