Podcasts got their name 20 years ago this month
A once-fringe medium has gone mainstream, but many wonder what the future holds
In February 2004 Ben Hammersley, a British journalist, noticed a new kind of digital media: “downloadable radio” produced by geeky amateurs or public broadcasters. Mr Hammersley suggested a few names for it. Fortunately “audioblogging” and “GuerillaMedia” did not catch on. But a third did: podcasting, a portmanteau of “iPod” and “broadcasting”.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Aural history”
Culture February 24th 2024
- How Ukraine’s fortunes have ebbed
- The history of the opium trade helps explain the modern world
- Podcasts got their name 20 years ago this month
- Is everything you assumed about the Middle Ages wrong?
- Growing numbers of Chinese are escaping urban life for rural peace
- Refik Anadol’s use of AI has made him the artist of the moment
From the February 24th 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Culture
Want to spend time with a different American president?
Five presidential biographies to distract you from the news
Los Angeles has lost some of its trailblazing architecture
How will it rebuild?
What firms are for
The framework for thinking about business and capitalism is hopelessly outdated, argues a new book
Greg Gutfeld, America’s most popular late-night host, rules the airwaves
The left gave him his perch
Astrology is booming, thanks to technology and younger enthusiasts
Gen Z is full of stargazing users
Why matcha, made from green tea, is the drink of the moment
Is it really a healthy alternative to coffee? Not the way Gen Z orders it