SoCo Magazine - May 2008 - (Page 34) The ArT of Censorship: WhAT Does The fAirness DoCTrine limbAugh ingrAhAm he world of talk radio is probably the most uncensored medium of news information and communication in the country. Cable and television news provide information by able-bodied news personnel with an air of objectivity, while nighttime cable shows have pundits with personality aplenty. But even this latter group “button up” on certain issues, observe certain rules of conduct, and are probably influenced by forces outside the viewing screen. 34 | s o comagazi ne . i nfo | M ay 2 0 0 8 T Talk radio beckons listeners into the naked thoughts of the host. On the prurient side, Howard Stern has served up tawdry, bottom-feeding material to warp several generations of young adults, and Don Imus managed to wrap his satirical yet coarse persona around regular guests, including celebrities and some high-level political figures from both the left and the right. But it’s the local talkers and syndicated hosts on the morning or afternoon drive who enjoy the most uncensored, wellthought-out political invective, drawing the envy of every tight-lipped American who walks around in the oversized guiltsuit known as political correctness (i.e., political coercion). Add to that the War on Terror, corrupt American politicians, and controversial times, and you have the formula for Rush Limbaugh to the 10th power. Each new talker offers up personal pet peeves and different political leanings, but center-right to hard-right, with a populist or Libertarian bent, seems the norm for most hosts. The boom in radio’s influence—until http://socomagazine.info
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