Just a few years ago, a US presidential candidate’s campaign schedule was relatively predictable. A whistle-stop tour of rallies across battleground states, a handful of prime-time interviews, and wall-to-wall advertisements in broadcast media. But in 2024, a new stop has been added to the media circuit: podcast studios.

In the leadup to election day, Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, Donald Trump and J.D. Vance have all sat down with some of America’s leading podcast hosts and YouTubers – an eclectic mix of influencers, sports players, comedians, legacy media outlets and online personalities – in a bid to secure victory on November 5.

Kamala Harris has appeared on popular podcast Call Her Daddy hosted by Alex Cooper.Credit: Call Her Daddy

As journalist Seema Mehta noted in the LA Times, this focus on non-traditional outlets is the latest iteration of “microtargeting” – or efforts by political campaigns to zero in on specific blocs of voters rather than addressing the masses. Harris and Trump are seeking to cut through in an increasingly fragmented and saturated media market as voter registration deadlines rapidly approach and election day nears.

According to Edison Research, 47 per cent of Americans now listen to podcasts every month. For both candidates, this format represents an opportunity to leverage the parasocial relationships between a podcast host and their audience, while also connecting with potential voters in a space perhaps more comfortable for them than traditional media.

Earlier this month, Kamala Harris sat down with Alex Cooper on the wildly successful Call Her Daddy podcast,........

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