Tailoring Dissent on the Airwaves: The Role of Conservative Talk Radio in the Right-Wing Resurgence of 2010

Abstract

During the campaign for the 2010 midterm elections, conservative talk radio (CTR) played a fundamental role in voicing the protest against the Obama administration. A radio genre that has long been equated solely with Limbaugh, CTR now includes a more diverse offer of syndicated programs enjoying ratings similar to Limbaugh's and large national audiences. A content analysis of four of the five top CTR programs shows that, while they share a common ideological core—with common emphasis on economic issues and foreign affairs, and a systematic indictment of the forty-fourth president—each program tailors its content in a unique way. Significant differences emerge in the way hosts foreground and characterize role players, emphasize themes, and relate to the grassroots. Findings tend to define Limbaugh and Hannity as fiscal conservatives, and Ingraham and Savage as culture warriors. Overall, they point to Savage's particular status as an outlier in the CTR ecology, resulting from his cynical view of politics and suspicion of both Democrats and Republicans.