Guest Editorial: The Rise of Podcasts

Ruchi K. Sahota, DDS, CDE

We listened to news radio on the way to school every day. Traffic and weather on the eight-minute marks. Sports on the 15s and 45s. Stock market updates were sprinkled in with local and national news. My family, composed of immigrants raising children in the ’80s and ’90s, mainly played Indian music in the house — perhaps this was in an effort to maintain exposure to culture and the Indian roots. Needless to say, my house did not know what the Billboard music chart’s top 50 list included. I learned about Van Halen on a trip to Yosemite with my friend’s family. The latest country music or hip-hop music played as my fifth through eighth grade basketball teams ran onto the court. I came to appreciate Britney Spears in high school when I got my own car — and control over the radio station.

The primary building blocks that my mother laid down with the news radio are deep in my consciousness. News radio provided material that felt focused and personalized. Traffic news was necessary to determine what route to take. Weather news was necessary to determine what to wear. Sports news was necessary to fuel the excitement for upcoming games. Over the years, the newscasters and their voices were not just familiar but felt like family. The jingles of each of the commercials were embedded in our cerebrums.

During the months of shelter-in-place in the pandemic, listening to the news became less and less desirable. But there was still a desire for that information stimulation. It started with a podcast that featured analysis on a favorite reality show; it started with an opportunity to escape. Slowly one podcast led to a subscription to the series and then devouring many episodes. Many episodes led to a discovery of a world of topics, galaxies of contributors and a whole new universe of information stimulation. I was hooked.

125 million people will likely listen to a podcast each month by next year. This quantifies about a 25% increase since before the pandemic. [1] The popularity of podcasts has exploded. For some, podcasts provide knowledge. For others, podcasts provide distraction. And sometimes — podcasts provide balance in the contribution of education and entertainment.

According to a podcast production company, “49% of monthly U.S. podcast listeners are aged between 12–34, 40% between 35 and 54 years old, and 22% are aged over 55. Monthly podcast listeners also tend to work a full-time job.” Listeners of all generations are seeking connections to these new voices.

The podcast experience is unique. The host or roundtable of hosts unabashedly speak into the microphones to their audience. They tell their stories as if the episode was an audible diary entry. Connection comes easy. Honesty and full disclosure are expected. The knowledgebased podcasts provide interviews with Diane Sawyer-like questions and a journalistic approach. The interviews are probing yet conversational — lending to not only the idea of an informal connection to the audience, but also an aim to allow for the comprehensive digestion of ideas and answers given. Listening, most often, takes place at home or in the car. These are personal and focused times and environments. These scenarios lend to the feeling of a personal relationship being forged between listener and podcaster.

Important information is disseminated. Hard questions are asked. Editing of the podcasts allows for clear, hopefully succinct answers. Imagine if CDA had a podcast back in early 2020. Imagine if we could have had a one-on-one conversation with Dr. Jay Kumar, our state’s dental director, during the beginning of the pandemic. We could have probed him about information he had from the CDC. What if we listened to the information that we instead had to read repeatedly on a variety of webpages? Would an audible FAQ have been beneficial during that time? What protocols did the state want to pass down to CDA member-dentists about the role their practices could play during that time? What was being communicated to the individual counties from the state? What was being coordinated at that time? Where could CDA dentists go to acquire emergency personal protective equipment when none was available to them to treat patients? While Zoom meetings have become commonplace, learning from a conversation of information in the podcast fashion is becoming more and more popular. Forbes reports that “Podcast listeners not only spend time with podcasts — they also engage on social media. [2] So the consumption of knowledge does not stop in hearing the information — it is often carried over and shared with others quickly. Engagement is swift.

The large quantity of podcasts that exists provides endless options. It also allows a plethora of interests to be enthused — both personal and professional. The growth in this arena has been remarkable — especially through the pandemic. There is a potential alcove for anyone and everyone. Subject matters range from parenting to true crime. So, dental podcasts can easily be found among the millions of podcasts on platforms like Spotify and Apple’s iTunes.

Focused, tailored and empathetic voices speak not just to deliver information, but to also connect.

Dentistry has so much to cover. Again, imagine if CDA had a podcast? Multiple podcast episodes could cover advocacy efforts. What legislative bills are in the Capitol in Sacramento that could impact small businesses like ours? What public oral health initiatives are CDA staff discussing at the Capitol? Multiple podcast episodes could include employment issues members are facing. How do we recruit new staff? How do we retain our staff? What human resources laws must we ensure we are maintaining in our offices? Multiple podcast episodes could include practice management. What kind of leadership role do memberdentists play in a dental office team? What percentage of our practice expense should go to overhead? How do we maintain our patient population? Multiple podcast episodes could include risk management. What are the issues that TDIC encounters in most of its insureds’ malpractice claims? What verbiage is important when we complete informed consent — verbal and written? Multiple podcast episodes could shine a light on well-being. What have been the experiences of our colleagues who encountered mental health challenges? What daily routines may help member-dentists to enhance their wellbeing? What are common trials dentists face in their daily lives? The opportunity for the information stimulation is vast.

Someone said, “In a world of algorithms, hashtags and followers, know the true importance of human connection.” The most appealing aspect of podcasts is the special relationship between listener and podcaster. Focused, tailored and empathetic voices speak not just to deliver information, but to also connect. The popularity of podcasts arose from the dust of the pandemic. While we could not attend large conferences or physically meet with our study clubs or dental societies, we could turn on a podcasting platform and hear someone speak to us. We could find a passion for a new voice. The new voice was a new friend or colleague. We could binge their episodes. The sense of congeniality would grow. We could share this excitement with our friends on social media. The sense of familiarity and connection would multiply. So many years ago, the news radio on the way to school provided a sense of routine and security. It honored knowledge and the dissemination of that knowledge paramount. News radio content was predictable yet also potentially spur-of-the-moment. Podcasts are the same. However, podcasts provide an opportunity of more friendly, intimate connection as well. Sometimes the most beneficial relationships are the ones we do not expect. Have you found a love for podcasts? Write us and tell us about the voices that have you subscribing, learning and relishing in it all.

REFERENCES

1. Maiorca D. Why Podcasts Are Growing in Popularity.

2. Kaufer K. Who Listens To Podcasts (And How Can You Reach Them).

Ruchi K. Sahota, DDS, CDE, practices family dentistry in Fremont, Calif., and serves on the CDA Board of Trustees. She is also a certified dental editor, a consumer advisor for the American Dental Association, past president of the Southern Alameda County Dental Society and a fellow of the American College of Dentists, International College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy.