Anthony Albanese kicks off election year with a podcast

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has chosen The Squiz's News Club podcast for his first in-depth interview of 2025. With his Labor Government seeking a second term, Albanese discussed his values, vision, and why he believes the Coalition is out of the running.

The move reflects a growing trend among politicians to embrace podcasts for direct voter engagement, following the US presidential race's podcasting strategy. Squiz Media founder Claire Kimball said podcasts are now a go-to platform for leaders to connect with audiences beyond traditional media.

"The Squiz has built a loyal audience over nearly seven years, offering news content legacy broadcasters no longer monopolise," Kimball said. "We’re agenda-free, conversational, and proud to be the PM's choice to launch his podcasting efforts."

Podcasting's trust factor plays a big role, with 70% of listeners saying they trust the medium, compared to 48% for traditional media (Edelman Trust Barometer). Meanwhile, 94% of The Squiz audience surveyed emphasised the importance of independent media in a balanced news diet.

"It’s officially the podcast election," said The Squiz host Kate Watson. “The PM choosing us highlights just how influential independent media has become.”

In the exclusive hour-long episode, Albanese critiqued traditional media for being predictable and overly partisan. “There’s less news and more opinion, which I think is problematic. It’s just a cheer squad for one side of politics, and that makes it less influential,” he said.

Catch the full interview now on The Squiz’s News Club channel, available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Pictured: Anthony Albanese, Claire Kimball and Kate Watson

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