Why are you so stiff? Yeah, you, Mr. tough-talking News/Talk radio host. When Donald Trump, the President of the United States — who is making decisions that will affect the world for decades to come — is looser than you, there’s a problem here.
And too often across the format, that’s the case.
Yes, these are turbulent times on the world stage, but you’re just hosting a radio show, for goodness’ sake. You’re not in charge of overseeing a bunch of men and women from Missouri flying to Iran to bomb nuclear sites. You’re not responsible for ensuring that European countries pay their fair share to NATO.
You’re in charge of informing and entertaining an audience at quarter-hour increments, building that audience to then, in turn, drive results for your sponsors.
And when I see the President and the White House social media account having more light-hearted moments than radio hosts, we’ve got a problem.
As you may have seen, the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Ruffe, referred to President Trump as “Daddy” this week when the President used the analogy of Israel and Iran fighting like two kids in the schoolyard.
News media then received a gift when an overseas reporter asked the President about this on Wednesday, saying, “The NATO chief called you daddy. Do you regard your NATO allies as children?”
As only President Trump can do, he responded, saying, “He did it very affectionately. ‘Daddy, you’re my daddy.'”
Upon the President’s return to the United States, the White House social media team played it, rolling with b-roll of President Trump as Usher’s song “Daddy’s Home” played in the background.
Here’s the brilliant video:
Of course, this capped off a week in which the President dropped the F-bomb on live television the morning after a ceasefire between Israel and Iran lasted all of a few hours.
It was before 8:00 a.m. on the East Coast when the President said to several reporters before departing for the Netherlands, “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f–k they’re doing.”
These are moments that should be radio gold, but don’t need to be handled like you’re the Secretary of State. You’re a radio host. You’re an entertainer. Show drops. Topic development. Caller involvement over “presidential” language. It’s all on the table.
Granted, it doesn’t mean the entire show is one big joke or goof-off session. There are profound implications to what is happening on the world stage, and your audience expects coverage and analysis from you, as well as quality guests.
But there are moments to be light-hearted and have fun with, whether you voted for him or not, the most entertaining President in American history. If his own team’s social media handlers are doing just that, there’s no excuse for you not to be doing it as well.
Stop being so stiff. No one hired you to save the world. Your audience will thank you, too.
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Pete Mundo is a weekly columnist for Barrett Media, and the Vice President of News/Talk for Cumulus Media, while also hosting “Mundo in the Morning” and programming KCMO Talk Radio in Kansas City. Previously, he was a fill-in host nationally on FOX News Radio and CBS Sports Radio, while anchoring for WFAN, WCBS News Radio 880, and Bloomberg Radio. He’s also the owner of the Big 12-focused digital media outlet Heartland College Sports. To interact, find him on X @PeteMundo.
