On the Media

The Divided Dial: Episode 2 - From Pulpit to Politics


Listen Later

Episode 2: From Pulpit to Politics

How did the little-known Salem Media Group come to have an outsized political influence? In this episode we trace the company’s rise to power from its scrappy start in the 1970s to the present day — a growth that paralleled and eventually became inextricable from the growth of the Religious Right. We learn that Salem is tightly networked with right wing political strategists, pollsters, big donors, far right leaders and Republican party mainstays thanks to their involvement with the Council for National Policy — a secretive group of Evangelical and conservative leaders. For decades, the CNP has been working behind the scenes to get a specific, highly influential subset of voters to act. And Salem has been a megaphone for their cause.

The Divided Dial is hosted by journalist and Fulbright Fellow Katie Thornton. Her written articles and audio stories have appeared in The Atlantic, 99% Invisible, The Washington Post, BBC, NPR, WNYC, Minnesota Public Radio, The Guardian, Bloomberg’s CityLab, National Geographic, and others. She is a lifelong radio nerd who got her start in media as a teenager, volunteering and working behind the scenes at radio stations for many years. You can follow her work on Instagram or on her website.
The Divided Dial was edited by On the Media's executive producer, Katya Rogers. With production support from Max Balton and fact-checking by Tom Colligan, Sona Avakian, and Graham Hacia. Music and sound design by Jared Paul. Jennifer Munson is our technical director. Art by Michael Brennan.
With support from the Fund for Investigative Journalism.
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

On the MediaBy WNYC Studios

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

8,857 ratings


More shows like On the Media

View all
This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

91,331 Listeners

Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

43,852 Listeners

Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

38,434 Listeners

The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker Radio Hour

6,891 Listeners

99% Invisible by Roman Mars

99% Invisible

26,236 Listeners

The Political Scene | The New Yorker by The New Yorker

The Political Scene | The New Yorker

4,112 Listeners

On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti by WBUR

On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti

4,026 Listeners

Reveal by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX

Reveal

8,471 Listeners

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts by Slate Podcasts

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts

3,532 Listeners

1A by NPR

1A

4,696 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

113,219 Listeners

Radio Atlantic by The Atlantic

Radio Atlantic

2,391 Listeners

Throughline by NPR

Throughline

16,507 Listeners

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast by WNYC Studios

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

670 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

16,524 Listeners

The Divided Dial by WNYC

The Divided Dial

15 Listeners