Bush Podpreneurs: How Rural Women Podcast Producers Are Building Digital and Social Connectivity

Digital media has the potential to empower rural women who are increasingly producing their own independent podcasts. This research examines the opportunities and challenges that podcasts hold for amplifying rural women's voices. From interviews with Australian producers, we found they were motivated to tell stories, build communities, and connect with audiences. They also wanted to promote businesses, create professional networks, share technical information, and make an income. Although these independent producers wanted to build alternative forms of social capital another aim was to monetize their podcasts into economic capital. Therefore, we argue these women are bush podpreneurs who contribute to rural digital and social connectivity.