I read the article a few days ago and didn't find that much depth to it. This is probably due in part to my somatic hatred of podcasts: I hate the shit out of swing music yet used to mix it twice a week for money but even Jon Ronson doing a podcast is something I turn off after 20 minutes. It's probably the lack of editing, the lack of focus, the patronizing smarminess, the general "hey, guys, we're gonna sit here and shoot the shit around this microphone until we run out of things to say" aspect of it (which I appreciate and understand to be a part of the appeal for most) that drives me up the frickin' wall.

That said, the self-help podcasters are doing nothing that Deepak Chopra, Suze Orman, Richard Simmons and a long line stretching past Dale Carnegie have done: "you have questions, I have answers, subscribe to my newsletter." That "a ten minute CNN panel" has now become completely inane has more to do with the target market: if you're watching CNN you're over 50, probably over 55, and possibly over 65 while if you're listening to podcasts you're between 15 and 40. More than that, broadcasting and narrowcasting attract very different audiences. CNN is for people who will flip between whatever is on while podcasts are for people seeking out stuff they already know they like.

I cannot listen to Tim Ferriss or Joe Rogan for more than 2 minutes without wanting to punch them in the face. My roommates usually mix in some Ben Shapiro and Prager U to really make me hate my life.