What motivates broadcasters like local attorney Greg Garrison, whose Radio Rants air on WIBC radio, now on 93.1 FM? And what motivates me to tune him in for a few minutes every week--do I really need anything else to raise my blood pressure? Am I naive to think that news/talk radio hosts ought to enlighten public opinion? That they should be fair, calm, reasonable people? That they should seek out informed, smart people who will illuminate complex issues? That they should not be afraid of diverse perspectives, no matter what their personal opinions? That they should focus on helping people understand issues rather than inflaming bigotry? Listen to NPR, to hosts like Diane Rehm (weekdays on 90.1, I think 10-12), to see what's possible with talk radio.
Garrison conducts his show like the prosecuting attorney he is: attack, use evidence selectively, aim for one goal, proving that he and his favorites are RIGHT. (In more than one sense of that word, of course.) When he talks about "Barack Hussein Obama" in that grating voice of his, I want to go on the air myself and start my own radio talk show. But the people who listen to Greg Garrison and believe they are learning something, who think he is skewering the enemies of freedom and democracy, would never listen to someone like me, or Diane Rehm. Those people, sadly, would be suspicious of network news. They are the descendants of 1950s and 60s followers of Joe McCarthy and the John Birch Society. Yeah, they are the truly "bitter" folks whom the 21st century--in fact, most of the 20th century--left behind.
Can WIBC's owners and producers sleep well at night, knowing that they put Greg Garrison and Rush Limbaugh on the air? I'm sure they do, counting their money like sheep. To them, politics is like sports (another big focus of theirs), just a game. Rabid fans make for loyal listeners.
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There was a time when I listened to a lot of talk radio. I had a job where I could listen to the radio, and I didn't care for any of my music options other than a local college station (Rose Hulman's) that wasn't even on the air consistently. Truthfully, I did learn a lot about politics from people like Rush. I knew almost nothing at all about politics (actually, "almost nothing at all" is what I know now), so although it was a one-sided view, I did get something out of it. Of course, I'm smart enough to understand that I shouldn't take everything I hear on the radio at face value. A lot of typical talk radio fans don't understand that.
I haven't heard much talk radio in a long time, but it seems like the hosts (and the sports talk guys) have gotten meaner. Meaner than Rush anyway. It's not really a stretch to compare these guys to professional wrestlers, is it? Lots of bombast. Do opinions become more factual the louder you state them? Does the amount of spit (venom?) that ends up on the microphone matter?
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