Podcasting has dramatically changed the way that media outlets and NGOs market their message. By captivating a specific audience, podcasters are able to more effectively communicate their message to a larger and more engaged audience.
The Podcast Accelerator Program is a powerful mechanism offered by Young Voices that can help talented individuals in the liberty movement be heard. Young Voices supports each liberty-oriented organization or individual accepted into the program with extensive training in podcast development, as well as the necessary equipment. Since 2019 “The program has seen more demand and success than we initially expected,” explained Young Voices’ Executive Director, Casey Given, “so we’re proud to announce that it will be an ongoing program offering for Young Voices beginning this year.”
Given and the Young Voices team believe that as the podcasting platform continues to gain momentum, it is extremely pivotal for the liberty movement to engage through this new medium of expression. “Top podcasts now attract more listeners than major cable channels like CNN and MSNBC,” he continued, “and most excitingly, the many successful podcasts have captive audiences that listen much longer than a typical TV or radio broadcast, creating great potential for libertarian organizations to share the ideas with new audiences and explore them in a thorough manner.
To ensure that voices for freedom are not snuffed out by competing narratives, Young Voices launched their Podcast Accelerator program in 2019. The program, designed as an incubator for new podcasts in the liberty movement, was met with overwhelming enthusiasm. “We had a flood of applications for our first two classes, receiving 17 submissions for just 10 slots,” Given continued. “We just graduated our first class in July, which featured four successful podcast launches or expansions including two Atlas Network think tank partners — the Cardinal Institute of West Virginia and the Australian Taxpayers Alliance.”
Several of the 10 graduates of Young Voices’ Podcast Accelerator program have taken their new skillset to several prominent liberty podcasts, while some have started their own.
One graduate, Christian Watson recently started his own podcast called Pensive Politics.“He’s hosted exceptional guests on his show, including Libertarian Party presidential candidate Jo Jorgensen and Hong Kong Umbrella Movement leader Joshua Wong. His podcast has led to a contributorship gig with BoldTV as a commentator, as well as Pensive Politics being picked up by the Fed By Ravens podcast network.
Since 2013, Young Voices has helped support a wide array of students and young professionals through professional development programs. The Podcast Accelerator has successfully expanded Young Voices’ audience to the broader liberty movement. “ It’s the first major step Young Voices has taken toward our long-term strategic vision, to become a comprehensive, scalable public relations firm and talent agency for liberty.” Given concluded. “The podcasting boom has just begun, and the liberty movement needs to jump on it before the enemies of freedom define the narrative.”
Atlas Network supported the Podcast Accelerator Program with a grant.