Talk radio beams information as print media slumps

With the immigration reform bill coming up for a vote in the U.S. Senate, one of the strangest quotes in the past week comes from Sen. Trent Lott (R., Miss.) who supports the bill, declaring:  “Talk radio is running America. We have to deal with that problem.”

Talk radio isn’t running America.  Talk radio is informing America.

Grumpy Editor feels Sen. Lott and many others in Congress, where approval rating is under 30 percent, would do well to tune in to talk radio.  They would learn what their constituents think and that a recent poll shows 80 percent of Americans are against the amnesty bill.

It used to be that print media would bring balanced information from Washington to the attention of readers.  Unfortunately, and sadly these days, there is a distinct one-sided tilt or distortion.  In some cases there is absolutely no coverage --- few details at best --- of  some bills, especially controversial ones spanning hundreds of pages, in Congress.

Thus, talk radio is picking up from what print media used to do.

This is reflected in mushrooming talk radio audiences while many newspapers and magazines are seeing readership dwindle.