[grc] Questions about network radio and disinformation

Kali kali at theriver.com
Wed Oct 20 14:08:09 PDT 2021 

yes.  yes that is misinformation.

On 10/20/2021 10:39 AM, riva enteen via grc 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 attracy.rosenberg at protonmail.com
>> Text via Signal
>> Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
>>
>> -
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>> http://maillist.peak.org/mailman/listinfo/grc
>>
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