That’s something I noticed a while ago: all podcasters have those huge microphones in front of them - sometimes with a gigantic boom - that wouldn’t look out of place on 1950s TV. But unlike in the 1950s, they’re not trying to hide them, no no: the more visible, the bigger, the better.
I can’t figure out the point of that prop. If I did a podcast, I’d try to unclutter the shot myself.
Podcasts are an audio first format, therefore quality of audio is like the most important thing.
High quality audio recording requires a high quality microphone, and that microphone should be close to the speaker’s mouth.
Video quality, and presentability of a podcast’s set are necessarily lower priority than the audio clarity and quality.