Podcasting science: Rhetorical moves and interactional metadiscourse in the Nature Podcast

Abstract

Riding the waves of media technologies, academia is leveraging various multimedia platforms to publicize research and bolster public prestige, of which the Nature Podcast stands as a paragon of this paradigm shift. The auditory medium, produced by a world-leading scientific journal, allows researchers to disseminate findings in their own voices, popularize scientific knowledge, and enhance interactivity and immediacy with broad audiences. To investigate how this podcast democratizes science and persuades its heterogeneous listenership of research validity and novelty, this article analyses the rhetorical moves and stance and engagement markers of 40 episodes published from 2018 to 2023. The analysis identifies four moves and ten steps that are obligatory for podcasters to restructure and recontextualize scientific discourse for auditory delivery and public listenership. Further analysis reveals that, unlike the rigidity of academic publishing, “podcasting science” engenders a different scientist persona and a dynamic form of audience engagement. Arguing that the Nature Podcast represents a synergistic blend of technical accuracy and public accessibility, we demonstrate the dynamic interaction between podcast hosts and scientists and how their specific roles shape the interactions with audiences. Pedagogical implications of these findings are also discussed.