The Post and Courier Staff
Former Charleston conservative radio talk show host Michael Graham has been suspended indefinitely by WMAL-AM in Washington, D.C., for comments in which he equated Islam and terrorism.
But the same comments delivered in Graham's weekly column published in the Charleston City Paper and the Free Times of Columbia created barely a ripple.
Graham's column, "Usual Suspects," appears as a weekly feature in the City Paper. His latest column, "The Tragedy of Islam," reiterates his opinion that Islam is a terrorist organization, an idea he also expressed July 25 on the radio in Washington.
The City Paper editor said she debated whether to run the column in the Wednesday edition of the weekly newspaper.
"I definitely considered not running it. I thought that it definitely was dancing across the line there. He's written kind of outrageous stuff in the past, and I think our readers kind of expect it from him. So I decided to go ahead with it and see what feedback we get from it".
On Monday, the only person she had heard from about Graham's column agreed with Graham's views.
In the column, Graham wrote: "I take no pleasure in saying it. It pains me to think it. I could very well lose my job in talk radio over admitting it. But it is the plain truth: Islam is a terror organization."
Before Graham worked in Charleston radio, he was fired from an out-of-state radio station for his comments about the Columbine High School massacre. He had also run afoul of South Carolina Public Radio for comments about legislators.
"I guess I expect it from Michael Graham. He's a talk show radio host. I expect him to say incendiary things".
At Free Times of Columbia, the editor said he wrestled with whether to run the Graham column about Islam and terrorism. He decided to run the column preceded by an editor's note.
"We considered not running this column because of the incendiary views it expresses. Ultimately, however, we decided to let you read the column and make up your own mind," the editor's note says in part. So far, Free Times has received about 25 letters, most in support of Graham, he said.
Graham could not be reached for comment Monday. On his Web site, he said he was taking a long-planned vacation this week.
WMAL-AM ordered Graham off the air Thursday without pay while the station investigates the comments that drew complaints from a Muslim group, the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Graham was on the air here from 2000 to 2002 at conservative talk station WSCC-AM, said Clear Channel Radio's Richard Bachschmidt. WSCC has since become WLTQ, a liberal talk station at 730 AM. WSCC conservative talk has moved to 94.3 FM. Bachschmidt handles programming for both.
He said talk radio personalities are under intense scrutiny, and Graham should have known he would get a negative reaction.
"We're in a new chapter in the radio business," Bachschmidt said. "You're an open target nowadays. And you really have to choose your words carefully."
Former Charleston conservative radio talk show host Michael Graham has been suspended indefinitely by WMAL-AM in Washington, D.C., for comments in which he equated Islam and terrorism.
But the same comments delivered in Graham's weekly column published in the Charleston City Paper and the Free Times of Columbia created barely a ripple.
Graham's column, "Usual Suspects," appears as a weekly feature in the City Paper. His latest column, "The Tragedy of Islam," reiterates his opinion that Islam is a terrorist organization, an idea he also expressed July 25 on the radio in Washington.
The City Paper editor said she debated whether to run the column in the Wednesday edition of the weekly newspaper.
"I definitely considered not running it. I thought that it definitely was dancing across the line there. He's written kind of outrageous stuff in the past, and I think our readers kind of expect it from him. So I decided to go ahead with it and see what feedback we get from it".
On Monday, the only person she had heard from about Graham's column agreed with Graham's views.
In the column, Graham wrote: "I take no pleasure in saying it. It pains me to think it. I could very well lose my job in talk radio over admitting it. But it is the plain truth: Islam is a terror organization."
Before Graham worked in Charleston radio, he was fired from an out-of-state radio station for his comments about the Columbine High School massacre. He had also run afoul of South Carolina Public Radio for comments about legislators.
"I guess I expect it from Michael Graham. He's a talk show radio host. I expect him to say incendiary things".
At Free Times of Columbia, the editor said he wrestled with whether to run the Graham column about Islam and terrorism. He decided to run the column preceded by an editor's note.
"We considered not running this column because of the incendiary views it expresses. Ultimately, however, we decided to let you read the column and make up your own mind," the editor's note says in part. So far, Free Times has received about 25 letters, most in support of Graham, he said.
Graham could not be reached for comment Monday. On his Web site, he said he was taking a long-planned vacation this week.
WMAL-AM ordered Graham off the air Thursday without pay while the station investigates the comments that drew complaints from a Muslim group, the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Graham was on the air here from 2000 to 2002 at conservative talk station WSCC-AM, said Clear Channel Radio's Richard Bachschmidt. WSCC has since become WLTQ, a liberal talk station at 730 AM. WSCC conservative talk has moved to 94.3 FM. Bachschmidt handles programming for both.
He said talk radio personalities are under intense scrutiny, and Graham should have known he would get a negative reaction.
"We're in a new chapter in the radio business," Bachschmidt said. "You're an open target nowadays. And you really have to choose your words carefully."
