Following the shooting of Democratic congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford there have been thousands of stories asking, “What does it mean?” As my readers know, I’ve been concerned about violent rhetoric and what it can lead to for years.
The next question that gets asked is, “What can we do about it?” Here are my thoughts and suggestions based on how I successfully fought violent rhetoric on right-wing talk radio.
First, two questions:
What are the positive financial rewards to the people and corporations who use violent rhetoric? What could be the negative financial consequences of violent rhetoric to these same people and corporations?
When I focused on violent rhetoric at right-wing talk radio I wanted to ensure there were negative financial consequences for this kind of rhetoric. Historically right-wing radio only received positive financial rewards typically in the form of higher ad rates and salaries based on higher ratings. We live in a corporate world where the financial bottom-line results drive attitudes and actions. Right now a CFO or CEO can safely say, “I don’t care what he says, as long as he makes money.”
Make Violent Rhetoric Less Profitable
Sadly, violent rhetoric is not only tolerated in corporate America, it . . . → Read More: Who Profits from Violent Rhetoric? Can We Reduce The Profit?
