From Don Imus to Pat McAfee, talk show hosts face consequences of the digital world: Marchand
It is now nearly two decades to the day since everything changed for talk show hosts. WFAN and MSNBC’s shock jock Don Imus called the women’s Rutgers’ basketball team “nappy-headed hos” on April 4, 2007.Offensive language was not unusual for Imus, whose prominent broadcasting career was partly due to riling up listeners’ sensibilities. Top politicians and mainstream media members regularly appeared on Imus’ show, valuing the clout of his platform over its sometimes objectionable content.AdvertisementA decade before Imus’ 2007 firing from WFAN/MSNBC, Time Magazine named him one of the 25 most influential Americans. In the decade after, Imus’ show didn’t change, but the digital world did.For years, when reporters asked WFAN for tapes to verify comments they heard, its executives would claim there were none. Imus’ words would vanish into thin air after they were broadcast, a sound strategy to […]
