[grc] Questions about network radio and disinformation

riva enteen rivaenteen at gmail.com
Wed Oct 20 10:49:39 PDT 2021 

First year nursing students are taught that natural immunity is better than
any vaccine.

Tracy, give me a cite.  You can't just throw out the word "disinformation."

On Wed, Oct 20, 2021 at 10:44 AM Tracy Rosenberg <tracy at media-alliance.org>
wrote:

> Yes, it is disinformation, Riva.
>
> The price of "natural immunity" is death for the elderly and vulnerable.
> That is not and has never been morally okay.
>
> On Wed, Oct 20, 2021 at 10:39 AM riva enteen via grc <
> grc at maillist.peak.org> wrote:
>
>> Tracy, nothing sounded aggressive to me.
>>
>> Is this misinformation?
>>
>> https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/research-natural-immunity-covid-brownstone-institute/?utm_source=salsa&eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=5aeeba93-2b92-49f5-8856-83ae2da8f359
>>
>> On Wed, Oct 20, 2021 at 10:32 AM Tracy Rosenberg via grc <
>> grc at maillist.peak.org> wrote:
>>
>> > These aggressive reactions towards Katie seem inappropriate to me. Maybe
>> > best to read her full message before issuing triggered responses. There
>> is
>> > a problem with Covid disinformation and in addition to causing the
>> > unnecessary loss of lives, it has extended the pandemic period causing a
>> > great deal of dislocation and stress. It's perfectly valid to look into
>> > that and how people are trying to fight back against it.
>> >
>> > She stated her areas of interest: "There are a few networks about which
>> I'm
>> > particularly curious. Do you have any stations in your town/city/area
>> that
>> > are run by Salem Media Network? Alternatively, are any stations in your
>> > town/city/area run by the Bott Radio Network, CSN (Christian Satellite
>> > Network or American Family Radio?"
>> >
>> > These are rightwing Christian stations that for a long time have
>> gobbled up
>> > radio licenses and kept them away from community broadcasters like
>> those on
>> > this list.
>> >
>> > There is no particular reason to aggressively defend them. They are a
>> > source of much misinformation and hatred toward those that do not fit
>> into
>> > their narrow definitions of normality.
>> >
>> > - Tracy
>> >
>> > On Wed, Oct 20, 2021 at 10:13 AM Ann Garrison via grc <
>> > grc at maillist.peak.org>
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> > > I hope you'll consider the fact that the truth is often elusive,
>> > chameleon,
>> > > and highly politicized. The words "denial" or "denialism" are often
>> used
>> > to
>> > > impose absolute truths that don't exist.
>> > >
>> > > On Wed, Oct 20, 2021 at 9:07 AM Katie Thornton via grc <
>> > > grc at maillist.peak.org> wrote:
>> > >
>> > > > *Hi GRC folks! *
>> > > >
>> > > > My name is Katie Thornton, and I'm a
>> > > > longtime-community-radio-person-turned-independent-reporter out of
>> > > > Minneapolis. (Recent work has been run on/in the BBC, 99% Invisible,
>> > > > Washington Post, Minnesota Public Radio, NPR, WNYC, National
>> > Geographic,
>> > > > Atlas Obscura, KFAI, etc.). I started volunteering at KFAI in my
>> home
>> > > city
>> > > > of Minneapolis as a teenager, interned at Prometheus back in 2013
>> > (during
>> > > > the LPFM window!), and went on to work at and with multiple
>> different
>> > > > community, college, and LPFM stations (and had the joy of attending
>> at
>> > > > least one GRC!) before transitioning over to freelance journalism
>> and
>> > > > writing work.
>> > > >
>> > > > I'm posting here because I'm currently working on a
>> part-investigative,
>> > > > part-narrative mini-series about disinformation on network
>> terrestrial
>> > > > radio. The series seeks to uncover how the profitability of
>> > > disinformation
>> > > > and ideological motivations -- paired with the FCC’s ongoing
>> > deregulation
>> > > > of the airwaves’ content and ownership -- have made the radio dial
>> > > fertile
>> > > > ground for the spread of disinformation. To do this, the series will
>> > look
>> > > > at examples of how these large-scale issues play out for
>> individuals;
>> > it
>> > > > will share the intersecting personal stories of Americans on all
>> sides
>> > of
>> > > > the radio dial: a citizen (or group of citizens!) trying to stop the
>> > > spread
>> > > > of on-air conspiracies, executives and hosts from a large national
>> > radio
>> > > > network rife with disinformation, and listeners who consume and are
>> > > > occasionally driven to action by untruths heard over the airwaves.
>> I've
>> > > > been fortunate enough to get some support from an organization that
>> > helps
>> > > > independent investigative journalists, as well as an NPR affiliate
>> > > station
>> > > > who will ultimately distribute the series.
>> > > >
>> > > > I've been incredibly grateful that folks have been eager to share
>> their
>> > > > experiences and expertise with me thus far. However, I know that
>> there
>> > > are
>> > > > many people doing work in this field, directly or indirectly, with
>> > whom I
>> > > > have not yet been in touch. Given that LPFMs and NCEs have been a
>> major
>> > > way
>> > > > that communities have been able to retain a degree of local control
>> > over
>> > > > media as more and more of us lose local outlets, I wanted to turn to
>> > you
>> > > > all with some questions. If you know of anyone who might be able to
>> > shed
>> > > > some light on some of these questions -- or if you personally would
>> > like
>> > > to
>> > > > talk more -- I would love to speak with you. I'd love to hear from
>> > folks
>> > > in
>> > > > cities, small towns, or rural areas; however, given the prominence
>> of
>> > > > network stations in non-coastal regions and smaller markets (as
>> well as
>> > > my
>> > > > own experience as a lifelong Midwesterner), I am especially hoping
>> to
>> > > hear
>> > > > from folks in middle America and areas outside of major coastal
>> cities.
>> > > > Here are some of the questions I am hoping to hear from folks about
>> > right
>> > > > now:
>> > > >
>> > > >    - Do you hear information you know to be false on the airwaves
>> > > >    (especially on network stations)? Specifically, have you heard
>> > > >    disinformation about COVID-19 spread on the airwaves? How has
>> talk
>> > > radio
>> > > >    influenced people's response to COVID where you live?
>> > > >    - Have you heard speech that you would describe as hate speech
>> over
>> > > the
>> > > >    airwaves?
>> > > >    - Do you know of anyone (individuals or groups) -- or have you
>> > > >    personally -- been trying to fight disinformation or hate speech
>> you
>> > > > hear
>> > > >    on the airwaves? How have you/they gone about this? Have you/they
>> > had
>> > > > any
>> > > >    luck? For example, I recently spoke with someone in Montana who
>> has
>> > > been
>> > > >    personally petitioning the FCC to try to stop the spread of
>> > > >    disinformation on the airwaves. But I have a feeling she is not
>> the
>> > > only
>> > > >    one out there.
>> > > >    - Is your radio station doing any explicit work to combat the
>> > > >    disinformation that may spread on other radio stations?
>> > > >    - Has anyone in your life been driven to extreme ideological
>> beliefs
>> > > >    and/or action thanks to the influence of talk radio?
>> > > >    - There are a few networks about which I'm particularly curious.
>> Do
>> > > you
>> > > >    have any stations in your town/city/area that are run by Salem
>> Media
>> > > >    Network? Alternatively, are any stations in your town/city/area
>> run
>> > by
>> > > > the
>> > > >    Bott Radio Network, CSN (Christian Satellite Network), or
>> American
>> > > > Family
>> > > >    Radio?
>> > > >    - Has your community had a locally-run station bought out and
>> > replaced
>> > > >    by a station run by a large media network (such as one of those
>> > listed
>> > > >    above)? If so, I'd love to ask you more about that change.
>> > > >
>> > > > Thank you all so much. I'm really looking forward to hearing from
>> you.
>> > > > Please feel free to send me an email if you'd like to talk further
>> --
>> > or
>> > > if
>> > > > you'd like to ask me any questions about the project, my background,
>> > etc.
>> > > >
>> > > > Thank you all again. I'm looking forward to talking. Take good care,
>> > > >
>> > > > Katie
>> > > >
>> > > > *Katie Thornton*
>> > > > *Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellow*
>> > > > *www.itskatiethornton.com* <http://www.itskatiethornton.com>
>> > > >
>> > > > *IG: @itskatiethornton <https://www.instagram.com/itskatiethornton/
>> >*
>> > > > _______________________________________________
>> > > > grc mailing list
>> > > > grc at maillist.peak.org
>> > > > http://maillist.peak.org/mailman/listinfo/grc
>> > > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > --
>> > > Sincerely,
>> > > @AnnGarrison <https://twitter.com/AnnGarrison?lang=en>
>> > > Independent Journalist,
>> > > SKYPE: Ann Garrison, Oakland
>> > > 415-503-7487
>> > > _______________________________________________
>> > > grc mailing list
>> > > grc at maillist.peak.org
>> > > http://maillist.peak.org/mailman/listinfo/grc
>> > >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > Tracy Rosenberg
>> > Executive Director
>> > Media Alliance
>> > 2830 20th Street Suite 201
>> > San Francisco, CA 94110
>> > www.media-alliance.org
>> > 415-746-9475
>> > 510-684-6853 Cell
>> > Encrypted email at tracy.rosenberg at protonmail.com
>> > Text via Signal
>> > Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
>> >
>> > -
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > grc mailing list
>> > grc at maillist.peak.org
>> > http://maillist.peak.org/mailman/listinfo/grc
>> >
>> _______________________________________________
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>> http://maillist.peak.org/mailman/listinfo/grc
>>
>
>
> --
> Tracy Rosenberg
> Executive Director
> Media Alliance
> 2830 20th Street Suite 201
> San Francisco, CA 94110
> www.media-alliance.org
> 415-746-9475
> 510-684-6853 Cell
> Encrypted email at tracy.rosenberg at protonmail.com
> Text via Signal
> Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
>
> -
>

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