Talk radio and responsibility

The fact of the matter is that it is not John Ziegler’s job to be responsible, or nuanced, or to think about whether his on-air comments are productive or dangerous, or cogent, or even defensible. That is not to say that the host would not defend his “we’re better”—strenuously—or that he does not believe it’s true. It is to say that he has exactly one on-air job, and that is to be stimulating.

--Host by David Foster Wallace

Certainly this quote is an accurate description of the facts relative to commercial talk radio. John Ziegler has one job: bring in ratings to maximize billing for the radio station.Whether what he chooses to do for a living is making the world a better place, a worse place, or not doing either is between him and his sense of morality. Like the rest of us.



Since the Reagan-era deregulation of the FCC, which repealed the Fairness Doctrine (and allowed unprecedented concentration of media ownership) removed the need for broadcast organizations to serve the public interest. So there is no legal requirement for broadcast entities to be fair and balanced (to pick a random phrase).
The question I find interesting for debate is whether this is a good thing for our country. Does this kind of talk radio program advance the kind of media discussion our Democracy needs? Does it make for a more polite society, where we are civil and treat one another with respect? The first question is a little harder to answer. There has been a great expansion of the ability of the average citizen to share his or her views with fellow Americans on the radio. However, I think these shows really polarize people to the point where opposing viewpoints are rarely heard. People mostly listen to programs that match their world view. So rather than expand the conversation, it narrows it because people rarely hear anything that challenges their ideas. Also, the shows are so tightly controlled by the producers and call screeners, that the hosts almost never have their point of view challenged. That's when the callers aren't an outright fraud.

The second question is easy: no. Shows like John Ziegler's spread and deepen prejudice and hatred. Demonizing a large (if undefined) part of the world by saying "we're better than they are" makes the world a worse place. And, from his depiction in Host, he is much less a demagog than most of his contemporaries.