Germany: podcaster's popularity has lessons for old media

Posted by John Burke on November 28, 2005 at 12:20 PM

"Beware: tomorrow's stars are no longer necessarily interested in yesterday's media." This warning from media pundit Jeff Jarvis comes after a chat he had with a young German journalist who has rapidly gained recognition, but not for work in print, television or radio. Larissa Vassilian is the brain behind the popular podcast, Schlaflos in Munchen (Sleepless in Munich).

Vassilian produces a 5-minute recap of her life and muses thereof including reviews of movies, books, etc. through another podcast called Filme und So (Movies and Stuff). She does so all from the comfort of home with very minimal overhead - only about $100 for technical equipment and $10 a month for an Internet connection.

With this small investment, Vassilian attracts 5-16 thousand people and is one of the top 10 downloaded German podcasts. Jarvis says her story demonstrates the danger posed to old media by like ventures; "it's hard for talent to rise and survive in your institutions. But on the internet, with her podcasts and thousands of faithful fans, Vassilian has the freedom to be herself."

Although she has a solid following, podcasting doesn't pay... yet. Vassilian continues her work as a journalist to survive but if she had her way, she'd make her living online. With more people turning to the Internet and more journalists like Vassilian going it solo online, functioning business models are certain to emerge. Old media has to adapt.

Source: The Guardian

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