Former Mamamia Podcast Host and Senior Producer Claire Murphy goes independent with Acast

Former Mamamia editor and podcast host Claire Murphy has signed with global podcasting company Acast, bringing her news podcast The Solo Bureau into Acast’s creator network.

After more than two decades working across Australian radio and digital media, Murphy launched The Solo Bureau following her redundancy from Mamamia. Previously, she hosted and produced The Quicky, Mamamia’s daily news podcast, and co-hosted and produced women’s health podcast Well.

Described by Murphy as “straight reporting with enough personality that you won’t need caffeine to get to the end of the story”, The Solo Bureau cuts through the daily news cycle to provide facts, context and analysis.

Since launching in May, the podcast reached number one on Apple Podcasts’ top news chart within its first week and has since accumulated more than 142,500 downloads.

For Murphy, the move to Acast reflects a broader shift in the media landscape, as established journalists, editors and broadcasters increasingly build independent businesses around their audiences.

“I was in a very privileged position to have interest from several platforms in helping monetise The Solo Bureau after I launched a couple of months ago,” said Murphy.

“With some help from ‘Gun for Hire’ Lauren Joyce, who made me the most impressive spreadsheets comparing them all, the choice really came down to one major factor: Acast felt like the best fit from an integrity perspective.

“We are very aligned on the promotion and support of independent journalism. There is no link to a radio network next to which I would have to peg my reputation. When I did my due diligence and asked as many people as I could who had worked with Acast, either presently or in the past, I received overwhelmingly positive feedback.”

Through Acast, The Solo Bureau will have access to the company’s global advertising marketplace, connecting Murphy with brands looking to reach podcast audiences.

Guy Scott-Wilson, Content Director for Acast ANZ, said: “There’s a shift happening at the moment which is hard to ignore. As investment in newsrooms continues to shrink and trust in legacy media continues to decline, journalists are launching independent formats that are helping to redress the balance.

At Acast, we’re passionate about supporting independent journalism and redefining what an independent media business can look like, and we’re excited to partner with Claire to help her achieve her ambitions for The Solo Bureau.”

The signing adds The Solo Bureau to Acast’s Australian network, which includes It’s A Lot with Abbie Chatfield, Toni and Ryan, Just The Gist with Rosie Waterland, We Used to Be Journos, The Mitch Churi Chat Show, The Aunty Donna Podcast, Casefile True Crime and We Mean Well.