How podcasts are reshaping Assam’s politics

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...

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