Exclusive: WaPo tech columnist Taylor Lorenz launches video podcast with Vox Media
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The Washington Post's popular tech columnist Taylor Lorenz is partnering with Vox Media to launch a new video podcast called Power User.
Why it matters: It's a huge win for Vox Media, which is trying to become a top destination for premiere talent to partner on distribution, monetization and strategy for their podcasts.
- Earlier this month, Vox Media announced that acclaimed author and podcaster Brené Brown will be bringing her two award-winning shows, "Unlocking Us" and "Dare to Lead," to its podcast network.
Details: Power User will be a weekly video show centered around conversation and analysis fueled by Lorenz's reporting and online obsessions, Lorenz told Axios.
- The show, which will be available on both video and podcast platforms beginning March 21, will feature guests discussing stories, trends and personalities shaping the internet and tech landscape.
- "Each episode will cover one main topic or story, and will include a quick news rundown where I'll inform and contextualize big tech and online culture news," Lorenz said.
- "It's fundamentally a chat show between me and interesting, insightful figures shaping the business, media, and political landscape through tech."
The big picture: More journalists are creating portfolio careers where they work full-time writing for one publication, but do television, podcasts or events for other outlets that may reach a different audience or have more expertise in a particular medium.
- Kara Swisher, for example, hosts podcasts with Vox Media, but is a contributor for CNN and writes for various outlets.
- Lorenz said she hopes the show will allow her to expand on the stories she's covering at The Washington Post and bring more readers to her articles at The Post.
- The show, she said, will serve as "a direct extension" of her national bestselling book about the creator economy called, "Extremely Online," published in 2023.
Bottom line: Asked why she chose Vox Media, Lorenz told Axios, "There's a tremendous amount of support for my work at The Post, but Vox Media has a robust infrastructure in place to support my ambitions for the show, including a top-tier slate of technology and business shows and scale across video platforms."
- "Several of their other podcasts already publish across audio and video platforms, and I think my show will benefit from the cross-collaboration and cross-promotion within their tech and business podcast roster."
