On the Interdependence Between Podcast Design and Usage Motives in German-Language Podcasts

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Quality article, original, with an appropriate methodology. Well-structured. Good discussion. Interesting contributions.

Author Response

Thank you very much for taking the time to review our manuscript. We sincerely appreciate your overall positive evaluation. As you did not propose any revisions, we refrain from providing a point‑by‑point response.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The authors completed a truly ambitious plan of study for this research, and saw this plan through until the end. I appreciated the careful description of the iterative approach. I believe there are some changes that can be made in order to help the paper be as strong as possible. Please find these suggestions below: 

• the authors reference genre early on- I would build off of the Berry citation in line 148 to more clearly set up study goals and research questions - in other words, to clearly address the distinction between genre and design
• design can also be more clearly connected with intended use, which sets up the uses and gratifications theory
• can you clarify the podcast selection criteria? I assumed it was iterative, but wanted to be sure
• is there any existing data about how many German language podcasts exist? This would be a useful point of context
• can you clarify how Spotify as issuer is distinct from corporate issuers?
• it might be useful to include when the podcast first launched in your tables, given that there are different eras of podcasting (as you discuss in the literature)
• I think there is a key point to be explored more in both literature and discussion regarding different ways of being authentic, and indeed, different ways to immerse an audience in the “world” of a podcast. The rise of video podcasting complicates immersion and authenticity a bit, since the audience is now relying on multiple sources of sensory information
• related to this, I found it very interesting that audiences are not really listening for story, per the correlations
• I was curious about the most frequent pairings of codes for audiences. I fully understand that this may not fit into the present research, but it could be informative to see which codes appeared most often together

 

Additional useful literature-

Whipple, K., Ashe, I., & Cueva Chacón, L. M. (2023). Examining podcast listeners’ perceptions of the journalistic functions of podcasts. Electronic News, 17(1), 40-66.

Lacey, K. (2025). Listening in good faith: Cosmopolitan intimacy and audio journalism. Media and Communication, 13. Lacey, Kate. "Listening in good faith: Cosmopolitan intimacy and audio journalism." Media and Communication 13 (2025). Lacey, K., 2025. Listening in good faith: Cosmopolitan intimacy and audio journalism. Media and Communication, 13. Lacey K. Listening in good faith: Cosmopolitan intimacy and audio journalism. Media and Communication. 2025;13.   Maloney Yorganci, K. T., & McMurtry, L. (2024). “One of Us”: Examining the Authenticity and Parasocial Relationships of Stand-Up Comedian Podcast Hosts. Journal of Radio & Audio Media, 1-21.

Author Response

Please see attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The originality of the paper lies in the systematization of the podcast's typology and the in‑depth analysis of its characteristics, which will be highly useful for future research. A key strength of the study is its integration of design and audience‑centered perspectives, allowing a nuanced analysis of podcast characteristics and user motives. The interdisciplinary approach provides a more comprehensive understanding of the phenomena under investigation.

The study provides a precise description of the methodology, appropriately compared to similar previous works. The approach is primarily based on qualitative tools that are iteratively refined and updated at each phase. This has both advantages and disadvantages; among this last aspect, the potential introduction of random or arbitrary elements influenced by the researchers’ own criteria. This limitation is acknowledged in the study.

Recommendations:

- Review a broader literature and studies that use similar analytical premises in other countries, e.g. the reports published by Reuters Institute about uses, motivations and consumption of news podcast in several countries.

- Describe some new aspects of the sample selection: the audience impact or ranking of the selected series, the launch date of the series, and the date when the sample was collected.

- Indicate some additional information regarding interview timelines.

Author Response

Please see attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf