In the early 2020s, a quarter of the population in both Germany and Sweden had a migrant background. Post-migrants are increasingly claiming the right to participate in the public sphere by producing their own media, which mainstream media (MSM) rarely recognize. This study used the theoretical concept of voice and listening to analyze German and Swedish podcasts that deal with issues of life in a post-migrant society. Which frames are privileged in these podcasts? How do corporate media respond to these media productions? Through the generic frames of human interest and responsibility, the podcasters draw attention to the living conditions of marginalized people, which they argue have an impact on society as a whole. In particular, the recurring theme of racism in society has provoked a certain response from the mainstream media, i.e. the inclusion of these issues in media coverage and the podcasters in MSM production.

Sweden is a post-migrant society where the suburbs of the largest cities in Sweden have become the symbol of failed integration in public debate and media. To broaden the representation, young people from the suburbs use podcasting to challenge and present their own perspectives. Based on content analysis and interviews with selected podcasters, this article explores how they position themselves in relation to mainstream media and society by focusing on their distinct media practices. The study suggests that these podcasts can be perceived as sites of cultural production where the articulation of mundane practices of solidarity and resistances are central. This is illustrated in the content and the guests that are invited and reflected in how the podcasters articulate their aims and goals, as well as how they position themselves in relation to other actors and spheres.

In recent years, podcasting has frequently functioned as a tool ‘to tell stories emanating from routinely marginalized lived experiences’ (Vrikki and Malik, 274). Flyktpodden is a podcast aiming to facilitate intergenerational dialogue about escape, persecution, and migration, thereby challenging mainstream stereotypes and generating understanding of different people’s lives. This article examines the podcast through the theoretical concepts of voice (Couldry) and listening (Bassel), addressing how the podcast uses life stories to broaden the cultural awareness of escape, persecution, and migration. This article further asks whether migrant and minority voices are ascribed agency and allowed to matter. Based on a qualitative content analysis, this article concludes that the podcast offers an eclectic collection of life stories on migration and persecution through which migrants and minorities are allowed to be both vulnerable and agentive. The podcast’s intergenerational and dialogic format gives their voices legitimacy and recognition, thus challenging the hierarchy of value and attention. Moreover, it enables marginalized groups to formulate counter-narratives (Vrikki and Malik) on the historic and present-day situation in Sweden rarely heard in the public sphere.