Many years ago, the FCC allowed Sinclair news services to take over rural areas, with the result that the only news outlets available to those areas are right-wing. Right-wing media consistently beats the drum of "Democrats bad, Republicans good." That's why in many rural areas the good the Democratic administrations do are underappreciated.
Yes, I have found that fact very upsetting for a long time. But Biden's broadband should change that equation. When it stretches across America's midsection, Sinclair's captive audience will be able to use the Internet to get a wide spectrum of opinion far beyond what Sinclair chooses to spoon feed them.
A lot of what is listened to is talk radio in the rural areas. In those area the citizenry work at lower paying jobs, farming or ranching. When they drive long distances, often necessary in rural areas, they listen to the Free radio talk shows, and inevitably hear the right wing narrative. With the weakening of station ownership in recent years, liberal stations were taken over by rightists and the programming was changed to mostly being only the conservative narrative.
This was a very interesting podcast on the subject after car makers started taking steps to eliminate AM radio from their newest electric vehicles. BMW, Volkswagen, Mazda, Tesla say they won't include AM radio in their newest models. "This announcement drew so much outrage that at least one automaker, Ford, actually said, 'Forget it.' They reversed their decision."
"Conservative talk radio hosts helped lead the backlash against the removal of AM radios from electric fleets, claiming the engineering change was really an act of political sabotage."
Also discussed here is the the history of AM radio and its diversity as contrasted between AM and FM radio. One important issue seems to be the more open availability for broadcasting on AM bands, as well as its penetrability in the air waves. I hope, as CC mentioned, that Biden's broadband initiative can bring this important issue up to meeting our current resource needs.
Yesterday, I was talking to a friend who just bought a new Volvo. She was amazed to find that she couldn’t access our local news and traffic AM station. The dealership told her that because AM radio was dying the automakers were eliminating it. My immediate, joyful, thought was the death of right wing talk radio, but I guess the reality is that it will just move to Sirius or some other satellite service.
It's no question that rural areas are undeserved compared to urban areas. The internet is available in the "middle of nowhere" counties on the high plains of Kansas, but I think the main effect has been to reinforce their right-wing positions, not to moderate them.
I live in a small town in a mostly rural county. You are so right about the domination by Sinclair and, I would add, Fox, which is the go-to network for many who live in remote areas. I think another way to reach those relatively isolated folks might be through billboards. It's relatively old "tech" but it's highly visible and can't be ignored when those folks drive to town to buy feed for their cattle or food for themselves.
Sinclair is a poisonous company. They purchased the NBC affiliate in Rhode Island where I used to live and began mouthing lies and twisting their reporting. I was part of a group objecting to them by picketing their advertisers. It got a lot of press and many people expressed their disgust with the channel.
"But this column is about the dream of two Madison business partners to acquire radio stations that geographically blanket Wisconsin and make each station popular and nonpartisan hometown destinations for local news, discussion and entertainment.
In doing so, they brand their stations not as progressive counterweights to far-right talk radio, but as fundamentally pro-democracy, interlacing straight news and balanced talk with quintessentially local programming such as high school sports, minor league baseball and hockey, as well as the Packers, Badgers and Marquette University sports.
One partner, Mike Crute, is a talk radio veteran. The other, Sage Weil, is a young tech zillionaire who relocated from the West Coast to Madison to accommodate his wife’s career.
They named their company Civic Media https://civicmedia.us/ and their tagline is “Hometown radio refreshed.” They eschew descriptors like liberal or progressive, even though both lean left, one as a talk show host and the other as a major Democratic donor.
They now own a dozen radio stations covering most of Wisconsin except for the North Woods and they’re trying to gain a foothold there. They hope to add more stations.
It’s undeniable that far-right radio in recent years boosted Donald Trump and his acolytes. Right-wing hosts certainly helped former Republican Gov. Scott Walker demonize school teachers and pass Act 10 over a decade ago."
I live in a rural Red County in Yavapai, Arizona. We have had not one demonstration against the indictment of Trump even though there are weekly demonstrations on our town square by Republicans. They seem to average 25-30 participants. We, despite the political divide, are a friendly town with great neighbors, friendly people and are a close knit community. I regularly talk with citizens of all political stripes and we own an Art Gallery in the downtown area. Sales are down possibly because of the Political unrest but no instances of violence. I think the arrests and prison sentences handed down after the Washington D.C. uprising has given people pause. I don't see an uptick in threats locally since the indictments.
Hi Linda. I think a friend of mine - an absolutely amazing artist - might live where you live. She and her husband moved from CA to Arizona a few years ago. Gabrielle Bitter is her name. If she doesn't live there (I'll ask her), you might want to learn about her art. I was involved with galleries and the Art Walk in SoCal, which is where I met her. Art is so subjective. I have met many, many artists and viewed many, many galleries, and Gabrielle's is the real, rare, deal.
I don't believe I know her, Gallee, but I will look her up too see her art. Our gallery is eclectic with both modern and Western renderings. I live in Prescott, Az.
Communication is far more difficult when people are buried in information bubbles in which the generation of rage and/or fear is the point.
MY managing editor and I live in Western Washington. Nearly a decade ago we went to pick up our daughter from a visit with her fiancé in Pullman, not far from the Idaho state line. Along the way we stopped to watch a traditional ploughing contest - and when we climbed into the horse-drawn wagon, the coachwoman had her radio tuned to Fox News.... and clearly had been listening all day.
We were dismayed at how very toxic and deceptive the stream was even then. Social media has immeasurably amplified the noise and the divisiveness.
Here is a good article discussing the research about conspiracy theories and the impact social media is having.
I need to push back a little on the idea that the Fairness Doctrine or some equivalent should be reinstated with the obvious caveat that yes, we need to do something!
The doctrine’s basic premise was that there were two or more opinions about most policy issues and that those opinions were roughly equally valid and deserved equal time from the media, particularly during election season.
But who gets to decide what’s fair? Take the climate. For at least the last 40 years, there has been no disagreement among climate scientists that the climate is warming and the burning of fossil fuels is the chief cause. 98% of climate scientists worldwide agree that more carbon is deadly and only disagree about the speed with which warming will affect weather patterns, rainfall patterns, ocean currents, etc. Most valid peer-reviewed studies confirm this. And always have.
Yet, the media gave nearly equal time to the deniers and continues to do so. Because a few rogue scientists, many funded by oil interests, produced different results? And demanded equal time? Not credible science, of course, but granted access because of media trained to give equal time - and politicians funded by oil interests!
What can we do? Establish standards, yes. But two things need to happen first. One, work to get out the vote- without more Dems in Congress, nothing will change at the FCC. Two, once the Dems are back in charge, write and pass a law overturning Citizen’s United. Even if that also requires expanding the Supreme Court so the extremes don’t overturn it again. Then work like hell to establish scientific and ethical standards for all media including social media. Get the dark money out, fix the laws, then reestablish a belief in actual damn physics- the laws we don’t get to vote on!!!
Of course most people have heard of the climate crisis, most particularly if they watch any TV news, instead of read the news. They don’t listen because they really don’t want to change their lifestyle, or never took basic science and so don’t really understand what is happening- as in how can more carbon dioxide be bad if it is what plants need to grow?
Or simply, “I want mine. You don’t get to limit me. If “my” Senator says that global warming is a hoax, great. I don’t have to change anything and can go after that big-ass pickup truck I want and no damn government gets to tell me it has to be electric.” And I’ll vote for the guy that tells me what I want to hear.
Harvesting resentment and weaponizing fear is what Republicans do - you know that. It is what they have done for as long as I have been alive, particularly on environmental issues. Fox News was among the worst in finding ‘experts’ who would produce pseudo- science reports that would contradict real science- mostly funded by oil interests, of course. Then when challenged, Fox would cite the Fairness Doctrine - that they had to give time to both sides even though there weren’t conflicting opinions among credible scientists. Read Naomi Oreskes’ marvelous book called ‘Merchants of Doubt’ which looks at the similarities of the campaign to convince people that cigarettes don’t cause cancer, and burning fossil fuels doesn’t cause climate change. Those campaigns were conducted while the Fairness Doctrine was in place and basically took advantage of the facts that few journalists understood basic science well enough to parse out who was a credible expert - and who was just a shill for the oil or tobacco companies. They are still doing that as I know you understand.
We all want to control the messages and the messenger. In my more than 54 years of experience as an environmental activist, the only real weapon we have had is electing those who understand, are willing to listen, believe in science, not conspiracy theories, and believe in their role as public servants. Trump reversed 50+ years of good environmental law. Biden restored much of that. The Supreme Court reversed Roe v Wade, gutted voting rights, much more. How do we restore that so democracy and the climate can thrive? The Fairness Doctrine or some reasonable facsimile has no chance in hell in the current House. Let’s fix that and then go after how the media operates so we can actually change something and make it stick!
If a "Fairness Doctrine" required that all broadcasters (TV and Radio) presented both sides of every campaign and issue, America could be a more perfect democracy.
If a broadcaster is devoted entirely to one end of the political spectrum, it is not performing a public service and should be shut down. Licensing should be dependent on providing the public with a balanced perspective. That's not rocket science. And it should be basic to our governance.
Obviously, such a policy would enrage the whacko right more than the left. We have call in talk shows here in MA on FM. The hosts take calls from all manner of people and listen to other points of view even though they profess a progressive viewpoint.
But FM signals don't carry far in big states. Hence the AM venue - as already stated - that has been bought by the oligarchs. It's as if Tass owned our rural communications.
The (or a) problem is that both sides are not operating within the same reality anymore, and the right-wingers are brainwashed into believing fantasies and conspiracy theories, which have no place in civil discourse. How to penetrate that bubble and get them to step into a reality where facts and truth matter is going to be difficult, but there's gotta be a way or two or three. One way is to challenge the lies with facts, but will the "believers" listen?
As someone who lives no more than 20-30 minutes from Bill, I can vouch for his comments about talk shows on FM in MA. (Including On Point, on NPR, which is terrific.)
I rode my bicycle from Seattle to Boston (via Spokane) in 1975. Things were very different then. We often went to bars in the evening, before climbing into our sleeping bags, usually out in the open. This was only a year after Nixon resigned, but I don't remember politics coming up at all when we spoke with the locals. They were always very helpful, and we had some interesting discussions, but I don't ever remember any arguments. The only nasty moment was when I pickup passed us somewhere in the Great Plains of Montana, and some guy yelled at us from the pickup, "you guys are stupid!" In a fit of pluck, I waved, and one of the guys waved back.
Now, I'm planning to drive to Seattle, and down the coast to SF or LA, and back next spring, but I'm nervous about it. I'm sure Reagan's rescinding of the Fairness Doctrine has a lot to do with the rancor.
I really don't think anyone is going to try to hurt you. That said, it's just good practice to avoid "situations". But women are very used to that. Maybe men not so much?
Thank you Robert. I live in a rural community, and am definitely in the minority, but I am trying to gather facts that allow me to ask my conservative friends questions which cause them to think. For example, I asked a friend what she thought the inflation rate was. She thought it was still at about 11%. I responded that I had heard that it had dropped. We went and checked it together, and she was stunned to find it was down at 2 1/2 to 3%. This interchange made her question an assumption. That’s what I’m trying to do with my neighbors who are conservative, but are also truly good people.
In my home county in Kansas,, around 450 people voted for the Democrat in 2020. That's 12-13% of actual voters in 2020. You could blow them up in the high school gym. Then there is the Republican apostate. It got lonely after his announcement. During Covid, the local medical professionals who urged masks and distancing were vilified. Just think about that-- the word of highly trained doctors was nothing compared to the messaging of Fox News. So, for starters, I've long thought that a version of the Fairness Act should be passed to even up the messaging in all formats. Now that Roe has been dismantled, it's become apparent even in Kansas, that the right to abortion is much more widely accepted than thought. The political landscape is not monolithic. Democrats need to start showing up.
Republican voter suppression also impacted the Ohio election. "Just five days before Ohio’s special election on Tuesday, Aug. 8, polling locations were changed for tens of thousands of voters in Cuyahoga and Summit counties." - Joyce Vance
I was concerned that the change in polling locations would be sufficient to turn the vote. Can you imagine what the majority would be had they not done that?
Here is something important I discovered on HCR's newsletter this morning. A group that deserves support. Working to get out the younger votes, and the younger voters are where the power is growing. https://www.turnup.us/about-us
Yes, Gailee, Ira Lechner turned us onto that site. Luckily, the millennial and Gen Z crowds have figured things out better than us oldsters. I gave them $$
What is generally overlooked, in discussions about how to reach rural or "red" voters, is HOW they can be reached. Because the majority of Democratic Biden supporters are college-educated, I think they don't notice how unavailing it is to try to persuade people (even college-educated ones!) by citing statistics. Indeed, Bidenomics has made huge and measurable improvements in the lives of Republican and rural Americans. But those measurements, by themselves, are not in general persuasive.
There is in fact one universally effective way to reach the hearts as well as the minds of human beings: storytelling. For millennia we have been communicating with one another orally through stories; for only a tiny sliver of time we have been literate and (a minority of human beings) communicating through the kinds of more abstract analysis that literacy enables. We are ALL hard-wired to understand the world through story structures; it's how our brains process information. (See, for instance, the works of Kendall Haven, especially Story Proof -- evidence developed through painstaking experiments conducted by the Dept. of Defense.)
So what does this mean for Democrats? We need the iconic stories -- which certainly exist, though I haven't seen any -- of individual Americans whose lives have been dramatically changed by Biden's policies. We need dramatic narratives that all Americans can identify with, lives that we can imagine.
The generalities and research are true: but only the personal stories will convince.
I appreciate the reminder that storytelling is a powerful means by which to engage, the heart and the mind. And hopefully a place from which action and even activism follow. What most draws me in is how you articulate our common need ... to live 'the lives we can imagine.' Thank you, Jo.
Agree - which needs to be at the heart of an effective dem messaging campaign. Rather than “zingers” like the other side is good at, develop a whole catalog of stories that can be told in under a minute.
Thank you for writing about this very important topic. Several points to consider. One is that small numbers CAN have a significant difference, e. g. there were only 500 votes separating Al Gore from George W. Bush 2000 election. The other point is that beginning in the 1980s, several very conservative millionaires began acquiring the AM radio broadcasting rights across the country and began spewing out the propaganda of people like Rush Limbaugh. This then now morphed into Fox News, OAN, etc. So we know are dealing with several generations that have been lied to and who are now propping up the grift of Donald Trump. Working at the grassroots level is so critically important to begin bridging that gap.
The other point, and I don't know if this is possible, but somehow to be able to have some monitoring on the lies that are being put forth by these cable networks and radio hosts and on the internet. One would think that Fox News would have learned their lesson with the almost billion dollar payout settlement but obviously that didn't hurt enough. And now somebody else is going to come in to make money off of promoting Tucker Carlson; we have to figure out a way stop this monopoly of the airways . Brainwashing has been going on for 40 years.
When corporate management vs the corporation is held accountable things will change. Many large corporations look at fines as a cost of doing business.
1. I am persuaded that a civil war is not coming -- that political losses which erode a constituencies identity are disheartening (as the loss was for the Pro Issue One people). As you say, we can, nevertheless, remain Americans and friends and neighbors.
2. I am confident that Democrats success comes through eroding opposition, winning over the people who can be persuaded.
3. Nevertheless, I worry about the danger of militias. If there were to be a civil war, it would not spring up from people who happen to disagree. It would come from people who are armed and practice using their weapons (Like the Michiganders who tried to kidnap their governor). Fortunately, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), militias are declining. Militias have not disappeared, unfortunately. SPLC identifies 200 of them.
Leonard - I think the 'threat" of militias is overblown, often by those right-wing AM talk radio jocks. They are at best a small fringe group, and when they show their faces (e.g. Charlottesville; J6) they are slapped down with jail terms and stiff fines. Here in VT, we are dealing with one started by someone 'from away' who tried to bully and intimidate locals. Here's what happened: https://vtdigger.org/2023/08/08/federal-judge-dismisses-slate-ridge-owners-lawsuit-against-town-of-pawlet-state-judge/ It cost peaceful folks some time and aggravation but like the national scene, the laws eventually catch up to and de-fang these misfits, because the majority of people are decent and unwilling to support anarchy. It does require eternal vigilance - but that's always been the price of liberty.
Speaking of liberty, today’s story in the Boston Globe about NH libertarians is worth looking at. If you are interested sign up for my newsletter — mostly about which Democrats it would make a difference to donate to. Len’s Political Notes.
think the key to Democrats increasing their appeal to rural white voters does not lie in pointing out to these voters all that Democrats have done for them, but rather for Democrats to understand that the reason many rural white voters prefer Republicans over Democrats has more to do with their hearts and souls than their pocketbooks. There is a subtle and highly significant way that Democrats condescend to these Republican voters. A small but simple example. When people like myself and many middle and upper class Democrats repeatedly vote in ways that hurt us financially, we consider ourselves to be moral and just people who care about the lives of others and are willing to pay higher taxes to demonstrate that. When these voters vote against their economic self interest we are confused and flabbergasted, and some, not you Robert but some, think of these voters as ignorant and stupid. Republicans, like the evil DJT, have a way of reaching underneath the concrete and material and, in a somewhat distorted and psychologically disturbing way, enable a feeling of power in their supporters. No one likes to feel that they are a "charity case", and in subtle ways, Democrats convey that message. We are doing so much for you, why don't you like us? This is a huge problem that has existed throughout history and changing it is hard, but in some ways that is sort of what Obama's "Hope and Change" message did. I think Democrats have to spend less time telling people all they have done for them. That does not mean Biden should not talk about his accomplishments, he should, but not in the context of helping those who have less, but in helping all Americans. I wish I had the solution, I certainly don't, but this, I do think, as a lifelong progressive and a psychoanalyst, is at the heart of why it is so hard for Democrats to appeal to rural white voters (and racism of course).
Lily's last (seemingly) throwaway phrase "and racism of course" IS the operative mechanism here, sad to say ... the David Brooks/Zack Beauchamp thread in NYT/Vox discusses liberal anxiety about "economically disadvantaged," mostly-rural voters and why we feel "guilty" and "must listen to Trump voters' concerns."
In reality, IT'S THE CULTURE (WARS), STUPID ... Beauchamp references many survey facts and findings. The toxic combination of right wing news sources, white supremacy, anti-immigration and white Christian Nationalism makes any Biden, Democrat, positive economics messaging irrelevant.
Many, many rural residents are NOT economically disadvantaged. My family of middle to upper middle-class, landowning farmers in a border state have benefited from Dept of Agriculture subsidies for decades. But they fear the changing demographic landscape, hate feminism, hate abortion access, hate socialists, and own about 30 guns (for hunting, of course).
The thought leaders and political leaders in the few rural towns I'm familiar with do NOT live in hovels or trailer parks. They are respected community members whose opinions carry weight when it comes to state/local policy and political discussion, and right now, that discussion is strictly anti-progressive.
"Many, many rural residents are NOT economically disadvantaged."
In my home county on the high plains of Kansas, there are a lot of farmers and cattlemen who are quite well off.
"The thought leaders and political leaders in the few rural towns I'm familiar with do NOT live in hovels or trailer parks. They are respected community members whose opinions carry weight when it comes to state/local policy and political discussion, and right now, that discussion is strictly anti-progressive."
So pleased you wrote about this. We so need to be reminded there is much more that unites than divides us. I saw the woman who was having the rant predicting civil war. That prompted my silent-scream and turning off the TV hoping the cable gurus felt $$$ draining from their coffers. Substack subscriptions are gifts every day. Can’t imagine being without Today’s Edition, Hopium, HCR, Joyce Vance, David Pepper and others and their inspiring, supportive followers.
I love the word “variegated“ to describe the political blue/red map of the US.
I live in a rural area of Oregon and attitudes are changing rapidly. Certainly, there is a core group that holds on to conservative ideologies, but it is declining, especially as farmland aggregates.
I live in a rural community in NYState, New Lebanon. We flipped our town from red to blue. We have an active climate smart committee which has installed solar panels in the town hall, led lights in the town and other things which have given us bronze working on silver status. We have an active Democratic chapter which helps the community in every tragedy such as a truck accident which damaged a building with meals and state aid. It is an ongoing struggle, but the divide is not impassable.
Yes,yes, I am a Democrat in a very red state, South Carolina. I have found my “ blue community” here but it is hard. I have given up on electing Democrats here. I write postcards and make calls for campaigns in blue states. We do need to educate rural voters but it is a steep climb.
Hi Libby, I’m hoping you won’t give up in your own town/ county /state! Small “red” towns with quiet ardent Democratic committees can knit together and be mighty contributors to county, state and federal vote tallies. And in so doing, restore a sense of pride and hope right at home. In my county we have one determined red town team doing neighborly outreach year round. They are slowly building engagement and definitely building their hidden dems into a strong and more confident group. They add to the county elections if not local. They are feeling better and better as they galvanize. It pretty awesome to witness. Their “leader” is a brave firebrand and she inspires all of us. She will tell you that the Dems there have been too afraid to admit they are Dems but since this outreach has started they feel more supported and empowered and are coming out more and more. It’s very exciting and touching.
The “steep climb” obviously keeps you motivated to persuade voters to see issues the way you do. That same motivation can prompt joining with others in your community to organize (as apparently is happening when there already is a recognized “blue community”) and strategically work together to “make it to the top” - even in South Carolina. Good luck!
Loved your discussion of 'coming civil war' -- much needed and I hope people and you will disseminate it widely. Your framing of what many, particularly in the media, push as a defining feature of present-day America is the reality and it's a positive one, in my opinion. Yes, much of present-day America -- to me, a 'cradle Progressive' (to borrow from Catholicism) -- is really uncomfortable to think about and to live within. But, most of reality isn't a simple binary but this kind of messy multivariate soup of people, all trying for the same things, really: happiness, well-being for their families, safety. Helpful to be reminded of that, so thank you!
Many years ago, the FCC allowed Sinclair news services to take over rural areas, with the result that the only news outlets available to those areas are right-wing. Right-wing media consistently beats the drum of "Democrats bad, Republicans good." That's why in many rural areas the good the Democratic administrations do are underappreciated.
Yes, I have found that fact very upsetting for a long time. But Biden's broadband should change that equation. When it stretches across America's midsection, Sinclair's captive audience will be able to use the Internet to get a wide spectrum of opinion far beyond what Sinclair chooses to spoon feed them.
A lot of what is listened to is talk radio in the rural areas. In those area the citizenry work at lower paying jobs, farming or ranching. When they drive long distances, often necessary in rural areas, they listen to the Free radio talk shows, and inevitably hear the right wing narrative. With the weakening of station ownership in recent years, liberal stations were taken over by rightists and the programming was changed to mostly being only the conservative narrative.
This was a very interesting podcast on the subject after car makers started taking steps to eliminate AM radio from their newest electric vehicles. BMW, Volkswagen, Mazda, Tesla say they won't include AM radio in their newest models. "This announcement drew so much outrage that at least one automaker, Ford, actually said, 'Forget it.' They reversed their decision."
"Conservative talk radio hosts helped lead the backlash against the removal of AM radios from electric fleets, claiming the engineering change was really an act of political sabotage."
Also discussed here is the the history of AM radio and its diversity as contrasted between AM and FM radio. One important issue seems to be the more open availability for broadcasting on AM bands, as well as its penetrability in the air waves. I hope, as CC mentioned, that Biden's broadband initiative can bring this important issue up to meeting our current resource needs.
https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/episodes/on-the-media-decline-am-radio-hurt-more-than-conservative-talk-shows
Yesterday, I was talking to a friend who just bought a new Volvo. She was amazed to find that she couldn’t access our local news and traffic AM station. The dealership told her that because AM radio was dying the automakers were eliminating it. My immediate, joyful, thought was the death of right wing talk radio, but I guess the reality is that it will just move to Sirius or some other satellite service.
👏🏼👏🏼
I just got a new car and most cars today are coming with satellite radio which will,CHS ge the dynamics.
You may need to edit your comment. I think I know what you're saying but I'm not sure, and I suspect it's important.
I believe Stephen meant to say (before AutoIncorrect took control) "will change the dynamics."
It's no question that rural areas are undeserved compared to urban areas. The internet is available in the "middle of nowhere" counties on the high plains of Kansas, but I think the main effect has been to reinforce their right-wing positions, not to moderate them.
"rural areas are unde[r]served compared to urban areas" 😉
I live in a small town in a mostly rural county. You are so right about the domination by Sinclair and, I would add, Fox, which is the go-to network for many who live in remote areas. I think another way to reach those relatively isolated folks might be through billboards. It's relatively old "tech" but it's highly visible and can't be ignored when those folks drive to town to buy feed for their cattle or food for themselves.
Interesting idea. Billboards can be expensive, but I know that some billboard companies will reduce rates for causes they appreciate.
Sinclair is a poisonous company. They purchased the NBC affiliate in Rhode Island where I used to live and began mouthing lies and twisting their reporting. I was part of a group objecting to them by picketing their advertisers. It got a lot of press and many people expressed their disgust with the channel.
I remember all the objections, but nothing could stop their relentless move. Here's an article about their latest: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/aug/17/sinclair-news-media-fox-trump-white-house-circa-breitbart-news
Here's a link to: "Breaking far-right talk radio’s hold over rural Wisconsin"
https://captimes.com/opinion/paul-fanlund/opinion-breaking-far-right-talk-radio-s-hold-over-rural-wisconsin/article_0d137709-f56f-5301-b124-4b8643c34696.html
"But this column is about the dream of two Madison business partners to acquire radio stations that geographically blanket Wisconsin and make each station popular and nonpartisan hometown destinations for local news, discussion and entertainment.
In doing so, they brand their stations not as progressive counterweights to far-right talk radio, but as fundamentally pro-democracy, interlacing straight news and balanced talk with quintessentially local programming such as high school sports, minor league baseball and hockey, as well as the Packers, Badgers and Marquette University sports.
One partner, Mike Crute, is a talk radio veteran. The other, Sage Weil, is a young tech zillionaire who relocated from the West Coast to Madison to accommodate his wife’s career.
They named their company Civic Media https://civicmedia.us/ and their tagline is “Hometown radio refreshed.” They eschew descriptors like liberal or progressive, even though both lean left, one as a talk show host and the other as a major Democratic donor.
They now own a dozen radio stations covering most of Wisconsin except for the North Woods and they’re trying to gain a foothold there. They hope to add more stations.
It’s undeniable that far-right radio in recent years boosted Donald Trump and his acolytes. Right-wing hosts certainly helped former Republican Gov. Scott Walker demonize school teachers and pass Act 10 over a decade ago."
Sounds like a great plan. Now for it to spread to other states!
Exactly what I was going to say; 3+ decades of right wing, fake news,, programming has widened this divide. Rural voters don't hear the Dem messaging.
I live in a rural Red County in Yavapai, Arizona. We have had not one demonstration against the indictment of Trump even though there are weekly demonstrations on our town square by Republicans. They seem to average 25-30 participants. We, despite the political divide, are a friendly town with great neighbors, friendly people and are a close knit community. I regularly talk with citizens of all political stripes and we own an Art Gallery in the downtown area. Sales are down possibly because of the Political unrest but no instances of violence. I think the arrests and prison sentences handed down after the Washington D.C. uprising has given people pause. I don't see an uptick in threats locally since the indictments.
Hi Linda. I think a friend of mine - an absolutely amazing artist - might live where you live. She and her husband moved from CA to Arizona a few years ago. Gabrielle Bitter is her name. If she doesn't live there (I'll ask her), you might want to learn about her art. I was involved with galleries and the Art Walk in SoCal, which is where I met her. Art is so subjective. I have met many, many artists and viewed many, many galleries, and Gabrielle's is the real, rare, deal.
I don't believe I know her, Gallee, but I will look her up too see her art. Our gallery is eclectic with both modern and Western renderings. I live in Prescott, Az.
She lives in Wickenburg. I would love to see your gallery. Unfortunately, we live in Europe and don't plan to go back to the U.S..
Communication is far more difficult when people are buried in information bubbles in which the generation of rage and/or fear is the point.
MY managing editor and I live in Western Washington. Nearly a decade ago we went to pick up our daughter from a visit with her fiancé in Pullman, not far from the Idaho state line. Along the way we stopped to watch a traditional ploughing contest - and when we climbed into the horse-drawn wagon, the coachwoman had her radio tuned to Fox News.... and clearly had been listening all day.
We were dismayed at how very toxic and deceptive the stream was even then. Social media has immeasurably amplified the noise and the divisiveness.
Here is a good article discussing the research about conspiracy theories and the impact social media is having.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/conspiracy-theories-how-social-media-can-help-them-spread-and-even-spark-violence/
I fear that unless and until the Fairness Doctrine or some updated equivalent is reinstated, it will be a really, really long slog.
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In spite of all this, Kansas, Michigan, and now Ohio give me hope that the tide is beginning to turn.
I need to push back a little on the idea that the Fairness Doctrine or some equivalent should be reinstated with the obvious caveat that yes, we need to do something!
The doctrine’s basic premise was that there were two or more opinions about most policy issues and that those opinions were roughly equally valid and deserved equal time from the media, particularly during election season.
But who gets to decide what’s fair? Take the climate. For at least the last 40 years, there has been no disagreement among climate scientists that the climate is warming and the burning of fossil fuels is the chief cause. 98% of climate scientists worldwide agree that more carbon is deadly and only disagree about the speed with which warming will affect weather patterns, rainfall patterns, ocean currents, etc. Most valid peer-reviewed studies confirm this. And always have.
Yet, the media gave nearly equal time to the deniers and continues to do so. Because a few rogue scientists, many funded by oil interests, produced different results? And demanded equal time? Not credible science, of course, but granted access because of media trained to give equal time - and politicians funded by oil interests!
What can we do? Establish standards, yes. But two things need to happen first. One, work to get out the vote- without more Dems in Congress, nothing will change at the FCC. Two, once the Dems are back in charge, write and pass a law overturning Citizen’s United. Even if that also requires expanding the Supreme Court so the extremes don’t overturn it again. Then work like hell to establish scientific and ethical standards for all media including social media. Get the dark money out, fix the laws, then reestablish a belief in actual damn physics- the laws we don’t get to vote on!!!
I agree with everything except your comment about the Fairness Doctrine. Because it's gone, a lot of people NEVER hear our side.
Of course most people have heard of the climate crisis, most particularly if they watch any TV news, instead of read the news. They don’t listen because they really don’t want to change their lifestyle, or never took basic science and so don’t really understand what is happening- as in how can more carbon dioxide be bad if it is what plants need to grow?
Or simply, “I want mine. You don’t get to limit me. If “my” Senator says that global warming is a hoax, great. I don’t have to change anything and can go after that big-ass pickup truck I want and no damn government gets to tell me it has to be electric.” And I’ll vote for the guy that tells me what I want to hear.
Harvesting resentment and weaponizing fear is what Republicans do - you know that. It is what they have done for as long as I have been alive, particularly on environmental issues. Fox News was among the worst in finding ‘experts’ who would produce pseudo- science reports that would contradict real science- mostly funded by oil interests, of course. Then when challenged, Fox would cite the Fairness Doctrine - that they had to give time to both sides even though there weren’t conflicting opinions among credible scientists. Read Naomi Oreskes’ marvelous book called ‘Merchants of Doubt’ which looks at the similarities of the campaign to convince people that cigarettes don’t cause cancer, and burning fossil fuels doesn’t cause climate change. Those campaigns were conducted while the Fairness Doctrine was in place and basically took advantage of the facts that few journalists understood basic science well enough to parse out who was a credible expert - and who was just a shill for the oil or tobacco companies. They are still doing that as I know you understand.
We all want to control the messages and the messenger. In my more than 54 years of experience as an environmental activist, the only real weapon we have had is electing those who understand, are willing to listen, believe in science, not conspiracy theories, and believe in their role as public servants. Trump reversed 50+ years of good environmental law. Biden restored much of that. The Supreme Court reversed Roe v Wade, gutted voting rights, much more. How do we restore that so democracy and the climate can thrive? The Fairness Doctrine or some reasonable facsimile has no chance in hell in the current House. Let’s fix that and then go after how the media operates so we can actually change something and make it stick!
I agree about the Fairness doctrine update.
If a "Fairness Doctrine" required that all broadcasters (TV and Radio) presented both sides of every campaign and issue, America could be a more perfect democracy.
If a broadcaster is devoted entirely to one end of the political spectrum, it is not performing a public service and should be shut down. Licensing should be dependent on providing the public with a balanced perspective. That's not rocket science. And it should be basic to our governance.
Obviously, such a policy would enrage the whacko right more than the left. We have call in talk shows here in MA on FM. The hosts take calls from all manner of people and listen to other points of view even though they profess a progressive viewpoint.
But FM signals don't carry far in big states. Hence the AM venue - as already stated - that has been bought by the oligarchs. It's as if Tass owned our rural communications.
The (or a) problem is that both sides are not operating within the same reality anymore, and the right-wingers are brainwashed into believing fantasies and conspiracy theories, which have no place in civil discourse. How to penetrate that bubble and get them to step into a reality where facts and truth matter is going to be difficult, but there's gotta be a way or two or three. One way is to challenge the lies with facts, but will the "believers" listen?
As someone who lives no more than 20-30 minutes from Bill, I can vouch for his comments about talk shows on FM in MA. (Including On Point, on NPR, which is terrific.)
I rode my bicycle from Seattle to Boston (via Spokane) in 1975. Things were very different then. We often went to bars in the evening, before climbing into our sleeping bags, usually out in the open. This was only a year after Nixon resigned, but I don't remember politics coming up at all when we spoke with the locals. They were always very helpful, and we had some interesting discussions, but I don't ever remember any arguments. The only nasty moment was when I pickup passed us somewhere in the Great Plains of Montana, and some guy yelled at us from the pickup, "you guys are stupid!" In a fit of pluck, I waved, and one of the guys waved back.
Now, I'm planning to drive to Seattle, and down the coast to SF or LA, and back next spring, but I'm nervous about it. I'm sure Reagan's rescinding of the Fairness Doctrine has a lot to do with the rancor.
I really don't think anyone is going to try to hurt you. That said, it's just good practice to avoid "situations". But women are very used to that. Maybe men not so much?
I suspect you're right about gender response to situations.
Thank you Robert. I live in a rural community, and am definitely in the minority, but I am trying to gather facts that allow me to ask my conservative friends questions which cause them to think. For example, I asked a friend what she thought the inflation rate was. She thought it was still at about 11%. I responded that I had heard that it had dropped. We went and checked it together, and she was stunned to find it was down at 2 1/2 to 3%. This interchange made her question an assumption. That’s what I’m trying to do with my neighbors who are conservative, but are also truly good people.
Perfect approach!!!
Did you agree on where to look it up? Sometimes people will disagree with the source & I haven't found a good response yet.
In my home county in Kansas,, around 450 people voted for the Democrat in 2020. That's 12-13% of actual voters in 2020. You could blow them up in the high school gym. Then there is the Republican apostate. It got lonely after his announcement. During Covid, the local medical professionals who urged masks and distancing were vilified. Just think about that-- the word of highly trained doctors was nothing compared to the messaging of Fox News. So, for starters, I've long thought that a version of the Fairness Act should be passed to even up the messaging in all formats. Now that Roe has been dismantled, it's become apparent even in Kansas, that the right to abortion is much more widely accepted than thought. The political landscape is not monolithic. Democrats need to start showing up.
Republican voter suppression also impacted the Ohio election. "Just five days before Ohio’s special election on Tuesday, Aug. 8, polling locations were changed for tens of thousands of voters in Cuyahoga and Summit counties." - Joyce Vance
Grassroots groups are getting smarter about countering such dirty tricks. We highlight eight in this blog about the upcoming Virginia election. https://thedemlabs.org/2023/08/09/ight-republican-voter-suppression-with-better-technology/
I was concerned that the change in polling locations would be sufficient to turn the vote. Can you imagine what the majority would be had they not done that?
Here is something important I discovered on HCR's newsletter this morning. A group that deserves support. Working to get out the younger votes, and the younger voters are where the power is growing. https://www.turnup.us/about-us
Yes, Gailee, Ira Lechner turned us onto that site. Luckily, the millennial and Gen Z crowds have figured things out better than us oldsters. I gave them $$
Thank you for $$$$
What is generally overlooked, in discussions about how to reach rural or "red" voters, is HOW they can be reached. Because the majority of Democratic Biden supporters are college-educated, I think they don't notice how unavailing it is to try to persuade people (even college-educated ones!) by citing statistics. Indeed, Bidenomics has made huge and measurable improvements in the lives of Republican and rural Americans. But those measurements, by themselves, are not in general persuasive.
There is in fact one universally effective way to reach the hearts as well as the minds of human beings: storytelling. For millennia we have been communicating with one another orally through stories; for only a tiny sliver of time we have been literate and (a minority of human beings) communicating through the kinds of more abstract analysis that literacy enables. We are ALL hard-wired to understand the world through story structures; it's how our brains process information. (See, for instance, the works of Kendall Haven, especially Story Proof -- evidence developed through painstaking experiments conducted by the Dept. of Defense.)
So what does this mean for Democrats? We need the iconic stories -- which certainly exist, though I haven't seen any -- of individual Americans whose lives have been dramatically changed by Biden's policies. We need dramatic narratives that all Americans can identify with, lives that we can imagine.
The generalities and research are true: but only the personal stories will convince.
I appreciate the reminder that storytelling is a powerful means by which to engage, the heart and the mind. And hopefully a place from which action and even activism follow. What most draws me in is how you articulate our common need ... to live 'the lives we can imagine.' Thank you, Jo.
Agree - which needs to be at the heart of an effective dem messaging campaign. Rather than “zingers” like the other side is good at, develop a whole catalog of stories that can be told in under a minute.
Thank you for writing about this very important topic. Several points to consider. One is that small numbers CAN have a significant difference, e. g. there were only 500 votes separating Al Gore from George W. Bush 2000 election. The other point is that beginning in the 1980s, several very conservative millionaires began acquiring the AM radio broadcasting rights across the country and began spewing out the propaganda of people like Rush Limbaugh. This then now morphed into Fox News, OAN, etc. So we know are dealing with several generations that have been lied to and who are now propping up the grift of Donald Trump. Working at the grassroots level is so critically important to begin bridging that gap.
The other point, and I don't know if this is possible, but somehow to be able to have some monitoring on the lies that are being put forth by these cable networks and radio hosts and on the internet. One would think that Fox News would have learned their lesson with the almost billion dollar payout settlement but obviously that didn't hurt enough. And now somebody else is going to come in to make money off of promoting Tucker Carlson; we have to figure out a way stop this monopoly of the airways . Brainwashing has been going on for 40 years.
When corporate management vs the corporation is held accountable things will change. Many large corporations look at fines as a cost of doing business.
1. I am persuaded that a civil war is not coming -- that political losses which erode a constituencies identity are disheartening (as the loss was for the Pro Issue One people). As you say, we can, nevertheless, remain Americans and friends and neighbors.
2. I am confident that Democrats success comes through eroding opposition, winning over the people who can be persuaded.
3. Nevertheless, I worry about the danger of militias. If there were to be a civil war, it would not spring up from people who happen to disagree. It would come from people who are armed and practice using their weapons (Like the Michiganders who tried to kidnap their governor). Fortunately, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), militias are declining. Militias have not disappeared, unfortunately. SPLC identifies 200 of them.
Leonard - I think the 'threat" of militias is overblown, often by those right-wing AM talk radio jocks. They are at best a small fringe group, and when they show their faces (e.g. Charlottesville; J6) they are slapped down with jail terms and stiff fines. Here in VT, we are dealing with one started by someone 'from away' who tried to bully and intimidate locals. Here's what happened: https://vtdigger.org/2023/08/08/federal-judge-dismisses-slate-ridge-owners-lawsuit-against-town-of-pawlet-state-judge/ It cost peaceful folks some time and aggravation but like the national scene, the laws eventually catch up to and de-fang these misfits, because the majority of people are decent and unwilling to support anarchy. It does require eternal vigilance - but that's always been the price of liberty.
Speaking of liberty, today’s story in the Boston Globe about NH libertarians is worth looking at. If you are interested sign up for my newsletter — mostly about which Democrats it would make a difference to donate to. Len’s Political Notes.
Tom-thanks for posting about the Slate Ridge situation. My niece's partner is from Pawlet and I sent it to her partner.
I agree too many guns and want to be solders are a big problem
Glad to find someone who agrees. Consider my newsletter — mostly bios of Democratic candidates for whom donations could make a difference.
think the key to Democrats increasing their appeal to rural white voters does not lie in pointing out to these voters all that Democrats have done for them, but rather for Democrats to understand that the reason many rural white voters prefer Republicans over Democrats has more to do with their hearts and souls than their pocketbooks. There is a subtle and highly significant way that Democrats condescend to these Republican voters. A small but simple example. When people like myself and many middle and upper class Democrats repeatedly vote in ways that hurt us financially, we consider ourselves to be moral and just people who care about the lives of others and are willing to pay higher taxes to demonstrate that. When these voters vote against their economic self interest we are confused and flabbergasted, and some, not you Robert but some, think of these voters as ignorant and stupid. Republicans, like the evil DJT, have a way of reaching underneath the concrete and material and, in a somewhat distorted and psychologically disturbing way, enable a feeling of power in their supporters. No one likes to feel that they are a "charity case", and in subtle ways, Democrats convey that message. We are doing so much for you, why don't you like us? This is a huge problem that has existed throughout history and changing it is hard, but in some ways that is sort of what Obama's "Hope and Change" message did. I think Democrats have to spend less time telling people all they have done for them. That does not mean Biden should not talk about his accomplishments, he should, but not in the context of helping those who have less, but in helping all Americans. I wish I had the solution, I certainly don't, but this, I do think, as a lifelong progressive and a psychoanalyst, is at the heart of why it is so hard for Democrats to appeal to rural white voters (and racism of course).
Lily's last (seemingly) throwaway phrase "and racism of course" IS the operative mechanism here, sad to say ... the David Brooks/Zack Beauchamp thread in NYT/Vox discusses liberal anxiety about "economically disadvantaged," mostly-rural voters and why we feel "guilty" and "must listen to Trump voters' concerns."
https://www.vox.com/2023/8/4/23818817/trump-support-david-brooks-economic-anxiety?fbclid=IwAR38YYrTvT9RNyFgv60pkgS34XabU9lEjkBJD1AfZvofp92VLoQnvYU9xG4
In reality, IT'S THE CULTURE (WARS), STUPID ... Beauchamp references many survey facts and findings. The toxic combination of right wing news sources, white supremacy, anti-immigration and white Christian Nationalism makes any Biden, Democrat, positive economics messaging irrelevant.
Many, many rural residents are NOT economically disadvantaged. My family of middle to upper middle-class, landowning farmers in a border state have benefited from Dept of Agriculture subsidies for decades. But they fear the changing demographic landscape, hate feminism, hate abortion access, hate socialists, and own about 30 guns (for hunting, of course).
The thought leaders and political leaders in the few rural towns I'm familiar with do NOT live in hovels or trailer parks. They are respected community members whose opinions carry weight when it comes to state/local policy and political discussion, and right now, that discussion is strictly anti-progressive.
"Many, many rural residents are NOT economically disadvantaged."
In my home county on the high plains of Kansas, there are a lot of farmers and cattlemen who are quite well off.
"The thought leaders and political leaders in the few rural towns I'm familiar with do NOT live in hovels or trailer parks. They are respected community members whose opinions carry weight when it comes to state/local policy and political discussion, and right now, that discussion is strictly anti-progressive."
Same where I'm from.
So pleased you wrote about this. We so need to be reminded there is much more that unites than divides us. I saw the woman who was having the rant predicting civil war. That prompted my silent-scream and turning off the TV hoping the cable gurus felt $$$ draining from their coffers. Substack subscriptions are gifts every day. Can’t imagine being without Today’s Edition, Hopium, HCR, Joyce Vance, David Pepper and others and their inspiring, supportive followers.
I love the word “variegated“ to describe the political blue/red map of the US.
I live in a rural area of Oregon and attitudes are changing rapidly. Certainly, there is a core group that holds on to conservative ideologies, but it is declining, especially as farmland aggregates.
I live in a rural community in NYState, New Lebanon. We flipped our town from red to blue. We have an active climate smart committee which has installed solar panels in the town hall, led lights in the town and other things which have given us bronze working on silver status. We have an active Democratic chapter which helps the community in every tragedy such as a truck accident which damaged a building with meals and state aid. It is an ongoing struggle, but the divide is not impassable.
Yes,yes, I am a Democrat in a very red state, South Carolina. I have found my “ blue community” here but it is hard. I have given up on electing Democrats here. I write postcards and make calls for campaigns in blue states. We do need to educate rural voters but it is a steep climb.
Hi Libby, I’m hoping you won’t give up in your own town/ county /state! Small “red” towns with quiet ardent Democratic committees can knit together and be mighty contributors to county, state and federal vote tallies. And in so doing, restore a sense of pride and hope right at home. In my county we have one determined red town team doing neighborly outreach year round. They are slowly building engagement and definitely building their hidden dems into a strong and more confident group. They add to the county elections if not local. They are feeling better and better as they galvanize. It pretty awesome to witness. Their “leader” is a brave firebrand and she inspires all of us. She will tell you that the Dems there have been too afraid to admit they are Dems but since this outreach has started they feel more supported and empowered and are coming out more and more. It’s very exciting and touching.
The “steep climb” obviously keeps you motivated to persuade voters to see issues the way you do. That same motivation can prompt joining with others in your community to organize (as apparently is happening when there already is a recognized “blue community”) and strategically work together to “make it to the top” - even in South Carolina. Good luck!
Loved your discussion of 'coming civil war' -- much needed and I hope people and you will disseminate it widely. Your framing of what many, particularly in the media, push as a defining feature of present-day America is the reality and it's a positive one, in my opinion. Yes, much of present-day America -- to me, a 'cradle Progressive' (to borrow from Catholicism) -- is really uncomfortable to think about and to live within. But, most of reality isn't a simple binary but this kind of messy multivariate soup of people, all trying for the same things, really: happiness, well-being for their families, safety. Helpful to be reminded of that, so thank you!