How did Limbaugh change the radio business? How did the conservative opinion media come to be? Who were the left-wing talk radio hosts while Rush Limbaugh was gaining more and more listeners? Is NPR political advocacy media? What is media bias? Who is Howard Stern and what is “guy talk”? Why are liberal podcasts succeeding in the Trump era?

Conservative talk radio has become an assumed presence in American media and politics, but in this manifestation it is only about three decades old. Historian Brian Rosenwald joins the show to discuss his latest book, Talk Radio’s America: How an Industry Took Over a Political Party that Took Over the United States, which explores the rise of entertainers like Rush Limbaugh from the margins to having incredible influence in national politics. That surprising story has implications for other media, including the future of podcasting, which is allowing previously marginalized voices, from socialists to libertarians, to have greater voice, for good or for ill. 

Further Reading:

Talk Radio’s America: How an Industry Took Over a Political Party That Took Over the United States, written by Brian Rosenwald

Rush Limbaugh’s Problem: How The Internet Changed Talk Radio, written by Brian Rosenwald

Why All The Talk-Radio Stars Are Conservative, written by Abram Brown

Related Content:

Talking Across Political Divides (with Arnold Kling), Free Thoughts Podcast

Is Netflix Ruining Culture?, written by Pamela J. Hobart

The Fairness Doctrine Was Terrible for Broadcasting and It Would Be Terrible for the Internet, written by Paul Matzko

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