Reflections on right-wing radio

        

Have you ever been on a road trip and you’ve only got the car radio to listen to? Enlightening. I prefer Bluegrass, Celtic, Classical, and once in a while I like to listen to the golden oldies from the 60s and 70s (I am of a certain age) But I just hate it when I can’t tune out ubiquitous right-wing and Christian radio which are practically the same thing these days. Seems like it’s static, Christian, static, right-wing, static, hip-hop, oh gross, static, more right wing etc. Gag, they’re everywhere and constant. Where are all the left-wing radio stations? Where’s the balance? Balance just doesn't seem to exist. Why not? I tend to think that some rich people or corporations are funding this vast right-wing propaganda machine, but I’m not sure. I do know that the oligarchs now own a large chunk of our media outlets and any remaining main-stream media not owned by oligarchs is too impotent to report objectively and not only that, but they tend to favor corporations since they are corporations themselves. Yeah, I can go to Democracy Now, NPR and other news sources that are intelligent and report on things you don’t hear anywhere else, but I’m certain that only a small number of people tune in. I kind of get the feeling that more and more Americans are being fed the BS of right-wing media on a mass scale. I suspect it rivals the Nazi propaganda machine. Silvio Berlusconi single handedly bought up all media outlets in Italy and Italy today has swung so far to the right has elected a fascist who’s buddy buddy with Trump, apparently. It worked for the right in Italy, Looks like it’s working well here.

People don’t think; they feel. People are not rational; they are emotional. People don’t like to read or research; they like to be told what to think–usually by preachers. People like a good yarn to believe in–a good story even if it’s false. False stories they actually like better than true stories. False stories are far more comforting. People who tell true stories threaten those who believe in false stories. It scares them. Fear makes them hostile. Right-wing radio fuels the stories, and fuels the fear of those who tell different stories.

It’s been working really well.

What are the best ideas on how to fight it?

Step 1. I myself have to be very well-informed, know and remember what is true information and what is mis/disinformation and where it comes from. I cannot expect others to do what I do not do myself.

Step 2. I can’t let anything ride. I have to point out what’s false even if I get stoned for it, though I need to be calm and as civil as possible.

Step 3. I don’t have a lot of money, but with what I do have, I need to donate to causes that I’m sure are fighting mis/disinformation and corruption in the political system.

Step 4. I need a good story, a true story, but one that uplifts and comforts at the same time. If it’s true that people need a good story, I need one that is better than the lies they are buying.

Step—I think there are more, but I need ideas here.