Media Training Question #79 – Why Is Glenn Beck Failing So Fast?

March 2, 2011 - PRLog -- A quick disclaimer:  Some of the language used here may be offensive to some of you.  To the others, enjoy!

I chronicled in an earlier post that Fox News commentator and nationally syndicated radio show host Glenn Beck is in the midst of falling from grace with both listeners and viewers, and I have a clear cut example why which I will share with you in a moment.  I ask you to keep in mind that part of the reason this very Blog exists is to remind us all of how important words are and that truth is a factor in determining who deserves our time and attention.  That is true for me as well so I implore you to hold me to the same standards in which I hold others that provide me with examples that I share with you.

Glenn Beck attacked my hometown of Detroit, Michigan on his show on Monday (video provided) and in a well written defense of those remarks, the Detroit Free Press pointed out the inaccuracies, OK the lies that Beck spewed.  I encourage you to click through and read it after watching the video so that you can make the simple declaration that I was obviously able to make.

Glenn Beck, for those who do not know him, is a radical ultra conservative, Right Wing, bloviator of the first degree.  He so loves the sound of his own voice that I have become convinced that it is a form of verbal masturbation for him and he must be a chronic verbal masturbator as my first post pointed out his list of lies is legendary.  How this continues to pass as “journalism” by any definition is well beyond my comprehension.

But for Glenn Beck to be allowed to continue to irresponsibly espouse his form of hatred on a daily basis in two methods of mass media seemingly unchecked makes no responsible sense to this writer.  It is not that I am confused as to the reason, because at the root of anything related to the media, money is involved and the greed of the news division of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, Fox News, is based solely on the idiocy of too many American consumers who have dumbed themselves down to the point that their own sensibilities are been halved, and I am being kind.

I make a living with words, as I profess constantly to all of you and at some personal level I am sick of the few at the top collecting multi-million dollar paychecks for basically telling those who have more than three brain cells to f*&% off and this is what they are doing.  Every time Beck or those of his ilk profess that their hatred for Obama, Democrats, any program that benefits people from the middle class down, Unions or anything that represents what they perceive a threat to their paycheck go balls out to discredit, defame and lie to their own benefit, and my fellow Americans, how sad is it that they win on a daily basis, or so it seems to be anyway, that they will do or say anything to support their point of view and have created such a division in this country that by their very words they have happily spread the kind of hate and destruction on all of us that the gang mentality they adore has and is evolving into something so wrong and so evil that I begin to wonder when we will begin to turn on each other in a violent way.  I seriously believe that they would cherish that and happily report it.

Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and others are the political base of the conservative base of the Right Wing of the Republican Party.  I base this on fact as we know it and they are responsible for moving information at such a rapid pace that there is no way to respond to it; not only not fast enough but with a large enough voice.  The failed Progressive radio network Air America was supposed to be part of that solution, as was MSNBC to some degree, but Air America was poorly managed from day one, they hired names instead of intellect and passion, and they never understood what kind of money it would take to thrive.  In fact, Air America is solely responsible for the decline of Progressive radio in this country as many syndicated show hosts had no choice but to hitch their wagon to Air America and were able to only grow as Air America grew, ergo, when they died so did much of Progressive radio.  As much as I respect Ed Schultz (I was his guest host many times), who has risen above the dust to great success, one man is not enough and there are still days where I want to get him to get mad and really tell the truth.  My dear friend Thom Hartmann is by far the best Progressive talker ever and although he continues to be heard all over the country, he needs more coverage.

The connective tissue between all of this is cash.  Cold, hard cash.  Right Wingers have it, Progressives don’t.  You do the math.

As successful as my show was and as dedicated as I was to issues, truth and fairness I had to recreate this every month begging sponsors and potential sponsors to stay with the show and it wasn’t because they didn’t have the money, they didn’t get that the money had to be about an investment in message not in selling their product.  I promise that the seed of the Conservative movement in this country especially as it relates to the media was not about profit.  It was about control.  Those who funded the onset of Conservative media understood that and gladly gave, and gave, and gave.  Now they are wealthy for those efforts and they have all the control.

Maybe there is some light at the end of the tunnel as ratings are beginning to slide and radio stations are beginning to remove some of this programming, but Progressives must still do much more to increase their voice in the media and find a way to fund it that will make an impact.

As a word guy Glenn Beck p(**es me off.  As an American the whole Conservative movement causes me some real fear.  As a former radio guy that part of my psyche is red hot p&^^ed off and screams to tell the truth, as I did for the better part of 17 years.  I’d do more, but hey, who has that kind of money?  I sure don’t.

So I take some comfort that the client work I do helps some small segment of the populace to tell their story with conviction and truth to power.  Oh maybe most of my clients will never be household names but I still believe we educate people one at a time and I will defend their right to tell that story with as much passion as purpose as they can muster. I have an obligation to that part of my professional and personal life, but I am warning you that unless we find a way to equalize the Glenn Beck’s of this world things will only get worse, much worse.

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As the host of his own nationally syndicated radio programs for 15 years, Tony has interviewed over 25,000 guests and appeared as a guest on over 800 radio and national television shows. He founded of his own public relations firm and he went on to author two books and became a “go to” authority on a myriad of issues from weight loss to self empowerment; from politics to pop culture. His list of media training clients number over 2000, many of them well known celebrities and authors. He and enjoys of the challenge of helping people discover their voice.Tony is respected and well known for his honesty and willingness to do what it takes to get to a core message. He works tirelessly with his clients and advocates for his clients in finding the most passionate and profound tenets of their message and then giving them the tools to deliver that message. http://www.mediatraining.me