I’m not going to claim I’m a podcasting expert by any means, but I do love to listen and watch various podcasts in all topics and genres. I do think that because of my vast exposure to many different podcasts, I’ve gotten a good idea of what makes for good podcasting. Throughout my sampling of podcasts, I’ve never been able to find a good “Christian” podcast I love to listen to. While the old versions of “The Relevant Podcast” were close to ideal, there seems to be a large gap in fantastic Christian podcasting. Here is my list of top five things missing from Christian podcasting.
5) Panel Hosting—This is one of the largest problems facing Christian podcasts today. In fact, if you go to iTunes and look at the top Christian podcasts, they are all sermons from various churches that are popular. While some people enjoy listening to sermons, there is more to podcasting that one person giving a speech. We need a Christian podcast hosted by a panel of people, not just one person conveying their individual ideas.
4) Discussion & Dialogue—While sermons are one way to disseminate information, they do not provide the same atmosphere discussions can provide. Discussion and dialogue provide a forum for hashing out various viewpoints and are a better way to engage an audience. Plus, discussion shows the willingness to be able to work out various issues instead of claiming we’ve arrived.
3) Casual Setting & Fun—The main problem organizations and churches face when they decide to start podcasting is that they take themselves too seriously. They think that since they are putting their “brand” out there, they need to put out a proper front. But stiff and formal does not make for a good podcast. A good podcast is laid back and does not mind stopping to laugh every now and then (perhaps even at themselves).
2) Hard Hitting Analysis—Something missing from the world of Christian podcasts is the willingness to analyze the various events happening in the world today. There are plenty of public figures making a big deal of their Christian faith (Carrie Prejean, Heidi Pratt, Sarah Palin, etc.) and many world events relevant to Christians. A group of people willing to discuss these events and what they means to the Christian world would be a great way to promote more critical thinking inside the Christian bubble.
1) Interactivity—The most successful podcasts on the Internet have a great relationship with their audience. If you find a loyal audience, know that they are incredibly willing to interact with you. Many Christian podcasts do not take the proper time to deal with the feedback they get and make it a part of their podcasts. Making the feedback a part of the show helps create a communal feel. When the audience moves from passive listener to part of the podcast, then the show transcends being a one-sided monologue and becomes a continuous conversation.
There is one more important point I didn’t include on this list, but is important to good podcasting. You must have a regular schedule. Whether it is daily or weekly, a podcast that updates haphazardly will never gain traction or an audience. Be bitter if you want, but I just made this a top 6 list without you even knowing it. Sneak attack!
Perhaps someday an organization, church, or group of people will tackle this missed opportunity. I believe the audience for a podcast such as this is out there, but someone must be willing to create the content. There will be a day when I eagerly anticipate new episodes of a Christian podcast in my podcast feed. I just wish that day were now.
Tone Hoeft is pursuing a master’s degree in communication at Eastern Washington University. To learn more about him or his thoughts, visit www.inproximity.org.