Do you really enjoy talking about a government shutdown on your show? Really? Would you want to talk to someone about a government shutdown at your next Happy Hour? I mean, sure, it’s the national topic of the week, but if you really get excited trying to talk about a government shutdown, you’re some kind of masochist.
Granted, in news/talk, we have to discuss it this week, for obvious reasons. But it’s your job to figure out how to make this compelling, interesting, and entertaining for a broader audience beyond the traditional news/talk P1 listener.
This is the fourth government shutdown in the last 12 years, so Americans are familiar with it. Both parties will blame the other, and eventually, a deal is reached. There could be some inconveniences for some Americans, but it’s become a predictable way of federal government life over the last decade.
So if your plan is to mimic your favorite politician and take the “We’re all going to die!” approach, you’re not in touch with your regular listener. Leave that to the politicians. For you, just go out there and be a talk show host. Inform and entertain.
For local shows, drop the cable news talking points. What is the impact, if any, on your market? Most national parks are remaining generally open, according to the Associated Press. However, the Liberty Bell was not open after the government shutdown at midnight on Wednesday. Are there any notable closures in your city? How many federal workers are in your metropolitan area who could be impacted? Will those government facilities be open?
And then, there’s the humor and bizarreness of the whole shutdown. The President sent social media into a frenzy with his viral AI-generated video of Reps. Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) earlier this week. The right calls it a hilarious troll, the left calls it a racist video. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) responded by releasing an AI-generated Vice President J.D. Vance video.
For news/talk, that video is infinitely more compelling to discuss than the intricacies of a government shutdown that makes most people’s eyes glaze over. Do you want your politicians sparring like this? Is this how political debate is going to be in the 21st century? At least it’s better than Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton dueling in 1804.
We’ve officially entered the WWE era of politics — complete with deepfakes, viral memes, and performative outrage. It’s weird, it’s wild, and yes, it’s way more entertaining than a C-SPAN budget hearing. Use that to your advantage in the days to come.
So yes, talk about the shutdown. But do it your way. Be local. Be funny. Be real. Because if you’re bored by it, your audience definitely is 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.
