Communities forming around podcasts can increase their members’ sense of belonging, inclusion, and well-being. MA (Ed.) Juska Wendland’s dissertation research shows that in addition to participation, learning experiences also strengthen communities. The study provides the media industry with practical tools for building and evaluating podcast communities.

Juska Wendland’s doctoral dissertation in the field of media education is an internationally pioneering opening into the study of podcast communities. It examines what factors build the sense of community around podcasts and how listeners participate within these communities.

According to Wendland, many successful podcasts have established their position specifically through a strong relationship with their audience. Yet, genuinely audience-driven audio production remains rare.

“Podcast listening figures are growing at the same time as traditional broadcast radio listening is declining. Therefore, it is important to understand how community is built in new audio services,” Wendland states.

Podcasts are indeed developing more strongly into a new kind of service that heavily considers its audience. They connect geographically separated people into participatory communities and increase equality.

From audience to community

Wendland describes how communities can form around podcasts where participation is perceived as meaningful. These experiences also support the well-being of the listeners.

“Learning, authenticity and participation are key factors in building meaningful podcast communities. They can connect people, even if they never meet face-to-face or listen to the content at the same time.”

The models developed in Wendland’s research expand the evaluation of podcasts from traditional measurement of listener numbers to examining their meaningfulness.

“The models can be used to measure the characteristics of a podcast that strengthen community, their prerequisites for community building, and the level of audience participation. Furthermore, they help to examine how listener experiences influence the emergence of a sense of community,” Wendland explains.

The research has attracted international interest, especially due to its practical approach. The research results and models have already been utilized in building a community podcast that gained international attention, at the Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle) in Finland, and at the Technische Universität Berlin in Germany.

Information on the public examination

MA (Ed.) Juska Wendland’s doctoral dissertation Building Podcast Communities of Practice Through Participation. Multi-Model Framework for Meaningful Listener Experiences, Produsage and Sense of Community will be publicly examined at the Faculty of Education, University of Lapland, on Friday, November 13, starting at 12:00 noon in lecture hall B127 (University of Lapland Main Building, 1st floor, Yliopistonkatu 8, Rovaniemi).

Professor Sirkku Kotilainen from Tampere University will act as the opponent, and Professor Heli Ruokamo from the University of Lapland will act as the custos.

The public examination can also be followed remotely at: https://blogi.eoppimispalvelut.fi/ulapland

Information on the doctoral candidate

Juska Wendland graduated with a Master of Arts (Education) from the media education-oriented primary school teacher education program at the University of Lapland in 2006. During his career, he has worked for 15 years as a senior lecturer in the media field and for 19 years as a radio host and producer for the Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle).

Wendland has conducted his doctoral research at the University of Lapland in collaboration with Freie Universität Berlin. The research has been supported by the Media Industry Research Foundation of Finland and the Helsingin Sanomat Foundation. For the finalization phase of the dissertation, Wendland received the Esko Riepula grant.

Further information

Juska Wendland
juska.wendland(at)gmail.com, +358 40 7401050

Information on the publication

Juska Wendland (2026) Building Podcast Communities of Practice Through Participation. Multi-Model Framework for Meaningful Listener Experiences, Produsage and Sense of Community. Acta electronica Universitatis Lapponiensis 448. ISBN 978-952-337-576-5. University of Lapland, Rovaniemi.

Permanent address of the electronic publication: https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-337-576-5