[grc] Questions about network radio and disinformation

riva enteen rivaenteen at gmail.com
Wed Oct 20 10:54:49 PDT 2021 

How about Glenn Greenwald?
https://outsidevoices.substack.com/p/the-nyts-partisan-tale-about-covid

On Wed, Oct 20, 2021 at 10:52 AM riva enteen <rivaenteen at gmail.com> wrote:

> I am not talking about autism.
> You cannot write off his entire organization.  CHD has numerous cites,
> from Harvard studies, etc.  Respond to something specific.
>
> On Wed, Oct 20, 2021 at 10:48 AM Doug McVay <dougmcvay at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Riva,
>> Yes, RFK Jr's nonprofit is a major source of misinformation.
>> In case anyone's interested here's some reading material:
>>
>> https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/covid-19-health-pseudoscience/anti-vaccine-propaganda-robert-f-kennedy-jr
>>
>> https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/06/08/1004214189/anti-vaccine-film-targeted-to-black-americans-spreads-false-information
>>
>> https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-robert-f-kennedy-jr-distorted-vaccine-science1/
>>
>> https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2021/08/06/vaccine-misinformation-and-a-look-inside-the-disinformation-dozen
>> Cheers,
>> Doug
>>
>> 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
>>> >
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> grc mailing list
>>> grc at maillist.peak.org
>>> http://maillist.peak.org/mailman/listinfo/grc
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Doug McVay
>> Host/Producer, Century of Lies https://www.drugtruth.net/century-of-lies
>> and Free Culture Radio https://kboo.fm/program/free-culture-radio
>> Editor, Health Systems Facts https://healthsystemsfacts.org/ and Drug
>> Policy Facts https://www.drugpolicyfacts.org/
>> cel: 717.940.2154
>> twitter: @dougmcvay
>>
>

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