As we head through the week before Labor Day, I’ve been sampling news/talk radio stations around the country, and notably, the biggest story of the week has been missing from a lot of shows: the Lindsay Clancy deliberation. And I have been shocked by it.
I know when the public hears “News/Talk radio,” they think of politics. But let’s be honest: one of the few stories this summer generating widespread, passionate debate across demographics is the Lindsay Clancy trial. And while we’ve allowed politics to define “News/Talk,” shouldn’t we lean into the “News” in the format name? What political story is really going to connect with the audience in a more meaningful way than Lindsay Clancy?
A Story That Crosses Every Line
As the deliberations have gone on, the Lindsay Clancy trial has divided people along gender lines. It has divided people along political lines. It’s the most universal story of the summer, and people have developed strong opinions that have led to conversations about mental health, child safety, big pharma, legal intricacies, and so much more.
The story isn’t simply a mother murdering her three children. That’s not really compelling talk radio. The story has evolved into a national debate over mental health, criminal responsibility, pharmaceuticals, parenting, and the justice system.
When Court TV, national newspapers, cable hosts, TikTok creators, Facebook groups, legal analysts, and millions of social media users are all talking about the same story, that’s usually a pretty good indication that the audience is interested. Yet many News/Talk stations continue defaulting to the same political conversations they’ve had every day for the last decade.
And while true crime stories tend to lean more toward the female demographic than male, that’s not the case here. This one is crossing every demographic in America, and you can own it in your market. Your music competitors are very unlikely to touch this story, but for a talk format, you can own your city’s radio airwaves by discussing the hottest and most controversial story of the summer. Why wouldn’t you?
Why This Story Beats Politics Right Now
Politics can wait. The elections aren’t going anywhere. This story is happening right now.
Other than elections, it’s rare that news/talk radio gets a story similar to sports talk, where you can break down and discuss winners and losers. Sports talk has always had that edge over News/Talk: preview and predict games every day or week, the games happen, reaction happens. It’s very black and white.
News/Talk has always had more gray area and nuance. But the ongoing Lindsay Clancy trial deliberation is giving us the opportunity to play in the sandbox of a story that is being universally watched and followed, with strong opinions and, eventually, clearly defined winners and losers — a story that will give us unbelievable reaction commentary regardless of outcome. And it will likely drive an entirely new set of branches on the topic tree.
Give the politics a rest. They aren’t going anywhere. What do you think two adults between 25-54 are going to talk about today at the water cooler? The Save America Act? Or Lindsay Clancy? How about two spouses after a day’s work? If you think about it, even briefly, you know the answer. And it’s not some bill that is all but certain not to pass Congress before the midterms. So be where your audience is, not where you think your show needs to be, based on a narrative format defined by too many who don’t even consume the product.
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