Is talk radio the most democratic form of media? Rush, Hannity and Mark Levine think it is.
Yesterday, I was listening to the Mark Levine show onthe way home from my class. As I listened to this radical right wing pundit declare that talk radio shows were the most democratic form of media around, I had to wonder if he was right. This as been an ongoing issue lately because rightwing shows have been under attack by the left and moderates.
At first glance, Levine is right. Talk radio could be said to be the most democratic form of media. People can call in and speak about anything they want. The cost of the show is free because it is broadcasted via radio. Anybody can call in. If you look at it in this manner, its clearly a free and democratic media. Unfortuately, that assumption is based on superficial aspects of talk radio that aren't exactly true.
- Not everybody can call in. They may not have access to a phone and they may not know the actual call-in time that the program is running. Syndication means that the show is being broadcasted at different times.
- Everybody that calls in does not get on the air. People are screened log before going on the air. Talk radio can screen callers it deems to be incompatible with its agenda, unitelligently support the host's views, intelligently countering the host's views, and any other reason it doesn't feel like letting people on the air.
- Putting callers o hold for an hour or more eliminates the ability of many "average" people to participate.
- The hosts choose the topic and set the agenda. This prevents open discussion of real issues that the people may want to talk about.
- Hosts use the mute button to selectively broadcast sippets of interviews with people - especially people that counter their views or ideology. Its also used so the host can supercede the guest and speak over them.
- Hosts also use the drop button to eliminate people they deem to challenging. If Hannity is talking to a liberal that is seemingly beating him in a debate - he drops the call. They all do this.
If anything - talk radio is more of a dictatorship. The hosts control everything and they are not democratic in the ruling style. This happens with EVERY talk radio show - right or left wing.
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Here the hosts will berate and belittle anyone holding a view contrary to their own, which puts left-wing people off calling in the first place (and puts them off listening to the program at all). Since the right-wingers listening to the program then only hear their own opinions voiced, and hear the host only supporting similar views, they then think that their viewpoint is the majority. Usually this is not the case and they are simply the poster children of what is meant by 'vocal minority'.
Far from being the most democratic media I'd argue that it's Nuremberg Rally Lite - all from the comfort of your own livingroom.
I don't really see talk radio as any form of goverment. It doesn't have any power to directly create or modify rules in a society. It is entertainment. It is successful (Iike any other business) when it obtains and keeps customers (or listeners in this case).
If you want to talk about the influence on society and politics, I'd still say it's really no different than any other medium in that its influence is only as strong as its ability to hold the interest of the audience. In different times, newspapers, magazines, TV, movies, and popular music have all had significant influence on society and politics. If radio seems to be gaining on other media in terms of influence it is probably because of a lack of talent and creativity on the part of the competing media. Or to put it more simply, perhaps the competing media just aren't saying anything that people are really interested in listening to.
Oh, I agree whole heartedly that talk radio is an entertainment venue and a business.
I just disagree with their proclamations that they are the most domecratic form of media around. Hell, Sean Hannity declared his show the voice of the people today when we all know it is simply the voice of the select few he allows to speak.