M
mwebster
Guest
The New York Daily News' usually excellent radio columnist David Hinkley published a "puff piece" interview this morning with political activist Felipe Luciano, recently hired as Air America Radio's "News Director:"
<blockquote>Felipe Luciano becomes vice president of news for the progressive radio network Air America (WLIB, 1190 AM) with several premises. First, "All those years of talk about a 'liberal bias' in the media has pushed our national media to a right-wing slant. "What was once an independent voice has become afraid to take a stand. Everyone is afraid what happened to Dan Rather will happen to them. That's why we see almost no investigative journalism."</blockquote>
AAR's news broadcasts are carried on WLIB, New York and a handful of other (mostly smaller market) stations. Most progressive talk stations using AAR programs take news from CNN or ABC Radio. The interview suggests Luciano is having trouble figuring out whether he's running a local news operation or "the beginning of the new CNN." This same schizophrenia is at the root of much of AAR's problems - especially in New York.
Among Luciano's comments:
"What was once an independent voice has become afraid to take a stand. Everyone is afraid what happened to Dan Rather will happen to them. That's why we see almost no investigative journalism."
We see no investigative journalism in radio because (1) It takes time - personnel time and (2) It costs money. On top of the that, it is useless to attempt to keep a true investigative piece to under 40 seconds and the consultants say (possibly with some justification) that listeners aren't interested anyway.
Among the things he's after in the news department, he says, are "important stories neglected in the major media" and "subjective objectivity," meaning accurate information "with a point of view. When you see the bias of Fox News commentators, why shouldn't we have a balance?"
Luciano used to work at Fox. Apparently he has studied the Gospel According to Ailes and learned his lessons well. He calls what Fox does "bias" and proposes to do the same thing (only from his point of view) and calls that "an independent voice," "subjective objectivity" and "balance." His use of the word "balance" again shows Ailes taught him well. Like most political activists (as opposed to bona fide journalists), his opinions are THE TRUTH; other opinions are bias.
"We're working on big plans," he says. "We'd like to have a speakers' bureau. ..."
That's an original idea - not! A typical small market, no cost promotional ploy. Luciano will go speak at meetings of liberal groups for free. I worked for a guy who did this. It was sort of like therapy for him. He hit every retirement home (and high school) in the area and little old ladies told him how wonderful he was.
<blockquote>Felipe Luciano becomes vice president of news for the progressive radio network Air America (WLIB, 1190 AM) with several premises. First, "All those years of talk about a 'liberal bias' in the media has pushed our national media to a right-wing slant. "What was once an independent voice has become afraid to take a stand. Everyone is afraid what happened to Dan Rather will happen to them. That's why we see almost no investigative journalism."</blockquote>
AAR's news broadcasts are carried on WLIB, New York and a handful of other (mostly smaller market) stations. Most progressive talk stations using AAR programs take news from CNN or ABC Radio. The interview suggests Luciano is having trouble figuring out whether he's running a local news operation or "the beginning of the new CNN." This same schizophrenia is at the root of much of AAR's problems - especially in New York.
Among Luciano's comments:
"What was once an independent voice has become afraid to take a stand. Everyone is afraid what happened to Dan Rather will happen to them. That's why we see almost no investigative journalism."
We see no investigative journalism in radio because (1) It takes time - personnel time and (2) It costs money. On top of the that, it is useless to attempt to keep a true investigative piece to under 40 seconds and the consultants say (possibly with some justification) that listeners aren't interested anyway.
Among the things he's after in the news department, he says, are "important stories neglected in the major media" and "subjective objectivity," meaning accurate information "with a point of view. When you see the bias of Fox News commentators, why shouldn't we have a balance?"
Luciano used to work at Fox. Apparently he has studied the Gospel According to Ailes and learned his lessons well. He calls what Fox does "bias" and proposes to do the same thing (only from his point of view) and calls that "an independent voice," "subjective objectivity" and "balance." His use of the word "balance" again shows Ailes taught him well. Like most political activists (as opposed to bona fide journalists), his opinions are THE TRUTH; other opinions are bias.
"We're working on big plans," he says. "We'd like to have a speakers' bureau. ..."
That's an original idea - not! A typical small market, no cost promotional ploy. Luciano will go speak at meetings of liberal groups for free. I worked for a guy who did this. It was sort of like therapy for him. He hit every retirement home (and high school) in the area and little old ladies told him how wonderful he was.