March 06, 2007

How About Keeping Hate Off the Airwaves?

That is the excellent suggestion blogger Eric Williams makes on the Huffington Post as a response to the latest spewing from far-right-wing tool Ann Coulter.

While defending her right to insult/slander anyone or anything she doesn't agree with (see this post from Arianna Huffington for some classic examples), blogger Williams points out that she nor anyone else has a constitutional right to television and radio airtime.

To borrow a phrase from former First Lady Nancy Regan, broadcasters need to "just say no" to anyone spewing venom, from either the right or left wings.

So-called "experts" can express views on either side of an issue without showing hatred toward anyone. Broadcasters should establish that most basic of standards and then hold their guests to it. Too often so-called "news" programs more closely resemble the Jerry Springer show than intelligent debate and only result in further polarizing and dumbing down viewers.

If I want to be entertained by anger and rage, I'll watch some of the old "Celebrity Deathmatch" shows from MTV and see claymation representations of celebrities rip each other's heads off (literally on that program). Beyond that, this nation needs and deserves broadcasters focusing on guests and experts who can offer information and educated opinions without spewing hatred.

We need people like Ann Coulter to be moved off the airwaves and the best-seller lists and become marginalized on the outer fringes where they belong.

1 comment:

  1. Amen, Brother Jim!! Free speech is a right, but that doesn't mean anyone has to listen.

    ReplyDelete