1. A Critical Analysis of Podcasts Through the Lens of the Uses and Gratifications Theory
By
Andrew Grubbs
Youngstown State University
Abstract
Podcasting is talk radio for the digital age. Many people have turned to this new
age form of radio for many reasons including, but not limited to, pursuit of knowledge,

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humor, relaxation, a new news source, and to find another outlet to experience the
things they enjoy. Anyone can record a podcast, which means there is an abundance of
podcasts for someone to listen to. A cursory glance at iTunes podcast section will show
that there is pretty much a podcast for just about anything. The purpose of this analysis
will be to examine a few of these literally thousands of podcasts and show how they
relate to people through the communications theory of Uses and Gratifications. I will
look at 5 podcasts and show how they relate to the theory, and what a person can gain
from listening to the podcast. The podcasts I will explore are: Doug Loves Movies, The
Grantland NFL Podcast, The Nerdist, The B.S. Report, How Did This Get Made? and
Tell ‘Em Steve-Dave!.
Literature Review
Uses and Gratifications theory has been used to explore and supplement various
research ventures in the field of media and communication. Fields such as advertising
and how the theory can influence and guide media usage (O’Donohoe, 1994), and how
this theory translates to e-commerce as well (Luo, 2002). The theory itself have value
when interpreting media, which allows advertisers to place the right ads in the right
places. But is also has value in just understanding the media in general, and for the
purpose of this study, podcasting. Uses and Gratification Theory must be explored.
According to Introducing Communication Theory “Uses and Gratification Theory
provides a framework for understanding when and how individual media consumers
become more or less active and the consequences of that increased or decreased
involvement.” (p. 397). This means looking at the five needs satisfied by the media to
the consumer. The five needs of the Uses and Gratification Theory are: Cognitive,

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affective, personal integrative, social integrative, and tension release. Exploring these
five areas will show how podcasts meet all these needs. Analysis of the podcasts
mentioned before, I will show how all these needs can be met by almost any podcast.
Analysis
The first thing that must be done is a content analysis. A close examination of the
podcasts selected will hopefully show a correlation between the type of content and the
needs fulfilled by said content. The analysis will show the essence of the podcast
remains consistent, and not a deviation from the definition the term, as well as the
various ways a podcast can be done and presented. Each podcast posses the elements
that satisfy the requirements of Uses and Gratification theory even though they are not
the same. Some share similar elements and all are podcasts by definition. Doug Loves
Movies will be the first podcast analyzed.
DLM is a podcast hosted by stand up comedian Doug Benson, it is ranked 85th
on iTunes top podcasts list and ranked 19th in the comedy section. DLM is typically a
weekly podcast recorded in front of a live audience at U.C.B. Theater in Los Angeles,
California. Since Doug Benson is a touring stand up comic it is also common to have
tapings that are recorded at theaters and comedy clubs on the road. The shows at
U.C.B. are normally an hour long and have three guests. The three guests compete in
some fun movie games, the last segment and “main event” of the podcast is the
Leonard Maltin Game.1 The audience is encouraged to bring creative name tags for a
chance to win prizes. I could spend pages describing DLM, the best summation is that
its a comedy show, centered around movies.
1
The Leonard Maltin Game is a creation of Doug Benson, and would take too much time to explain in this
essay.

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Applying the Uses and Gratification Theory to DLM we can see that it fulfills a
couple of those five categories outlined within the theory. Tension release is met
because DLM is a comedy show with the main purpose of providing humor and
enjoyment for the listeners. It provides an escape and a diversion for people that need
it. Social Integration is met as well. Being a live show that tours the country, it is a great
way for fans of the podcast to come out and see a show and be a part of the podcast,
establishing a sense of community with those who also listen to the show. The next
podcast I will look at is The Grantland NFL Podcast.
The Grantland NFL Podcast is a podcast on the Grantland network of podcasts.
It is hosted by Bill Barnwell and Robert Mays. Barwell and Mays are both NFL writers
for Grantland.com, and they co-host the podcast three times a week during the NFL
season. As the title of the show would suggest they talk about the NFL, they review the
games of the previous week, as well as preview the games for the upcoming week. The
provide their own views and insight on the games as well as present relevant statistics
on teams and players. When looking at The Grantland NFL Podcast as it relates to the
Uses and Gratification Theory, it covers the tension release aspect of the theory, as well
as the cognitive aspect. Cognitive because it provides information and useful knowledge
about the NFL.
The Nerdist podcast is a very successful podcast hosted by Chris Hardwick,
Jonah Ray, and Matt Mira. The Nerdist is ranked 13th on iTunes top podcasts chart and
ranked 1st on the comedy charts. Hardwick, Ray, and Mira all have comedy
backgrounds and co-host the podcast together. Typically the podcast has one or two
guests along with all three of the hosts. It is not uncommon for the show to have only

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one of the hosts2 and only one guest or two of the hosts and a guest. They also have
regular “hostful” episodes which are just the hosts with no guests. The shows are
typically long-form interviews that can be as short as 25 minutes or as long as 90
minutes, most being about 60 minutes long. They shows are heavily centered around
comedy and “nerd culture”. The Nerdist specifically applies to tension release, affective,
personal, and social integrative. They will have live shows where they will answer
questions from the audience, to help foster that interactiveness. The affective and
tension release needs come from the conversations they have on the show. Personal
Integration comes from the guests they are able to get on the show and the success
they've achieved.
The B.S. Report is a sports/news/opinion/pop culture podcast hosted by Bill
Simmons.3 This is on the ESPN network of podcasts as well as the Grantland podcast
network. The B.S. Report is ranked 5th on iTunes sports & recreation chart (58th
overall). Typically there will be a few episodes released weekly, there isn’t a set number
of episodes per week. They are pretty much always Simmons and typically one guest at
a time. Some will feature more than one guest at a time, or separate
interviews/conversations. I hesitate to call them pure interviews, because sometimes
they are interviews in the traditional sense where Simmons will ask questions and get
answers, but more often than not they are conversations between Simmons and people
in the sports or pop culture world that he has some type of relationship with that allows
for more of a conversation. Most episodes run about a hour, but it is not uncommon for
them to go shorter or longer. A continuing theme with these podcasts, including this
2
Shows with only one host are almost always hosted by just Chris Hardwick.
3
Simmons is a sports columnist, ESPN personality, and editor-in-chief of Grantland.com.

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one, is that they meet several needs when it comes to the Uses and Gratification theory.
Knowledge is acquired by listening to people that a lot of times bring information when
trying to present a point about sports or even just new information about an individual
that was a guest, thus fulfilling the cognitive need. Tension release occurs from just
enjoying the podcast as an escape, especially for people that are sports fans and fans
of Bill Simmons work.
How Did This Get Made? (HDTGM) would be classified as a comedy podcast,
and is currently ranked 10th on iTunes comedy podcast chart. Hosted by a trio of
actor/comedians: Paul Scheer, his wife June Diane Raphael, and Jason Mantzoukas.
The concept of the podcast is a unique one. They release a pre-episode to each full
episode that typically comes out a week ahead of time, this show is to let the audience
know which movie to watch for the upcoming episode. Each episode, the assign a
movie for everybody that listens to watch, and then the following episode they discuss
and make jokes about the movie that was assigned. In addition to the hosts they
typically have a guest to discuss the movie as well, who is most likely an actor or
comedian. In addition to studio shows they also do live shows that include an audience
interaction towards the end of the show. There is a level of audience interaction that
comes from watching the assigned movie, because it creates this sense of inclusion
and shared experience between the show and the audience. Several needs of Uses
and Gratifications theory are meet by this show as well as the others mentioned such as
tension release, personal, and social integrative needs.
The last podcast I will examine is Tell ‘Em Steve-Dave (TESD). TESD is a
weekly podcast hosted by Bryan Johnson, Brian Quinn, and Walt Flanagan. The

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podcast is on the SModcast Podcast Network, created by director/podcaster Kevin
Smith.4 Unlike the rest of the podcasts I have mentioned, these three did not have an
established audience from prior fame, they are just friends of Kevin Smith. They started
recording out of the comic book store that Walt manages in Red Bank, New Jersey.5
They stated the podcast mostly for themselves and ended up building a loyal audience.
The format is very much just three guys trying to make each other laugh, but not by
trying very hard. They are not comedians, just three friends having conversations. Bry,
Walt and Q have accomplished something amazing from essentially nothing. They have
built this entire TESD universe, with a whole host of characters that regular listeners will
recognize and either hate or love, or love to hate which is the case with most of the
characters on the show. They are not the most well know podcast, but they have a very
strong and loyal fan base that will come out to live shows6, they will buy the special
episodes that are not a part of the weekly free episodes, and the will buy their
merchandise. They are a largely supportive audience. This podcast is a great example
of tension release because tt is incredibly entertaining. Social integrative needs are met
because they do a great job of fostering this universe and relationship with the
audience. The guys make it feel like you know them, like you are the fourth friend at the
table that just sits there quietly. They feel like people you know, and not just
entertainers. Affective needs are met in much of the same way. An emotional
connection is established with this show more than others. Personal integrative needs
are met with the sense of belonging as a member of the loyal audience. It has a sense
4
Kevin Smith smith hosts several podcasts on the network. He also has written and directed the films:
Clerks, Clerks 2, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Tusk, Red State, and many more. He is one of the more
well know podcasters and has over 2.6 million twitter followers..
5
Store owned by Kevin Smith.
6
Live shows are very rare.

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of being in a club almost, being a part of a group that other people don't know, but
everyone in that group shares a common interest.
Discussion
All these podcasts meet some, if not all, of the needs listed. Tension release,
cognitive, affective, as well as personal and social integrative needs are all met by these
various podcasts.The Nerdist along with DLM, The Grantland NFL Podcast, The B.S.
Report, How Did This Get Made? and Tell ‘Em Steve-Dave represent a small portion of
the amount of podcasts that exist, but when viewed through the lens of the Uses and
Gratification theory, it shows the needs they fulfil for human beings. Because that is
really what the theory is about, people. It is not about analyzing the content but how the
content affects people. According to Elizabeth Perse, “Instead of considering the
audience as passively exposed to strong media messages, it considered an active
audience that consciously selected and used media content to satisfy various needs.”7
Media content theories try to explain why people use the media that they use, and the
effects of this media use on people. When looking at Uses and Gratification theory, it is
a very broad scope, that allows the classification of pretty much all forms of media.
Podcasting as part of this media is an interesting case for Uses and Gratification theory,
because of the lack of a visual presence. Visual vectors have such a profound impact
on people’s media consumption experience, and it is impressive that podcasts can exist
and function in this new age as the new form of talk radio, and podcasts continue to
grow. The nicheness of podcasts allows there to be thousands upon thousands,
7
From Oxfordbibliography.com.

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creating this massive overlapping and segmented audience. The almost on demand
nature of podcast also mimics the way television and movies operate now. Everything is
on demand, and everything is segmented, allowing consumers an unprecedented
amount of control within their media sphere. Podcasting is a unique medium within the
greater nexus of media that we, as humans, have available to us at our fingertips at
almost any time.
Bibliography
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Scheer, P., Diane Raphael, J., & Mantzoukas, J. (speakers). (2015). How Did
This Get Made? [Audio podcast].
Hardwick, C., Mira, M., & Ray, J. (speakers). (2014). The Nerdist [Audio
podcast].

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