Author(s)

Chang Sup Park^*

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg, PA, USA.

In this digital age, the means of journalism are being drastically reinvented and the character of news is being constantly reconstructed. This study examines the nature of podcast journalism recently emerging in South Korea, based on two unique concepts—“carnivalism” and “engaging journalism”. A carnival creates an arena where free expression of non-legitimate voices could resist and mock the dominant power. This study finds that Korean podcasts tend to subvert a range of authoritative discourses and provide a journalism venue for comic criticism and emotional catharsis. Podcasts not only serve to lampoon the establishment, but also re-engage people who have been left largely disillusioned from mainstream news into the democratic process. This research argues that the discourse in the current affairs podcasts takes on the nature of “engaging journalism”, which motivates ordinary individuals to engage in elite-challenging political action.

Podcast, Carnivalism, Engaging Journalism, Satire, Parody

Park, C. (2016) Carnivalism and Engaging Journalism in the Current-Affairs Podcasts in South Korea. Advances in Journalism and Communication, 4, 75-88. doi: 10.4236/ajc.2016.43008.