The Outrage Industry: Political Opinion Media and the New Incivility
Dec 2013 · Oxford University Press
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About this ebook
In early 2012, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh claimed that Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown University law student who advocated for insurance coverage of contraceptives, "wants to be paid to have sex." Over the next few days, Limbaugh attacked Fluke personally, often in crude terms, while a powerful backlash grew, led by organizations such as the National Organization for Women. But perhaps what was most notable about the incident was that it wasn't unusual. From Limbaugh's venomous attacks on Fluke to liberal radio host Mike Malloy's suggestion that Bill O'Reilly "drink a vat of poison... and choke to death," over-the-top discourse in today's political opinion media is pervasive. Anyone who observes the skyrocketing number of incendiary political opinion shows on television and radio might conclude that political vitriol on the airwaves is fueled by the increasingly partisan American political system. But in The Outrage Industry Jeffrey M. Berry and Sarah Sobieraj show how the proliferation of outrage-the provocative, hyperbolic style of commentary delivered by hosts like Ed Schultz, Bill O'Reilly, and Sean Hannity- says more about regulatory, technological, and cultural changes, than it does about our political inclinations. Berry and Sobieraj tackle the mechanics of outrage rhetoric, exploring its various forms such as mockery, emotional display, fear mongering, audience flattery, and conspiracy theories. They then investigate the impact of outrage rhetoric-which stigmatizes cooperation and brands collaboration and compromise as weak-on a contemporary political landscape that features frequent straight-party voting in Congress. Outrage tactics have also facilitated the growth of the Tea Party, a movement which appeals to older, white conservatives and has dragged the GOP farther away from the demographically significant moderates whose favor it should be courting. Finally, The Outrage Industry examines how these shows sour our own political lives, exacerbating anxieties about political talk and collaboration in our own communities. Drawing from a rich base of evidence, this book forces all of us to consider the negative consequences that flow from our increasingly hyper-partisan political media.
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4.5
4 reviews
Carl Page
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January 6, 2014
Berry has studied his subject well. <p> Unfortunately he omits the most important reason drive-time radio is the way it is, the practical needs of the audience. A driver in America today has a long slow commute, and is operating a heavy machine that will kill him and others if he even momentarily falls asleep. Drive Time radio exists to keep drivers awake. To do that it needs to be emotionally involving, but intellectually weak. You can't think critically while you are operating heavy equipment. <p> The political force of drive time radio has a lot to do with the state of the listeners. Obliged to listen uncritically due to the danger of operating heavy equipment, drivers get hypnotized by hearing the same thing over and over. Pretty soon the political statements start coming out of their mouths. No reasoning or pursuation needed, just repetition. The current treatment for post-traumatic stress is EMDR, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Note how the driving task puts the subject in the same state we use to desensitize people to remembered trauma! It is no wonder that we can desensitize people to needs of fellow citize
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About the author
Jeffrey M. Berry is John Richard Skuse Professor of Political Science at Tufts University. Sarah Sobieraj is Associate Professor of Sociology at Tufts University.
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