John Howell is a veteran of Chicago radio with over four decades of experience. In September, Howell exited his role hosting afternoons at WLS 890 AM.
Recently, he shared his insights in an op-ed for the Chicago Sun-Times. In his piece, he emphasizes that radio companies, stations, and hosts must stop spreading falsehoods, conspiracies, and divisive content under the guise of “It’s just business.”
According to Howell, perpetuating misinformation and divisive narratives cannot be excused as a byproduct of the industry. He champions a straightforward principle he has upheld for years: “If you break the stupid, you own the stupid.”
Howell says, “In today’s environment, where many individuals are susceptible to extremist ideologies, the age-old excuse of ‘I didn’t think they’d believe me’ no longer holds water.”
Howell’s words serve as a reminder that media figures have a responsibility beyond profits and ratings. They shape the discourse and beliefs of our society in profound ways.
“I was saddened, but not surprised, by the news of the stabbing death of Palestinian American Wadea Al-Fayoume. An innocent 6-year-old victim of a racial, hateful, and utterly inexplicable murderous rampage. Wait, maybe not inexplicable,” he wrote.
John Howell says he’s intimately familiar with techniques to influence an audience.
“It’s one thing to exaggerate, embellish, and utilize satire to make a point about pop culture and politics. It’s entirely different and far more dangerous to mislead and misinform an audience intentionally. Over the past few years, I’ve heard far too much of the latter. Extreme rhetoric from both sides is on the rise,” he said.
“Radio hosts (and companies) have to exercise self-control and discretion when presenting and discussing serious, incendiary, life and death topics. Don’t pander to the…(and I’m being kind here) under-informed. You’ll regret it. Those hosts who do so should be held accountable, and so should their enablers and sponsors,” he added.
