Podcasts as a weapon: An instrument of propaganda

The aftershocks of Charlie Kirk’s assassination this autumn exposed a deeply divided America. Some mourned a conservative activist and father; others quietly celebrated the fall of a figure who embodied Trump-era extremism. Kirk built a reputation for controversial podcasts and viral commentary, becoming both a product and a casualty of the extreme rhetoric he promoted. His death revealed how public discourse is increasingly shaped by influencers rather than institutions. Podcasts have become one of the most powerful political weapons, merging intimate conversation with mass reach. Within an outrage economy, podcast propaganda messages are self-sustaining because the audience reaction naturally amplifies content. 

Today, they have become an instrument of propaganda where morality is sacrificed for engagement, outrage is monetized and identity politics overwhelms informed debate. 

Podcasts can act as a tool of democracy and free speech, empowering marginalised voices and encouraging unfiltered debate. Today, they have become an instrument of propaganda where morality is sacrificed for engagement, outrage is monetized and identity politics overwhelms informed debate. Algorithms reward virality over truth, pushing the most inflammatory voices the furthest. Meanwhile, platform owners have little incentive to police the polarization as it drives engagement and growth. In the twenty-first century, influence no longer belongs to elected officials or institutions, but to whoever most effectively manipulates attention and exploits the system’s structural levers. 

In recent years, several right-wing figures climbed this post-institutional media architecture through podcasts. The political consequences were evident in the 2024 election, where these voices mobilised voters and consolidated Trump’s MAGA movement. Since 2012, Kirk had been building a conservative youth audience through his nonprofit organisation Turning Point USA (TPUSA), following Obama’s re-election. Later, his messages included defending the Second Amendment at the cost of annual gun deaths, an extreme pro-life stance (even suggesting his 10 year old daughter should deliver a child conceived from rape in a hypothetical scenario), and claiming certain black women such as Michelle Obama or Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson were “affirmative action picks.” By the 2024 election, he was credited with energising MAGA’s youth base, and after his passing, Trump himself claimed “no one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.”  

In 2021, an NPR analysis found The Daily Wire (launched by Ben Shapiro in 2015) generated more Facebook engagement in a single month than major legacy outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC News and CNN combined.

Post-institutional influence over political culture has emerged through a sensationalist model. In 2021, an NPR analysis found The Daily Wire (launched by Ben Shapiro in 2015) generated more Facebook engagement in a single month than major legacy outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC News and CNN combined. This demonstrates how digital podcasts can rival traditional media, legitimising the authority of sensationalism.  

Candace Owens exemplifies the autonomy of post-institutional influence. She rose to prominence through TPUSA and her 2018 BLEXIT movement, which urged Black Americans to leave the Democratic Party, earning praise from Trump who called her a ‘very smart thinker.’ Despite Owens’ recent criticisms of Trump, even admitting she was ‘embarrassed’ by her earlier endorsement, this October her conservative podcast climbed to No.1 for ‘Downloads and Views Per Episode,’ averaging 3.5 million monthly. Her ability to sustain mass appeal without partisan backing, even thanking The Daily Wire for firing her, underscores her independence of influence. 

 85% of registered voters express confidence in podcast content compared to other media formats.

Yet, Owens’ reach remains small compared with the progressive MeidasTouch Podcast (95.3 million monthly downloads) and notably even outperforms the Daily Wire (29.2 million). Podcasting has become the new political battleground: 85% of registered voters express confidence in podcast content compared to other media formats. Listeners consume content that reinforces their existing beliefs, training the algorithm to trap them in echo chambers that deepen polarisation under the illusion of informed choice. Additionally, podcasters operate largely outside of federal oversight with no enforceable standards for accuracy or accountability. This regulatory gap normalises misinformation and divisive rhetoric, forcing creators to escalate controversy simply to remain relevant. 

Charlie Kirk’s rise and fall proves the danger of a system where influence is dictated by volume. 

In this new media order, traditional institutions have lost control and podcasts blur the line between commentary and authority. Now, belief is engineered, controversy is currency and the loudest voices wield disproportionate power. Charlie Kirk’s rise and fall proves the danger of a system where influence is dictated by volume. Even as audiences tire of the outrage economy, their fatigue drives extreme acts to cut through the noise, as shown this autumn in the fallout from his murder.