The media, even as of June, was overwhelmingly biased against Hillary Clinton. According to a Harvard study, a whopping 84% of the coverage was negative, compared to 43% for Trump and only 7% for Sanders. It was the perception that she was ahead, and the media loves a horse race. The issues were barely covered at all.
Why is this? Because progressives do NOT fund progressive radio. They barely even fund progressive blogs. (And most of that goes to a few big-named blogs and not clear-thinking, detailed smaller state/local blogs like Blue Virginia.) Virtually no one funds progressive radio, except a few people that run ads everywhere on radio (ahem, big corporations). My show has been on air since 2003, and for the cost of one Boston Presidential ad (to play in New Hampshire), you could fund coast-to-coast hour-a-day progressive radio that millions of Americans hear every day as they drive to or from work for six months.
I’m in 42 markets. I can’t fill up all my ad space. I have a little support from unions and I thank them (but I have far more in my political career from unions than in my radio career). I have zero support from any of the other liberal interest groups you would think would care about progressive radio. And this isn’t about me. I’m not alone in this. Virtually no one in progressive radio does. That’s why there are rumors I’ve heard from affiliates that Bill Press will be quitting soon.
Does any liberal deny the power of Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity to corrupt people’s thinking? To teach them Big Lies? Ever wonder why Trumpists are impervious to facts? Because day in and day out, they are fed a diet of lies. Then why do we progressives want to spend nothing to combat the right-wing media and the 95%+ of radio prejudiced against us? Do we really think that Truth will have no impact when we see what incredible impact Lies have had?
We give to political campaigns while Big Corporations give to right-wing radio. Why would one political ad in November (while we are cooking or in the bathroom or otherwise preoccupied while the TV is on) persuade us more than 6 months of thoughtful and truthful talk when you’re in your car with nothing to concentrate on other than driving and politics/policies/clear thinking? Liberal radio and blogs encourage detailed, intelligent thought: we focus on issues and give facts. We combat the Big Lie.
Let’s let one lesson of the 11/8 fiasco be this: support progressive radio and blogs and encourage other liberal interest groups and well-meaning individuals to do the same. Not just because you get to put a progressive political ad among committed, like-minded progressive activists (just where you’d want such an ad to be!). But because supporting clear truthful provocative progressive thought — radio where you have the power to expound for an hour on the details of history and policy and economics and philosophy and religion and why and how the public good can be achieved, unlike television where you get at best a couple minutes of watered-down thought — is indeed the best investment for your political dollar.
Please continue to support political campaigns. We need your help in 2017. I myself am having a fundraiser on Tuesday. But for those of you with lots of money to spend — who want to influence millions of Americans nationwide — you’ll get no better bang for your buck, particularly over the long-term, than by funding progressive radio and progressive blogs.
If you want to buy an ad for or support The Inside Scoop (my radio show) — at MarkLevineTalk.com or RadioInsideScoop.com — the radio show I’ve done for more than thirteen years and that I will resume after session in March — contact me at Mark@MarkLevineTalk.com or my producer Mark J. Grimaldi right here on Facebook.
We can resist an unfair media. We need to support media of our own.
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