Political Podcasting

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Political Podcasting
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MON DIEU, A MEDIA BREAKTHROUGHBusiness Week
January 9, 2006

• Nicolas Sarkozy, Frances Interior Minister,
  participated in a podcast interview conducted by
  Loic Le Meur, one of the country's most widely
  read bloggers.
• The podcast attracted over 50,000 viewers, and
  generated more than 400 comments.

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• This was the first ever podcast by a political
  figure in France.
• It was an attempt to increase standing with
  French bloggers, who are mostly under 25.
• Sarkozy is currently the nominee by the Union for
  a Popular Movement for the 2007 French
  presidential election.

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Germany

• In 2006 German Chancellor Angela Merkel began
  Podcasting weekly on such topics as "Federal
  Reform," "Key Points of Health Policy Reform,"
  and "Retirement Funding.
• Each podcast reportedly costs the German
  Government 8200.
• The first four were downloaded almost 200,000
  times off Apples iTunes during the first month.

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United States

• In November 2006, then House Minority Leader
  Nancy Pelosi was featured in the WWE Smackdown
  Your Vote! Podcast.
• The podcast interview series focused on why
  adults 30 and under should vote in the upcoming
  mid-term election.
• In her podcast, Pelosi discusses what's at stake
  for adults 30 and under in Tuesday's national
  mid-term election, and what a Democrat majority
  in Congress would mean for young adults on the
  war in Iraq, education, and health care.

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Questions?

• Are podcasts a better way to reach the youth
  (18-25)?
• Would you pay more attention to politics if it
  was podcasted on iTunes?
• Should the President implement a weekly podcast
  similar to Germany?