You may have heard that certain topics are “taboo” to share in your podcast, but are they really? Or is it okay to share your “controversial” perspectives?
I'm not going to tell you what you “should” do on this issue. Instead, I'll give you several things to consider so that you can make the decision you believe is right for your podcast.
1. Faith, politics, and morals are parts of your worldview
A “worldview” is simply how you view the world, and that's based on your belief system. Thus, your faith, politics, and morals influence how you view the world, how you interpret facts, and what you prefer.
Because of this, no person is truly “neutral,” even if they might attempt to make their content neutral.
2. Everyone “leaks” their worldview
What you believe and how it affects your view of the world will come out in various ways over time. Although you might not overtly share your faith, politics, or morals, it's usually easy to figure out from the content you share or don't share, the labels you use, and the things you prioritize.
I can think of several podcasts that claim to be neutral and apolitical, but it's quite obvious they and their hosts are on particular sides, even if they're not talking directly about faith, politics, or morals.
Just look at The Audacity to Podcast for example. You probably know I'm a Christian and a conservative because of how much of my own worldview “leaks” into my content. I'm not “preaching” or forcing anything on you, but I do leak my worldview, just like you and other podcasters do, too.
3. Is it relevant to your podcast?
So if your worldview already leaks into your podcast, should you lean fully into it and overtly present your worldview through your content?
You probably know the answer: it depends.
I think relevance is what matters most in this case. If your podcast is about faith, politics, morality, and such, then you are already sharing your own positions. But if your podcast isn't about such things, and your audience isn't already expecting you to share those things, then you might want to share them rarely if ever.
Again, consider The Audacity to Podcast. I have never marketed this show as a podcast about podcast for Christians or conservatives. When my faith, politics, and morals are more obvious in my podcast, it's coming through something that I believe is actually relevant to the podcasting topic I'm sharing. For example, I have quoted from the Bible multiple times throughout the years of The Audacity to Podcast because those particular passages said something relevant to the topics in those episodes. I know you don't come to my podcast for Christian preaching, just like I don't go to my pastor for podcasting advice.
But if your podcast is either about those things, or you want to reach that specific audience, or you want to approach things from a particular religious, political, or moral perspective, then fully embrace it and make it obvious that's your goal!
4. You will likely alienate some of your audience
I keep grouping faith, politics, and morals together because they can be the most divisive issues since these things are very black and white by their nature. So when you share your faith, politics, or morals in your podcast—overtly or even just leaking them—it will likely alienate and possibly even upset some of your audience. Truth divides! And like I've heard teacher Mike Riddle say, “When you reject the truth, you must accept any lie in its place.”
Imagine the world was divided by people who like cake and people who like pie. Most of the pie people will probably be fine to hear the cake people talk about any other subject. But once the cake people start talking about cake, the pie people might get upset (and vice versa).
However, from my research and observation, it seems it's usually one side that gets more angry about and intolerant of the other side. So keep that in mind if you're on the side that gets targeted more.
I'm not saying that should stop you, only that it's something to keep in mind.
5. You might be the voice your audience needs
Even though some of your audience might get upset when you share a particular worldview, it might also be exactly what other people need to hear! Many people feel underrepresented in various forms of media, and survey data reflects that reality that the media landscape does not proportionately represent the audience.
To use our cake versus pie illustration again, the population might be evenly split between cake people and pie people, but legacy and new media might be mostly on the cake side by a large margin. So when a pie person speaks out boldly and without apology, it gives the pie people their needed representation.
So if you feel it necessary to take a “controversial” stand, do so boldly and make it obvious that such is what you stand for and whom you want your podcast to serve.
This was my big issue with a particular group I once supported. They claimed to represent everyone, but when it was pointed out that they were marginalizing and underrepresenting a massive group, they didn't care (and maybe still don't), despite their (false) claims.
6. Standing for what's right will have a cost
When you stand for what's right, people will attack you. They will slander you, threaten you, abuse you, give your podcast negative and false reviews, and more (and maybe even worse). That really stinks. I know because I've been through it, too.
So you have to consider whether your podcast is the right context or now is the right time for you to take a particular stand. And if you go through with it, be prepared for what follows. You might even decide that because of how transparent you've been about your private life and whereabouts in the past, you might not want to risk the safety of yourself or the people you care about.
I have a lot of beliefs people will call “controversial” (more on that word in my next point!), but I decided years ago that there would be two main things I would never compromise and would speak openly about without fear of the costs, because I believe those things are right. Those are my “hills I'm willing to die on,” and one of them did truly almost kill me.
7. Don't let labels control you
When you share your faith, politics, or morals, the haters will likely label you. You might be called “racist,” “Nazi,” “hateful,” “supremacist,” “controversial,” “extremist,” “___phobic,” “abusive,” and more. But it really seems like people don't even know what such labels mean anymore! In fact, those labels could mean completely different things to different people! Just look at how the word “podcast” now means different things to different people! Even just the word “controversial” seems to be slapped on people only when their opinions differ from someone else's. It's like cake people telling pie people they're being controversial whenever they talk about pie, but the cake people never see themselves as controversial when they talk about cake!
No matter how vile the label is that someone tries to slap on you, don't let it control you! You can simply say, “No,” and move on! You don't have to dignify false accusations with rebuttals; you can simply reject them and then ignore the trolls.
8. Remember kindness
Before you decide to go getting militantly religious, political, or moral in your podcast, please remember kindness.
A few years ago, I felt face-smacked by a passage in Scripture that challenged me then and continues to challenge me. And despite how many times I fail, I keep exercising myself to come back to what I should do instead of what I feel like doing. This is 2 Timothy 2:22–26 from the Bible (ESV translation):
[22] So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. [23] Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. [24] And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, [25] correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, [26] and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
The adjectives to avoid are challenging enough: “foolish,” “ignorant,” “quarrelsome.” But there is also the admonishing to correct opponents, not with rage but with gentleness.
Yes, it is kind to speak the truth, and you must remember to do it with gentleness. It's like if your doctor tells you that you have a horrible disease and you must change your lifestyle because the things you're doing will kill you, he is not being a “hater,” “anything-phobic,” or “controversial”; instead, he is being kind to share the truth and point you in the right direction.
That's what I hope you do with your own podcast if you believe you must share something “controversial” you might not normally share: be kind and point your audience in the right direction.
Special thanks
- Claire Waite Brown sent 500§ on my previous episode about podcast chapters. And she said, “I’m a big fan of chapters and chapter art. When I interview indie podcasters on the Creators from TrueFans podcast I recommend Podcasting 2.0 features that could be good for their particular show and chapters with pics and links is one I very often suggest. It’s frustrating that some apps choose to NOT support 2.0 chapters but great that PodChapters can make the chapters in all formats. Thanks for linking to Podcasting 2.0 in Practice in the show notes. 🧡”
If you want to chapter your podcast the fastest, easiest, and smartest way, then use PodChapters!
If you love The Audacity to Podcast and value the podcasting inspiration and education I provide, would you please consider giving back what it's worth to you?
Supercharge your podcast engagement and grow your podcast!
Do you ever feel like your podcast is stuck? Like you're pouring your heart into your podcast but it seems like no one is listening?
Try Podgagement to help you supercharge your podcast endgagement!
Get speakable pages to simplify engaging with your audience, accept voicemail feedback (with automatic transcripts), see and share your ratings and reviews from nearly 200 places, follow your podcast rankings across nearly 34,000 global charts, discover networking opportunities, and more!
Ask your questions or share your feedback
- Comment on the episode
- Send a written or voicemail message here
Follow The Audacity to Podcast
- Apple Podcasts, Spotify, other Android apps, or in your favorite podcast app.
- Subscribe on YouTube for Podcasting Videos by The Audacity to Podcast
- Follow @theDanielJLewis on X-Twitter
Disclosure
This post may contain links to products or services with which I have an affiliate relationship. I may receive compensation from your actions through such links. However, I don't let that corrupt my perspective and I don't recommend only affiliates.
Related Content
