Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
100.7 The Wolf Seattle’s “The Morning Wolfpack,” featuring Matt McAllister, Gabe Mercer, and ‘Captain’ Ron Koons, will take on afternoons at sister Country 107.9 KMLE Phoenix.
The new afternoon show “Matt, Gabe & Captain Ron” marks McAllister’s return to Phoenix. He previously hosted mornings at iHeartMedia Country 102.5 KNIX from 2008 to 2016. Before his time in Phoenix, McAllister spent ten years at Rock 99.9 in Santa Barbara, CA.
Mercer, well-known in the Phoenix market, worked with the Audacy cluster from 2018 before joining 100.7 The Wolf in 2022. Her experience includes roles in promotions and sales, hosting nights at KMLE, and tracking middays at the station.
Drew Bland, Regional Vice President for Country at Audacy, will transition to the 10 am – 12 pm timeslot while overseeing both KMLE and KKWF. The morning slot will continue to feature “Gunner & Cheyenne,” while Audacy’s syndicated program with Katie Neal will air from 12 PM to 3 PM. The evening slot will feature “Rob & Holly.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
The full numbers have come in on last Thursday night’s Minnesota Vikings – Los Angeles Rams games which saw Matthew Stafford throw four touchdown passes to lead the Rams to a 30-20. 13.76 million viewers, on average, tuned into the broadcast on Amazon’s Prime Video. The game was a double-digit increase over the comparable game from a year ago and also kept alive Prime Video’s streak of six consecutive Thursday Night Football events to draw more than 12 million viewers.
For the season to date, TNF on Prime in 2024 is averaging 14.26 million viewers per game. In 2023, the full season average was 11.86 million viewers and the season before in 2022 the average was 9.58 million.
Prime Video also reports the median age for TNF is 47.7, more than seven years younger than audiences watching the NFL on linear networks (55), and almost 15 years younger than the broadcast primetime average (62.5).
Thursday Night Football features Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit in the booth with Kaylee Hartung reporting from the sidelines. Next up the crew will have the 6-2 Houston Texans at the 2-6 New York Jets. They will start November in Baltimore as the Ravens host the Cincinnati Bengals.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Cars 108 Flint, MI, is set to undergo a change in its morning lineup. Morning host Lisa Marie is departing after five years with the station to take on a new role at a local non-profit organization.
Lisa Marie, who was also Cluster Promotions Director, joined Cars 108 as the afternoon host in 2019. In 2021, she transitioned to the morning show, initially teaming up with then-Cluster Director of Content Clay Church and later with his successor, Nathan Reed. Reed departed to Cox Atlanta earlier this year.
Before joining WCRZ, Lisa spent two years co-hosting mornings at Fox 103.9, Flint, and also contributed to WEYI-TV in the local market.
Posing on the station website, she wrote:
“Well, it’s hard to believe this day is here. After five incredible years, it’s time for me to hang up the mic and say goodbye to the Cars 108 Wake-Up Show. This isn’t an easy post to write because, from the bottom of my heart, you the listeners, have all been the very best part of my job.”
“Every morning, you were there with me, whether to share a laugh or a story or to keep each other going through tough times. Your calls, messages, and voices brought such joy each and every day. Connecting with all of you was never just “work”—it was a privilege and an experience that made me feel like we were all part of something special together.”
“This job has given me so many highlights that will fill my heart forever. From the amazing events and concerts to those moments, I knew our station was making a difference in the community. The voice can be a powerful thing, and when it can help change someone’s life for the better…well that’s truly a blessing. But it was you, the listeners, that made it truly a dream job…in so many wonderful ways.”
“I’ll miss those early mornings and the time we shared more than words can say. You filled my days with purpose and my heart with memories I will treasure forever. Even though we won’t be starting our days together anymore, please know that each of you will always have a place in my heart. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your mornings and for making my time on air unforgettable.”
“As for what’s next, I will be in the community using my voice to hopefully make a difference for a very special non-profit …details coming soon. On a high note, I will still be hitting the mic on the weekend on Cars 108, so you can catch me there!”
“Take care, stay true, and keep spreading kindness in this world. You are loved, and you are cherished. And one last time…stay healthy, stay safe, and be nice to each other.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
77 WABC morning show host Sid Rosenberg was one of many speakers at the Madison Square Garden rally for Donald Trump this weekend.
Rosenberg joined the likes of Hulk Hogan, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, Tucker Carlson, Dana White, and Rudy Giuliani as speakers before the Republican nominee made remarks on Sunday.
During his speech, Sid Rosenberg railed against policies enacted by Democratic mayors and governors of New York. He also featured strong language directed at former Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, including several expletives.
Clinton had labeled the rally a re-enactment of the 1939 Nazi rally at the same arena. The comments — made during an appearance on CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins — raised many eyebrows due to the comparison.
Rosenberg pushed back against the idea that the rally in support of Donald Trump could be viewed as a similar event.
“I just got back from Israel.. and they go, Sid, you want to speak at this MSG thing? I go, ‘Sure — out of character for me to speak at a Nazi rally. I was just in Israel,’ but I took the gig,” he said.
Sid Rosenberg — who appeared to be calling the event “a Nazi rally” facetiously — was roundly criticized for his comments, with several states he made going viral on the X social media platform. Videos of his comments have received more than one million views on the Elon Musk-owned platform since Sunday.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Gordon Mays, Mid-West Family Director of Programming & Content and midday host for 95.3 The Bull Rockford, IL, has left the station effective October 25. Mays is leaving for a new opportunity that has not yet been disclosed.
Mays started at WRTB in 2017, became Assistant Program Director in 2019, and was promoted to Program Director and Brand Manager shortly after that. He advanced two years ago to oversee the six-station group in his current role.
Mays began his tenure with the company in 2017 and most recently held a prominent position until early this year. His previous experience includes roles at Rock WYSP and Country WXTU in Philadelphia.
There have been no updates regarding the position’s future at Mid-West Family.
Barrett Media produces over 20 stories per day on the music, news, and sports media industries. Stay updated on the latest happenings by signing up to receive our newsletters straight to your inbox.
Crowd React Media, a division of Harker Bos Group, has released its third annual State of Sports Media report. The study explores the evolving landscape of sports media and examines how fans consume content across multiple platforms. It offers insights for media brands looking to stay competitive in the world of sports media
The report is based on a national survey of more than 500 sports fans aged 18+ and focuses on key trends shaping audience behavior in sports radio, TV, streaming, and digital platforms.
In the audio space, the report shows radio remains a crucial medium with 56% of sports fans still tuning in to AM/FM radio for their sports content. Also of note is that 67% of listeners aged 18-39 regularly consume audio-based sports programming, presenting radio stations with an opportunity to tap into this highly engaged demographic. There was also a key finding in the sports betting space as it relates to radio. The study shows one-third of sports fans listen to audio content related to sports betting, presenting yet another opportunity.
On the TV and streaming side of things, streaming continues to dominate, with 73% of sports fans using streaming services to watch live games, highlights, and sports-related programming. Meanwhile, traditional cable usage has declined by 11 points from 2023. The rise of digital platforms has given fans the ability to curate their own sports experiences. Fans increasingly opt for flexible viewing options, choosing what, when, and how they consume sports content.
Social media also continues to be a major force in fan engagement, with 90% of sports fans using YouTube and 71% engaging on Facebook to consume sports content.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
The Joe Rogan Experience featured an episode with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. The link for YouTube mysteriously vanished, and the comedian is explaining that nothing nefarious went on.
The video of Rogan’s conversation with Trump was released Friday evening. However, it then disappeared. Observers claimed that YouTube had removed the episode for disinformation purposes, but Joe Rogan clarified that that was not accurate.
“There is no issue with YouTube censoring the Trump episode,” Rogan wrote. “It was just supposed to go live on both Spotify and YouTube at the same time and there was a glitch in Spotify’s upload system and so we delisted the YouTube link until it’s fixed. It should be fine now.”
There is no issue with YouTube censoring the trump episode. It was just supposed to go live on both Spotify and YouTube at the same time and there was a glitch in Spotify’s upload system and so we delisted the YouTube link until it’s fixed. It should be fine now
After the YouTube link was made public, the more than three-hour conversation between the comedian and Republican nominee garnered north of 33 million views on the platform. Those figures do not include podcast downloads, which Spotify has yet to make available.
The appearance by Donald Trump on The Joe Rogan Experience marked his first time on the popular podcast.
Barrett Media produces over 20 stories per day on the music, news, and sports media industries. Stay updated on the latest happenings by signing up to receive our newsletters straight to your inbox.
Sports business insider Joe Pompliano always knew he wanted to do something in sports. Growing up with four brothers, sports was just about all they ever did. “We played everything you could imagine from basketball, football, baseball, to ping pong, air hockey, pool, literally everything,” he said.
Pompliano interned at Octagon Sports Agency when he was in college. He quickly realized that becoming a sports agent is really difficult. So, he accepted a job in finance out of school, and landed at JP Morgan in NYC a few years after that. “I was on the fixed income desk, trading and researching bonds,” he said. “Quite a different world from the world of sports.”
The job made him realize he wanted to get back to his passion for sports. He realized he was finding more and more interest in the business side of sports. “I looked at the landscape, and I was reading and researching a ton, making lots of friends in the industry. And I realized that there was no one really doing it well from a personality standpoint. So, I started tweeting and writing, and six months later I ended up leaving my job. And this is what I’ve been doing full time now for the last five years.”
His ‘Huddle Up’ newsletter is now sent out to over 100,000 people. Grown mostly through social media it is a perfect example of how in today’s world, if you put out consistent quality content, it will be found and shared.
When asked about his newsletter audience, he points to not only the number of people who receive the content, but also who makes up that group. Investors, billionaires, team owners, executives, athletes and the casual sports fan are all part of it.
Pompliano’s latest project is a new partnership with Yahoo Finance and Yahoo Sports on a weekly podcast, The Yahoo Finance Sports Report with Joe Pompliano which dropped its first episode Thursday Oct. 24. He sees the partnership as a win-win-win where he gets to grow his brand to the massive Yahoo audience, Yahoo Finance and Yahoo Sports get more of a leg up on the competition in the sports business space, and the audience gets unique insights into the world of sports business.
“Yahoo is a blue-chip brand,” Pompliano said. “I grew up reading a lot of stuff on Yahoo. I’ve used the fantasy platform for a very long time. They have a massive audience, not only in sports, but in finance, which was super important to me because I think this is actually the first partnership where the finance and the sports team have worked together to create a new show, which is fantastic to be a part of.
“I want [the podcast] to be for the average fan. My goal with this show is to educate the average sports fan on things that they wouldn’t typically think about. So, we’re not talking about player stats or things like that. I want to educate the audience on media rights, why certain leagues are growing faster than others, why these athletes in this sport are making more money from endorsements than another sport…things that the average fan doesn’t think about in their daily life. And I want to be there to help educate them in the simplest, easiest terms possible so the total addressable market of the show is the largest it could possibly be.”
Pompliano said he plans to talk with movers and shakers in the industry, people who are making a difference at the team, league and sponsorship levels. “My goal is always to educate people as quickly and as efficiently as possible,” he said. “So, I want to align myself with guests who are able to do that as well. I want talk to the people that are making these decisions and thinking about the future. I want to talk to executives at the media companies and presidents of the biggest sports media organizations.”
He said he also want to target people who fans don’t always hear from in the sports industry, people who don’t do a lot of interviews, like the league commissioners, presidents of certain teams and of course, some of the athletes themselves.
“On an athlete level, I want to talk to people that I grew up rooting for like Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, certainly guys today like Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, guys like that, I think are the North Star for us. And as we continue to build out the show, my guess is we’ll be able to get them eventually.”
As for some of the topics Pompliano has his eyes and ears on and things that he anticipates talking about on the podcast, the NFL is always king. “The NFL has a new media rights deal that they can opt out of in the next coming years,” he said. “It’s going to align with their ability to move the schedule, add an additional game. So, I think they’ll probably end up doing that. They’ll go out, they’re going to see what the NBA just got on their media rights deal and try to get something even larger.”
Another major topic he will be watching and covering is the WNBA CBA which the players just opted out of recently and watching how that plays out after next season. He also mentions soccer, both watching whether or not the MLS will continue to grow and also the World Cup coming to the United States along with Mexico and Canada.
One of the keys to what Pompliano does is that the number of topics that could come up on the podcast or any of his platforms are in no shortage. “There’s something every single day, every single week, every single month happening in sports business, whether it’s at the professional level, the youth level, the athlete level, there’s always something going on,” Pompliano said.
Something else Pompliano watches closely are the athletes themselves and which of them truly take advantage of their celebrity, their relationships and their access to grow out their own platforms. When asked for someone who has impressed him in this regard, he mentions four-time NBA Champion and NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala.
“He sort of falls under the radar for a lot of people, given some of his superstar teammates over the years getting a little bit more shine than he does…he had a tremendous career in the NBA, and he has built out this venture capital firm, which is investing in a ton of different startups every single year and raising a ton of money to deploy into these startups, and he certainly used his reputation and his access in the NBA to develop relationships that are going to serve him long after retirement, and I think that is one of the smartest things that athletes can do today.”
Pompliano points to the finite amount of time athletes have where they can use the platform their leagues and teams give them and “they’re basically stealing that audience and bringing it over to something that they own.” He mentions Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and golfer Bryson DeChambeau as ones who have followed this strategy. He said these athletes build up their portfolios by growing their overall audience.
“I think it’s valuable regardless of what you want to do when you retire,” Pompliano points out. “If you want to go be Andre Iguodala and raise a venture fund, fantastic, an audience is going to be really helpful. If you want to go create a clothing company, an audience is going to be helpful. If you want to go do more charity work, an audience is going to be helpful. Quite literally anything that you do, if you’re an athlete that is now retired with an audience, it’s going to be easier to do than if you didn’t do that while you were playing.”
Insights like that are what you can expect to hear each week on the new show. As Pompliano describes it, “It’s going to be 30 minutes of your time and you’re going to learn a ton about sports business. It’s going to be things that are not only going to make you smarter as a sports fan, but they’re going make you enjoy sports more. You’re going to have a better time with your friends because you’re going be able to discuss cooler, more interesting facts about sports business that a lot of them don’t know about.”
The Yahoo Finance Sports Report with Joe Pompliano is available on Yahoo Finance and all major podcast platforms.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
The world of content is extremely cluttered. Who has the best talent and programming is subjective, and given the rapidly changing landscape of search and social media, it’s vital now to be seen, thought about, and connected to timely issues. Talent is still critical, but so too are ideas, discovery of content and brand, and people in your corner who are invested in the growth of your business.
This is frequently on my mind as I consult clients, and evaluate our strategy at Barrett Media. If a brand is strong, people will seek out your work regardless of platform changes. But knowing what your audience values, dislikes, and seeks more of, requires constant analysis. Research takes time and effort, and once you have the information, you still need a plan to take full advantage of it.
But not every outlet has the budget for research and outside help. I enter each year knowing that I’m not on the first page of a client’s budget, and our relationship could end tomorrow. However, I also know that my clients enjoy improved results, relationships, and revenue when working with me. It’s why most of my partnerships have lasted for years.
The stronger your access to information, knowledge, and ideas, the better your chances of success. I’ve borrowed a line from Benjamin Franklin since launching my consultancy which says ‘An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.’ I believe that to be absolutely true. While folks in the building are focused on today, I’m thinking about tomorrow. Great brands stay great, by continuing to invest in themselves and others who can help improve their business.
Many companies don’t invest in research and consultants to grow their business though. Even if you can’t, you still should find ways to learn from your audience and advertisers. Whether it’s an invite to your building, an on-site meet up or using your airwaves, website, app, newsletter and social platforms to ask for feedback, all of it helps. To not seek out input from those who consume and support your product is a huge mistake.
As brands enter the final two months of the fourth quarter, many are stuck in a predicament. How do we invest in growing our business if 2024 revenue is down? That’s the wrong question to ask. It should be ‘can I afford NOT to invest in our brand’s future?’
Political dollars are expected to shrink in 2025. Betting business is healthy but not the massive windfall it was when legalization first began. Hunting for advertising partners is hard, and though there are wins out there, creating new revenue streams is critical. I’ve heard market managers and sales leaders downplay YouTube’s value because it ONLY produces 50-100K annually. Yet if that were a new radio client, the rep who closed the deal would be celebrated. A bunch of smaller victories add up to larger ones, and you’ve got to capitalize that way because bigger scores are harder to come by.
Traditional media groups may dislike the idea of direct to consumer models, paid events, video, newsletters, podcasts, merchandising, and other non-traditional approaches, but without them, where is growth going to come from? If you don’t locate new growth areas, you can’t invest in better staff and researching your audience. Often that means reducing expenses, which leads to losing employees. The weaker your product and staff, and the less you know about your audience, the greater advantage for your competitors.
I’ve watched this movie for nine years, and keep waiting for an alternate ending. Amazon needed less than ten years to grab a piece of the NFL and NBA. Netflix is entering 2025 with the WWE, and wants more live sporting events. Spotify and SiriusXM are investing heavily in audio, as are other digital companies. Advertising now revolves around Google, Apple, Meta, TikTok, X, etc., and traditional media groups can create excuses for not being able to invest in their businesses, but if they don’t, it will eventually result in others owning your real estate.
As Brad Pitt (playing Billy Beane) said in MoneyBall, ‘It’s an unfair game. We’ve been gutted, become organ donors for the rich, and you guys are sitting around talking the same ‘good body nonsense’ like we’re selling jeans.’ It’s a crowded marketplace full of new players and uncertainty. Like it or not, you won’t grow your business by playing defense. Investing in your product, people, and audience are critical, as is exploring new monetization opportunities. Sometimes you just have to forget what you think you know, and utilize outside expertise to gain an edge.
St. Louis Sports Radio Changes:
Randy Karraker was the first employee hired at 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He was added before I even was named PD. We had a great two year run together and he produced another 13 years of fantastic results for the radio station. Seeing him exit the station Friday was tough but 15 years in the same spot in this day and age is outstanding. All the positive feedback that’s come his way since the news got out is well earned. I hope he takes a moment to appreciate it, and what he helped build. 101 ESPS does not become what it has without his contributions.
I also got to know Brooke Grimsley a little, and am rooting for her to land on her feet. Her thank you note to the audience on X was classy. Seeing people like Brooke and Randy lose jobs isn’t fun. Knowing the management team as I do, they don’t like it either. But business decisions have to be made sometimes, and eventually we all have our number called.
Having said that, local listeners will adjust. Tim McKernan is a talented host who knows how to entertain, and he’s going to do well in mornings. He’s a native St. Louisan with a lot of relationships, and he’ll put those to use and build a strong program. Local folks know my history with Tim and Martin Kilcoyne at KFNS wasn’t great. But that was 2006-2007. People improve, mature, and change, myself included. Here’s to hoping the new morning show creates lasting success on a special brand, and Randy, Brooke, Dan, and Matt land in great situations in the future.
Quick Hits:
Game 1 of the World Series will be remembered as the Freddie Freeman game but in media circles, it should be known as the night the world embraced Joe Davis. Davis was already in a high profile spot calling baseball’s biggest event on Fox Sports alongside John Smoltz, but there was much about him still unknown. Just last year many clamored for Joe Buck or someone else to call the fall classic. His line ‘Gibby Meet Freddie‘ will undoubtedly be part of baseball’s soundtrack for decades to follow, and his use of ‘She is Gone‘ was perfectly timed when calling Freeman’s blast. This coming from a Yankees fan who sat there stunned. Baseball’s biggest moment deserved an ionic call, and Davis provided perfection. Vin Scully would’ve been proud to hear it. Maybe Eric Shanks and his team know a thing or two about hiring elite play-by-play broadcasters 🙂
Am I the only who doesn’t care about Presidential Endorsements? Does it matter which celebrities and media outlets supported a presidential candidate? Are people really excited to know that Brett Favre and Kid Rock endorsed Donald Trump? Or that Beyonce and Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris? The Washington Post this week chose not to endorse anyone and had people cancel subscriptions over it. It’s insane. People are going to vote for who they like, who aligns with their beliefs, and who they feel more confident in. Some will stay loyal to their preferred party. A smaller amount will do research and examine the policies they feel will best help the nation. I’ve yet to hear one person say they were voting for someone based on a celebrity or media outlet’s backing.
Nielsen received praise for its three minute plan announcement, which was warranted, but a recent issue in New York City needs to be called out. To have to reissue an entire market’s ratings for a two month period over one individual’s age switching from 49 to 50 is embarrassing. This is market number one. If one person has that much influence over the performance of multiple stations in a big city like New York, it suggests that sample sizes are a bigger problem than measured minutes.
Many have mixed opinions about Artificial Intelligence. When a Polish radio station wipes out its on-air staff for AI voices, that’s going to sound the alarm even louder. But that’s extreme and a reflection of an ownership group focusing on short-term savings not long-term business growth. One quote I read last week stood out. It came from Shelly Palmer, CEO of The Palmer Group. He said “Your subject matter expertise will be amplified by AI tools not replaced with them. You have to take your work flow and process and innovate it to realize the full potential of AI to supercharge your business.” Love it or hate it, professionals with AI knowledge and skills are going to be in higher demand moving forward. Don’t become the newspaper guy who swore the internet would crash and burn.
I checked out Britt McHenry‘s YouTube show over the weekend, and enjoyed it. It was just a simple conversation on a number of topics, highlighting Britt’s candor and humor. I’m surprised that a network hasn’t picked her up. She overcame a battle with brain cancer, and has done both news and sports at a high level. With hundreds of thousands social media followers, talent, and a good on-camera presence, she’d help someone.
Kendall Baker of Yahoo Sports had an interesting tweet the other day which I no longer see posted. Baker responded to a tweet from the ESPN SportsCenter account on X pointing out that only one tweet was shared about the World Series by the brand. A picture was painted that ESPN only promotes what it airs on its network. If that is indeed true, ESPN has to step up its game on social. This is the World Series. If the mantra is serving sports fans, anytime, anywhere, then it’s hard to argue that fans don’t want World Series content. I don’t recall seeing the slogan extended with the words ‘provided it airs on ESPN’.
Loved this remark by social media guru Jess Smith: “You can’t have a social strategy if you don’t have a content strategy, and you can’t have a content strategy if you don’t have a brand strategy‘. So true.
I’m a fan of Hubbard Radio VP of Digital Products and Strategy Jeremy Sinon. If you’re not following him on LinkedIn, do it. He gives you a lot to think about, and consistently passes along value. His conversation with Dave Beasing was another great example. Sinon says media needs to get back to the basics, which includes featuring a killer website, awesome mobile app, great newsletter, first party data, and a podcast-stream-other media channels that can be owned. Great stuff. Watch the video below to learn more.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
How was your week? Mine? It was nice. We took a ride up the coast, had some great meals, saw lovely scenery, got yelled at by a crazed Trump supporter…
Yeah, I’d like this to end, too.
We’ve got a week or so to the election, and I do not have to tell you how tense and unpleasant it is right now. It’s interesting, though, that you can live in a bubble where the election is not occupying the conversation 24/7, then leave that bubble and find out just how many people have lost their minds about this.
We live in Palm Beach County, Florida, where, despite the local residency of one of the candidates, there’s not much conflict in evidence; it’s a mostly blue county with some red territories (including the more or less permanent encampment of flag-waving Trump fans by the Southern Blvd. bridge near Mar a Lago), and everybody mostly leaves each other alone. Sure, we have the occasional boat parade for Trump or sign holders touting the value of honking for Harris at the entrance to Florida’s Turnpike, but it’s mostly civil on both sides.
There aren’t even too many campaign signs for either candidate, and there are far more signs and TV ads for the down ballot races and amendments. Leaving this bubble to go north to a red county where people think nothing of cursing out a random stranger on behalf of a candidate was educational, teaching specifically that it’s really hostile out there and maybe staying in the bubble was a good idea after all.
I wonder what this means for the news media once it’s all over. At least, I hope it’ll be over with the election results and not the beginning of another cycle of election fraud claims. Can we assume it’ll be over at some point, and we’ll move on, or is the country permanently fractured? Because if it’s the latter, it’ll change what the news media does from here on out.
Take the brouhaha over the owners of the Washington Post and Los Angeles Times blocking the editorial boards’ endorsement in the presidential election. While their timing was horrendous and motivations questionable at best, they weren’t alone. Here, none of the three major newspapers are issuing a presidential endorsement.
Putting the optics aside – really, you don’t want to make a decision THIS time after doing so for decades? – it’s also indisputable that newspaper endorsements have become, and have always been, fairly meaningless. That some of the papers are doing so because they fear retribution to their owners’ business interests if Trump wins is just part of how the game is changing.
I’m thinking of the woman who was accosting people like me who were just trying to enjoy a nice day outside. I assume she only consumes news media which share her beliefs. She’s not looking for truth, she’s looking for agreement and confirmation. So are the doomscrollers who panic when they see reporting on polls that show their preferred candidate trailing in any category. Both sides jump all over mainstream media for any perceived slight towards their beliefs. Nobody trusts anyone anymore.
We are SO screwed.
The fear is that the way things were, while flawed – when you were comfortable that the news media was reliable (not that they always were, but, you know, in general) – is gone forever. It’s not just public distrust sown by Trumpist attacks; it’s the capitulation of the media to both-sides coverage that has only led both sides to distrust everyone.
Where do we go from here? I hope that truly independent and fair journalism can emerge from this, but I think partisan media, whether cable news or news sites or social media, is going to persist, and that is not a healthy situation. Yes, I want the election insanity to be over – if I never see another political rally, I won’t miss them – but I fear for the future of information, and we haven’t even discussed AI or deep-fakes.
There is, however, one medium which will never change: talk radio. All of this is business as usual for talk radio. Criticize it all you want, but at least you know what you’re going to get.
Oh, yeah, go vote. It’s a better way to make your voice heard than yelling at pedestrians.
