Shock Jocks: Hate Speech & Talk Radio - Softcover

O'Connor, Rory; Cutler, Aaron

3.4

5 ratings by Goodreads

9780975272435: Shock Jocks: Hate Speech & Talk Radio

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0975272438 ISBN 13: 9780975272435

Publisher: Alternet Books, 2008

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The highly politicized and often factually challenged world of talk radio dominates a sizable portion of America’s airwaves. But the dirty secret of talk radio’s success is the use of hate speech masquerading as free speech. In this book, Rory O’Connor tackles the “hate talk establishment” and shows how huge media conglomerates not only make hate talk possible but make it enormously profitable. He profiles the country’s ten worst shock jocks, including Don Imus, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Michael Savage, and describes how they use the guise of “not being politically correct” to ratchet up their anti-gay, anti-woman, and overtly racist language. He then shows how their celebrity leads to a climate that not only tolerates but actually perpetuates racist, sexist, homophobic, and xenophobic attitudes — making America a coarser, more dangerous place. A survey of the small but growing universe of progressive talk radio offers a respite from the verbal violence.

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Review:

"Talk radio is one of America's most popular and influential media formats. In his book, Shock Jocks: Hate Speech and Talk Radio, Rory O'Connor reports on the shocking number of top radio talk show hosts who regularly spout hate speech over our public airwaves. This intriguing, eye-opening and hugely important work is a must read account of the dangers of blurring opinion, journalism and entertainment – at the expense of our democratic discourse and ideals."
— Walter Cronkite, American broadcast journalist icon

"There is too much talk – imbecilic, often hateful talk – on much of talk radio, as this provocative book demonstrates. O'Connor and Aaron Cutler deliver a lively, well deserved punch in the nose to these powerful bloviators."
— Ken Auletta, Journalist and Media Expert

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