In Assam, something unexpected is happening. Journalists who once ruled TV studios and newspaper columns are now speaking straight to audiences from YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

These are not just short clips. They are long-form interviews and deep discussions covering everything from land rights and migration to the environment, updates on the investigation of the death of pop star Zubeen Garg and the state’s relationship with the central government.

It looks like a simple move from the TV studio to the smart phone but is actually a total makeover of Assam’s political world ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

For decades, audiences trusted the news because it came from big institutions with editors who followed rules of professionalism. While these systems were not perfect, they provided a sense of stability. Today, that stability is crumbling.

Intimate conversations

Unlike the radio podcasts popular in the West, Assam’s digital revolution is visual. These video podcasts feel like a conversation in a living room. This intimate style is a sharp contrast to the aggressive, often angry tone of TV news.

In a state shaped by complex questions of land, citizenship, borders, migration and ethnic identity, nuance matters. Yet traditional news often flattens these debates into easy “us versus them” frames. Podcasts work differently. With long-form conversations featuring experts, activists and community voices, this slower journalism helps citizens grasp not just what is happening, but why it is happening.

As the state heads toward the 2026 elections, these shows are becoming a vital classroom for the public. Instead of just hearing a political slogan, voters can watch an interview where a candidate’s manifesto is compared to the state’s actual development history.

There are three main reasons why many of Assam’s most respected journalists are leaving mainstream newsrooms.

Journalists in many mainstream outlets now lack job security and professional freedom. Salaries are falling, workloads are rising and newsrooms are often more focused on “clicks” than on the public interest.

In addition, censorship by proprietors and by fears of the mob has increased. It has become increasingly difficult to report critically on sensitive issues such as citizenship or ethnic conflict within traditional media houses.

Finally, many television journalists have “shouting match” fatigue. Television news has become a series of short, loud segments that leave no room for actual analysis, they say

By starting their own podcasts, these journalists are aiming to take back control. They no longer have to answer to corporate bosses or political pressure groups. Instead, they answer directly to their viewers.

Their credibility now comes from their personal reputation and years of local knowledge rather than the logo on their microphone.

The challenges

However, this new media ecosystem is not without its pitfalls. Freed from traditional editors and newsrooms, journalists now find themselves accountable to algorithms instead, no longer shaped by bosses, but by opaque technological systems that determine what is seen and heard online.

To make money and stay visible on YouTube or Facebook, creators often need high engagement. This means their content must attract frequent “likes”, comments, shares, longer watch time and active audience interaction. This can sometimes tempt even the best journalists to focus on personality-driven drama or controversial topics that go viral, rather than dry but important policy issues.

There is also the danger of living in an echo chamber. On social media, audiences usually follow voices that match their own views. When they listen only to podcasts that confirm what they already believe, politics becomes more divided instead of more open and understanding.

Furthermore, politicians have realised the power of this format. Many now prefer appearing on shows by friendly podcasters where they can chat casually, rather than facing a tough, adversarial interview in a traditional news studio. This can make it harder for the public to hold leaders accountable.

A new chapter

Despite these risks, the rise of podcasting is a positive sign for Assam. It has created a space where local voices can discuss local problems in regional languages, without waiting for national media in Delhi to take notice.

It allows for a “regional memory” to take centre stage. Discussions on current events are now frequently linked back to the state’s history such as colonial land laws or post-Independence migration giving the audience a much richer understanding of their own home.

Podcasting has enabled the emergence of parallel political public spaces where regional histories, governance debates, identity struggles and developmental dilemmas are interpreted outside metropolitan frames and newsroom constraints.

As the 2026 election approaches, the podcast has become more than just an app on a phone: it is the new town square. It is where political reputations will be made and where the most important debates about Assam’s future will take place.

This shift reflects both the crisis of institutional journalism and the search for alternative communicative infrastructures capable of sustaining depth, complexity and contextual reasoning.

Podcasting in Assam gives more people a voice, shifts power, encourages deeper conversations and challenges traditional authority.

The success of this new media won’t just depend on the technology, but on the ethics of the journalists and the curiosity of the viewers. If audiences use these platforms to seek out depth and honesty, the digital revolution could lead to a much better informed, more engaged voting public.

Alankar Kaushik teaches media studies at EFL University, Shillong.