Is talk radio dividing America? | The Listening Post

All day, every day, conservative talk radio hosts keep millions of Americans company as they commute, work and go about their daily lives.

The mix of opinionated, entertaining and unapologetically right-wing talk has proven a winning broadcast formula - a billion-dollar industry - one that has given a voice to an audience that long felt unheard.

But with partisan issues dominating today’s political discussion, is the controversial conservative commentary driving much of the division?

Ahead of the midterm elections, Reporter Flo Phillips and Producer Johanna Hoes travel parts of the country to understand the power of talk radio - the sway it holds over Americans, and the role it is playing in the division of the United States.

Contributors: 

Dannagal Young - Author, Irony and Outrage: The Polarized Landscape of Rage, Fear and Laughter in the United States, & professor, communication and political science, University of Delaware

Brian Rosenwald - Author, Talk Radio’s America: How an Industry Took Over a Political Party That Took Over the United States & scholar in residence, University of Pennsylvania

Michael Harrison - Founder & publisher, Talkers Magazine

Jeff Katz - Talk radio host, The Jeff Katz Show

Alex Brookhouse - Truck driver

Wendy Yohman - Restaurant owner

Shelly Perkins - Advertising and marketing consultant, & part-time Lyft driver

[entropicpedro]

This is why I never miss an episode. Absolutely incredible presentation.

[sherry]

This was a very informative episode. Thank you.

[kevinhorrell]

I don't care what your political beliefs are, constantly having them reinforced will always lead to polarization and radicalization. There's no way you can be wrong, because all the information that you consume confirms it. People rather be right, then conflicted but informed.

[oov]

WOW, I learnt so much....why don't you do World Peace next ...or cleaning products 😅😂

[johnrockwell]

KGO Radio in San Francisco was a liberal talk radio station that ranked #1 in the 5th largest market in the nation for 35 years in a row between 1975 and 2014. (It took it 4 years to get to #1.) Rush Limbaugh was a Sacramento DJ apologist for Ronald Reagan and his legacy of the homeless problem he helped to start (he was NOT the sole cause). He tried out mocking the homeless but the KGO audience was tuning out. I don’t know where he went, but I remember hearing him almost anywhere I traveled outside the LA or Bay areas because he got himself syndicated by conservative radio networks. He is one of the worst forces to ever curse the Fairness free communication systems in our history.
I am not for homogenous thought. All discussions or presentations of socio-politico-economic issues should be required to equally examine issues from all perspectives. While KGO was famous for its liberal bent, almost all the hosts were experienced, witty, VERY well informed and they discussed their ideas with equally qualified opposition guests and with listeners calling in.
Unfortunately, KGO’s audience began aging out of advertisers’ range, advertising revenue began drying up, and Disney-Capital Cities Group sold the station. I still listen during the day when 3 of the last holdover hosts are on, but the rest of the time they play syndicated programs from other places.
Liberal talk radio can, and will, work when the on-air personalities make it happen.

[troubleshootingGG]

This was absolutely incredible reporting

[judithgriffiths]

I notice that the conservative talkback hosts are mostly repeating the criticisms of Trump but now applying them to Biden. Is this an indicator of their struggle with change and the need to reassess things constantly? Repeating ideas which are already accepted but previously applied to Trump keeps some kind of stability in the conservative mindset?

[DavidMorris]

America was already divided before talk radio. The same could be said for other countries in the world, like my own (the UK).

Division can be a good thing though. If everyone thought exactly the same way and said the same things, we wouldn't evolve and we would reduce our chance of getting the right answers.

Where division goes wrong is when people don't come together and talk reasonably. There are too many people who are so wrapped up in their own world and ignore everything else. That's what creates the problems.

Talk radio only spouting one opinion makes things worse. They could say people are able to listen to other sources too. However, it's naive to think everyone does that. For many, they'll only listen to one station when going to and from work, when doing DIY at home or maybe when they're on a lunchbreak. They'll only get one viewpoint.

We all need to learn to get along, listen to other ideas and accept the views of others.

[seetlive]

Thank you for the program, I got a new perspective on the US media and radio. Informative and nicely delivered.

[chip]

So called conservative talk radio is 💯 sarcasm conflating with issues, blurred lines of reality, hidden behind the first amendment, voice in the sky, telling people what to think and believe. I listen to boycott advertisers

[javiertorres]

As an American this is both sad and true. I never believed in anything at face value, I’ve always question everything, having more then on news source has helped. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

Good journalism.

[robertjeglum]

Talk radio is one of the divirsive vehicles involved, however it is all the lies that are dividing the US.

[Commander_ZiN]

The first half was so hard to watch, just over half way through, finally getting some balance. I imagine a bunch of people already tuned out, while others will be tuning out soon.

[ronruggieri]

My own experience over the years with local TALK RADIO ( mostly 630 WPRO ) here in Rhode Island is this : on most issues it is WOKE WARRIOR Democrat with a secular ZIONIST Jew point of view prevailing . Oddly enough, they never apply Critical Race Theory to APARTHEID Israel.
But right wing or left wing any serious criticism of Israel or American militarism is taboo. But most annoying is that ALL the talk radio celebs invariably slobber over their program sponsors. Which itself hints at corruption. We do live in the Golden Age of False Advertising . A talk radio host who slobbers over shoddy products and services can hardly be taken seriously as a voice for sanity in the community.. What passes for PUBLIC OPINON can get distorted on ALL radio talk show programs. The host controls the mike in the manner of a bully not a moderator . Also mostly fans and sound bite driveling, , think alike air heads call the show, Our top radio celeb, Gene Valicenti, calls them his pet " seagulls ". Their opinions are compared on air to gull droppings ! . How endearing to any listener who might appreciate serious FREE SPEECH public debate.,
In short, I think it is time to cancel TALK RADIO. . It has become both effete and useless and dangerously reckless in its meretricious commercials seasoned with the personal slobbering touch of the talk radio celebs themselves. PUBLIC OPINION must divorce itself from the priorities of Corporate America.

[musicplaylists]

Mauna Loa volcano looks like its about to blow.

[mardrosteenable]

Please pay attention to the sound balance: I kept having to increase and decrease volume, and this is not the first time on an episode of the Listening Post. Especially music between each sequence was too loud, and speech often too low.
Otherwise amazing episode that echoes well in other countries too!

[francisdrake]

No mention of Michael Savage on an hour long documentary about US talk show hosts?!

[brentsummers]

And the documentary goes live about 10 days before people go to vote. What a coincidence. Lol.

[triptych-dialogue]

My father was an earlier listener of Rush Limbaugh in the 90s and it introduced me to right wing talk radio. More recently I have followed and studied the alt-right on social media in an attempt to understand their evolving language and lexicons. I am a conceptual artist who works on themes fighting disinformation and political polarization partly because of those early years of listening to Limbaugh. Today I conduct political interviews with random people for the Triptych Dialogue project where dialogue is the promoted tool to fight extremism through art. I have over 200 interviews so far and many more to come that I post every other day to YT. I am noticing some very interesting patterns emerging from the answers. The good news its not all doom and gloom.

[Charliexboy]

I believe the left has filled the space they've lost in talk radio with podcasts and they are thriving