8 essential podcasts for PR pros + 10 quick daily news podcasts

Podcasts have been surging in popularity and have quickly become a main go-to for new information in our increasingly digital world. According to a January report from Oberlo, there are currently 850,000 active podcasts and over 30 million podcast episodes, with 32% of Americans listening to podcasts on a monthly basis.

For PR professionals, podcasts also provide a platform for their clients to share their message firsthand, in long form, to educate other industry colleagues and reach potential clients. While traditional programming resources experience fading audiences, podcasts have become a vital resource for business professionals to learn about new developments, as well as to share their own experiences with their peers and like audiences.

Here is a list (in no particular order) of PR podcasts that offer a variety of topics and tactics for PR professionals. You’ll also find a short list of 10 informative “daily news” podcasts that will offer quick headline intake while you work.

 Marketing Smarts Podcasts

Dig into a plethora of podcast episodes that feature in-depth interviews with smart marketers from all walks of life. Hosted by MarketingProfs, this 30-minute, weekly podcast delivers actionable insights and real advice to help you market smarter. The archives can be a handy quick listen for real-time tactics to include in your PR and marketing efforts.

Harvard Business Review (HBR) IdeaCast is a weekly podcast that features the latest thinkers in business. The podcast is most suitable for marketers who want to know the general trends in business and media. Sarah Green Carmichael, an executive editor at Harvard Business Review, hosts the HBR IdeaCast podcast.

On the Media is a Peabody Award-winning podcast that examines how the “media sausage is made.” By listening to this podcast, you can uncover the week’s big stories and hidden political narratives. Hosts Brooke Gladstone and Bob Garfield examine threats to free speech and government transparency, cast a skeptical eye on media coverage of the week’s big stories, and unravel hidden political narratives in everything we read, watch and hear.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE If you are having a hard time scanning numerous media sources to keep yourself updated with the latest news from the industry, then this podcast may just solve your problem. Listen to an engaging conversation between host Shel Holtz, an accomplished communication strategist, and an expert panel that analyzes the week’s digital and social media news for PR professionals. 

The PR Week Podcast offers weekly episodes from NYC that are at the forefront of the industry, designed for PR pros who enjoy listening to top PR and communications stories, industry news  and the latest headlines. This is one of the best ways to stay on top of everything in the PR industry, and you’ll no doubt want to subscribe to this podcast. 

Hacks and Flacks is a podcast from March Communications that dissects PR, marketing and media from the inside out. Hosts talk with influencers, colleagues and experts about all things marketing, media, public relations, and communications. They are past winners of podcasting awards from the Publicity Club of New England and The Holmes Report. They also share stories and insights from the award-winning March blog, PR Nonsense.

Better PR Now hasn’t aired much recently, but the episodes from host Mark Russell Phillips are worth going back to. In fact, listen to them multiple times, because you will gain new insight from the PR pros featured. Their content will surely help leaders build strong brands and stakeholder relationships with effective communication.

The EnTRUEpreneuship Podcast features the energetic Wes Wang, who goes behind the scenes of what it’s really like to be an entrepreneur. Wes skips the glitz and glamour that’s more commonly associated with entrepreneurship to tell the real stories of what it’s like to build a business, find clients, and overcome adversity. It’s a great podcast to share with clients that are newer startups and looking for tips on how to tell their story.

Ten informative “daily news” podcasts
Today, Explained from VOX
Up First – NPR
The Daily – New York Times 
Global News Podcast – BBC
The Gist – Slate
Tech News Briefing – WSJ
Daybreak – Bloomberg
Industry Focus – Motley Fool
Nightly Business News – CNBC
Recode Podcasts