Code-switching candidates: strategic communication, podcasts, and cultural and racial politics

While agenda building and framing are commonly examined in the strategic communication literature, the concept of code-switching remains underexplored in the field. Similarly, the incredible rise of podcasting remains less examined as a strategic communication tool. Bridging these gaps, this study qualitatively examined U.S. presidential candidate interviews on podcasts during the 2020 primary cycle. Insights about code-switching and attribute and topic selection emerged, demonstrating podcasts could be a critical media platform for lesser-known candidates of public office. Further, this study finds podcasts to be a prime arena for candidates who want to deviate from traditional political talking points and who want to access diverse and niche audiences. A call is made to further examine this intersectionality in the strategic communication literature.