PodCred: A framework for analyzing podcast preference

The PodCred framework is a framework for assessing the credibility and quality of podcasts published on the internet. It consists of a series of indicators designed to support prediction of listener preference of one podcast over another, given that both carry comparable informational content. The indicators are grouped into four categories pertaining to the Podcast Content, the Podcaster, the Podcast Context or the Technical Execution of the podcast. We adopt the term "cred" as a designation encompassing both credibility (comprising trustworthiness and expertise) and qualitative acceptability to listeners. Our podcast analysis framework is inspired by work on credibility in blogs, another medium dominated by user generated content. The PodCred framework is derived from a review of the literature on credibility for other media, a survey of prescriptive standards for podcasting, and a detailed data analysis of award winning podcasts. The paper concludes with a discussion of future work in which the framework will be applied.