“Recall that in their much-ballyhooed backlash to conservative media during the Bush era, Democratic partisan activists and their wealthy benefactors assumed independent and left-leaning news consumers would respond to a liberal version of right-wing media. Investing in endeavors like Air America and other media outlets, their theory was that if they just created their own Fox News and their own set of Rush Limbaughs with liberal talking points, liberal listeners would come in droves and then vote for Democratic politicians.
As we all know, it hasn’t worked out that way — and it hasn’t precisely because when it comes to news consumption, the independent and liberal-leaning audience is quite different than their conservative counterpart. As a 2007 Zogby/Lear Center Poll found, when compared with conservatives, liberals and independents are far less interested in being preached to and far more interested in being exposed to views that both confirm and challenge their assumptions. Give that audience the opposite of balance — brand the content with Democratic partisanship and scream vitriolic talking points at them — and they’ll head for places like NPR, “Up With Chris Hayes,” or other such ideology-challenging venues. Which, of course, is exactly what is happening.”
Source: Did I “sell out” liberals?
Some of my fans are angry about my new radio show. But my goal is to break through the media echo chamber
BY DAVID SIROTA
NPR is hardly an “ideology-challenging venue”, it’s more like a propaganda bullhorn for the Washington consensus. I wonder what Sirota has been smoking? I’ve heard his radio show and it’s boring.
I’m not sure what he thinks he’s doing that is so revolutionary.
That is one view — on that doesn’t stand up to scrutiny in any way and is obviously made by someone that doesn’t sell advertising.
It is not hard to create attention with alternative programming. I’m so sick of hearing people wring their hands like “but progressives/liberals can’t do this because yackity yack yack yack yack yack.
Air America failed because:
1. Was not on the air in major markets and was not on high-powered states — it never had a chance to compete with squawkers like rush cuz they didn’t have a network of stations that even began to approach his reach — the owners of the vast majority of radio stations was going to see that this never got past developmental stages
2. demand all hosts march in lock step — alienating one of their biggest stars, randi rhodes — perhaps this supports part of Sirota’s thesis, but not really. You can’t win rating wars by stifling stars, especially when you don’t have the exposure anyhow and when they pissed off rhodes, they guaranteed they never would get that exposure
3. While conservative big-box stores and advertisers lined up for a chance to support rush — they did not support AA. You can’t compete if you can’t raise money. Our media is failing this nation in many ways and part of the problem is that corporate America blackballs those that dare speak truth to power.
I can respectfully disagree with you — but please reconsider this: The highly concentrated structure of our media ensures that Air America could not succeed. 5 global multinational corporations own virtually ALL radio that has significant reach in major markets.
This increased concentration — now hyper-concentration, and the repeal of the fairness doctrine created rush limpballs.
Please don’t spread the rightwing talking point here that somehow it is impossible for liberal/progressive folks to command audiences. They can and Sirota should know better.
What they can’t do is:
1. consistently have their voices heard
2. generate comparable dollars doing it.
Sirota should know this — very disappointing to hear him pick up this meme. He should know better and he is deflecting attention from the real problem.
Shame on him for misleading people about the fact its the business model and corporate control that limits the range of ideas in our media.
Thanks much for your feedback. You make good points and you know much more about this stuff than I do. I am not exactly agreeing with Sirota 100% by simply sharing a quote from his post but I did think it was interesting. His statement that the left does not like to be preached to certainly resonated with me. People want really good content and they won’t come back for more unless they get hooked. There are so many things competing for daily attention now. In the case of Air America, I don’t want to insult but I never enjoyed what was produced. When I try Rhodes once in a while it isn’t horrible but it is hard for me to listen to. I can barely stand Maddow for the heavy delivery of her material. Still, I’ve rejoiced every time any lefty broadcaster has given positive exposure to the Wisconsin movement. (Of course!) I listen to Democracy Now, a local show called “in our backyard”, and I’ll find archived interviews that are 20min – 2 hrs and listen to them, etc. I’d rather listen to some old Studs Terkel than a new Young Turks but still, I am glad that Cenk is a voice out there because he is a thoughtful and sharp guy. I’ll occasionally hear a good “this American Life” that reaches into the political realm but I usually can’t STAND that show. I’ll give Sirota’s new show a try. If it is not right wing pablum and it forces thoughtful discussion then it’s okey-dokey with me but I won’t actually pay attention unless I feel compelled and nobody else will either.