Podcast Host Toolkit
If you are a podcast host producing journalism in the UK — whether investigative, news-analysis or interview-based — this toolkit covers the production workflow, legal obligations and audience-building knowledge you need. It focuses on the practical risks and responsibilities that are unique to the podcast format, not covered by print or broadcast guides.
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Podcast hosts occupy an unusual legal position: most independent journalism podcasts sit outside Ofcom's jurisdiction, but are fully subject to the general law — defamation, privacy, contempt and data protection. This means you have more creative freedom than a licensed broadcaster but fewer institutional protections if something goes wrong. Understanding where defamation risk arises in interviews, what consent you need for recording, and what monetisation disclosures you must make are the three most important starting points.
The Broadcast hub and Media Law hub are your primary reference hubs. The guides and tools below are the ones podcast hosts use most often in practice.
Core guides for you
Podcast Production UKEnd-to-end production workflow for journalism podcasts: recording, editing, publishing and metadata.News Podcast FormatsDaily briefing, narrative documentary, interview and panel formats — how to choose and structure each.Audio Editing BasicsPractical editing in Audition, Reaper and Hindenburg — cuts, levels, room tone and clean-up.Broadcast Interview TechniquesPre-interview research, question structure, challenging guests and live versus pre-recorded formats.Podcasts as Audience ChannelGrowing a journalism podcast audience: SEO, distribution platforms, newsletter integration and community.Newsletter BusinessMonetising editorial output through subscriptions and sponsorship alongside a podcast.Source ProtectionProtecting sources who contribute to your podcast — legal framework and practical steps.Anonymous SourcesWhen to grant anonymity to podcast contributors and how to document your decision.
Recommended tools
Tools you'll use weekly
Script timing, source verification and production rate planning.
Blog posts you should read
Investigative Podcasting UKHow UK journalists are using podcast formats for long-form investigations — structure, funding and legal risk.Defamation Law for UK JournalistsDefamation defences, the public interest test and what podcast hosts need to know about guest statements.Newsletter Strategy for FreelancersBuilding a subscription newsletter alongside a podcast for sustained revenue.
Templates that save you time
FAQs for podcast hosts
When does defamation risk arise in a podcast interview?
A podcast host can be liable for defamatory statements made by a guest where the host had knowledge of the defamatory meaning, invited or encouraged the statement, or failed to take reasonable steps to correct it before or after publication. The fact that a guest said it, not the host, provides no automatic defence under UK defamation law: secondary publishers can be liable. For significant allegations, review the interview script in advance if possible, and have a pre-broadcast protocol for flagging anything that may require a right of reply or legal check.
What does UK law say about recording consent for podcast interviews?
There is no general UK legal obligation to notify an interviewee that they are being recorded in a face-to-face or telephone conversation, provided the recording is made by a party to that conversation for journalistic purposes. Interception of a communication in transit (e.g. recording a call you are not a party to) would engage the Investigatory Powers Act 2016. In practice, best practice is always to notify guests at the start of a recording session both as a matter of ethics and to protect the host against any later complaint. Ofcom's Broadcasting Code Rule 8.13 applies to licensed broadcasters; non-licensed podcasts sit outside Ofcom jurisdiction but IMPRESS and IPSO membership may still apply disclosure obligations.
Can I use archive audio from the BBC or commercial broadcasters in my podcast?
Generally no without a licence. Archive broadcast audio is protected by copyright under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, and the fair dealing defence for quotation requires that the use is fair, no more is quoted than necessary, and the source is acknowledged. A short clip for the purpose of genuine criticism or review may qualify, but extended use of archive broadcast audio without a licence from the rights-holder risks copyright infringement. The BBC has its own archive access licences; commercial broadcasters' terms vary. Original music used in the podcast also requires synchronisation and performance licences.
What disclosure obligations apply to podcast monetisation?
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) require that paid promotional content in podcasts — including host-read sponsorship, affiliate marketing and product placement — is clearly and prominently disclosed at or before the point of promotion. “This episode is sponsored by X” at the top of the episode is not sufficient if there are multiple paid segments; disclose at each point. The IAB UK podcast measurement guidelines also require that downloads and listens are not misrepresented in media kits. Failure to disclose commercial relationships can result in ASA adjudications published in your name.
Does Ofcom regulate journalism podcasts?
Ofcom regulates audio content distributed via licensed broadcast services (including licensed DAB and FM stations' podcast feeds). Podcasts distributed exclusively online and not attached to a licensed broadcast service are outside Ofcom's content jurisdiction. This means most independent journalism podcasts are not subject to the Broadcasting Code, though they remain subject to the general law (defamation, privacy, contempt of court, data protection) and to ASA rules on advertising. IMPRESS-regulated publishers may find their podcasts covered under their IMPRESS membership, which imposes standards similar to the IPSO Editors' Code.
What is the best production workflow for a news journalism podcast?
A reliable production workflow for a news journalism podcast typically includes: pre-production research and brief preparation; a recorded interview or discussion session; audio editing to remove errors, long pauses and off-the-record portions; a script-check pass for legal issues; level normalisation and room-noise removal; episode upload with accurate metadata; and a publication checklist covering show notes, transcript and any legal caveats. The Broadcast hub audio editing guide covers the technical steps. The broadcast interview request pack includes consent forms and guest briefing templates suitable for podcast use.
How do I handle an interviewee who says something defamatory live?
If you are recording rather than broadcasting live, stop the recording and address the statement before continuing. If the podcast goes out live or you miss the statement in editing, publish a correction as soon as possible noting that the statement was inaccurate, and consider removing or bleeping the passage in the audio file. Notify your media insurer if you believe the person mentioned is likely to take action. Keeping a contemporaneous note of what happened and what steps you took to remedy it is important evidence if a claim does follow.
Common pitfalls for podcast hosts
- 1Defamation in interview guest statements. Publishing a defamatory statement made by a guest does not automatically absolve the host. If you had advance knowledge of the allegation and no right-of-reply process, your position as a secondary publisher is weaker. For any significant allegation, seek a response from the subject before publication and record that you did so.
- 2Recording consent assumptions under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016. Recording a conversation you are a party to is lawful; intercepting communications in transit (e.g. recording a call between two third parties) is not. Always clarify your technical recording setup to ensure you are a genuine participant in every conversation you record, and use a standard consent form for all guests.
- 3Copyright on archive audio clips. Using broadcast audio, music or third-party recordings in a podcast without a licence is copyright infringement. The fair dealing exception for quotation is narrow and requires the use to be fair and no more than necessary. Source licensed music beds from royalty-free libraries such as Epidemic Sound or Artlist; do not rip commercially released tracks.
- 4Monetisation without proper disclosure. The ASA and CMA require that paid promotional content in podcasts is clearly disclosed at the point of promotion. Host-read sponsorship that sounds indistinguishable from editorial is a compliance failure. Disclose at the start of each sponsor read, not only in the episode description, and keep records of your commercial arrangements.
Where to next
The Broadcast hub covers podcast production and audio journalism in depth. For the legal framework, see the Media Law hub. To grow your podcast as a business, the Freelance hub covers contracts, rates and monetisation.
Go to Broadcast hub →Primary sources
- National Union of Journalists— NUJ
- National Council for the Training of Journalists— NCTJ
- Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism— University of Oxford
- Society of Editors— Society of Editors
- IPSO Editors' Code of Practice— IPSO
- Press Gazette— Press Gazette