Date of Publication

2025

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Communication Major in Applied Media Studies

Subject Categories

Film and Media Studies

College

College of Liberal Arts

Department/Unit

Communication

Thesis Advisor

Cheryll Ruth R. Soriano

Defense Panel Chair

Katrina Paola Alvarez

Defense Panel Member

Jan Michael Alexandre C. Bernadas
Miguel Q. Rapatan

Abstract/Summary

This study explored the socio-technical assemblages of podcast production in the Philippines as drawn from a case study of a production company established in 2018 using the lens of the Actor-Network Theory. By following the human and non-human actors and the links they make, I examined the actors’ material and symbolic affordances and determined their abilities to shape podcast production.

I conducted eight (8) one-on-one interviews with key informants, attended an online podcast webinar, participated in an onsite meet-and-greet for a podcast show, joined a podcasting festival, and a media conference on freedom of expression. I also reviewed extant records to draw out the practices, platforms, and technologies they use and the mediators with whom they collaborate. Combining these resources with the thematic analysis of the qualitative data from the interviews, I gained insights into podcast production realities, challenges, and potentials in the Philippines.

The key findings include making the invisible lines of multiple interconnectedness visible through four key socio-technical assemblages of conception and creation, visibility-making, engagement, and sustainability. The results emphasized that technologies are crucial in podcast production practices in the Philippines. It showed that human actors play diverse, interconnected roles in each stage of production, are capable of forging simultaneous linkages within these assemblages, and create conditions for collaborations and co-creation with audiences as facilitated by technologies.

The study highlighted the importance of looking into socio-technical assemblages to understand podcast production by identifying critical points of interplay between human and non-human actors – from conception and creation to promotion and engagement, up to sustainability. It revealed that by initiating social interactions, human actors create the conditions for collaboration. It explained how digital media and technologies play essential roles, how organizational values of podcast companies adjust to the interplay with the technological and regulatory landscapes, and vice versa. It illustrated the value of co-creation and co-creative production with audiences as they become more empowered.

Furthermore, it revealed that sustainability depends not just on having good substantive content but also on the ability of podcast companies to adapt to technological innovations to enable them to compete, remain relevant, and survive. In this sense, this audio-first production company offered a critical vantage point for the study of podcast production, demonstrating that the work of human actors could be efficiently done and enhanced by carefully selected technology tools. They revealed the new power dynamics between podcasters and their audiences and how it changed as listeners became more empowered through social media and other platforms.

For the production component, I wrote a podcast script about the research findings for an episode of a proposed podcast show entitled “Media Collective,” which explores the intersection of media studies and real life. The intended audiences are communication students, media studies scholars, and podcast enthusiasts. I hope this research brings more interest in podcasts and podcasting as a field of study.

Keywords: podcast, podcasting, podcast production, socio-technical assemblages, Actor-Network Theory, audio content, digital media

Abstract Format

html

Language

English

Format

Electronic

Keywords

Podcasting--Philippines--Case studies; Digital media--Production and direction

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Embargo Period

4-20-2026

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