Too Much Misinformation

Okay, you know what to do.

There are a lot of articles in the industry trades with advice about what radio should be doing to address the pandemic, and I'm not going to repeat their advice; it's all good and you're on it anyway, right? You're providing accurate and up-to-date information, right? Yeah, you are. Of course.

Or not. I've heard and seen several radio talk and sports hosts spreading misinformation on the air and in social media, and that's unforgivable. Maybe you need some additional guidance on how to do this. After all, there's pretty much one topic on everyone's mind, and it's unusual when that topic is not only dominant but figures to be dominant for a long time. You can really only talk about variants on the coronavirus topic, even if you're a sports host or a "wacky" music station morning show or religion or business talker. Nobody's thinking about anything else unless it's through the prism of COVID-19. You know you have to talk about it somehow, and you know you have to provide information. So you do.

But, come on, how many times am I going to have to tell you to stop spreading false information? How many times do I have to tell you that your credibility will be permanently shot if you pass along incorrect information, or biased material that proves to be false? Sometimes, I think that everyone knows fakes when they see it, and I'm not talking about calling something with which you don't agree "fake news." I'm talking about, well, how about the list of "facts" being spread around credited to a friend's uncle "who's graduated with a master's degree and who worked in Shenzhen Hospital" or a "Stanford Hospital board member"? Even the setup for that Facebook meme makes it clear that it's a hoax. Yet people who should know better, many in radio, are posting and reposting it as fact.

Stop it.

It's no different to minimize the risks of COVID-19. Some very prominent radio talk and sports hosts are doing this, and I wonder if they realize, or care, that they're putting a large portion of their audience, those in the high risk categories, in great danger by telling people that they shouldn't take the threat seriously, that they should go about their business without caring that they could pass the virus on to people whose lives would be threatened. In trying to stick to your political guns, you're telling some of your listeners that you just don't care about them. And you're telling people to trust YOU rather than medical experts, who are pretty unanimous about the dangers posed by this coronavirus.

You're not a doctor. If you're going to pass along advice, pass along the advice from actual medical experts. Yes, it's true that anyone who relies upon a radio political talk show host for medical advice might deserve what they get, but there will be innocent bystanders affected by that stupidity. Maybe I'm more sensitive about this because I'm in a high-risk group, but, please, don't make matters worse. Stick to verifiable facts. That should be obvious, but, distressingly, it isn't. Maybe it's because talk hosts are used to being able to offer opinions without the need to be, you know, accurate. Most of that isn't a life-or-death matter. This one is.

Let's be better. It's going to be a weird time for everyone, and the radio industry can lead on this. I could point out the problem of the industry having eliminated local news at a time when it's most needed, but that's another column. If you're on the air at all, or programming, or managing, you can do this and do it well. Your listeners need you to do it. Your credibility is on the line. Your listeners are rattled, their worlds have been upended, and they don't need you to lead them astray. Think before you pass along junk information. Be a rock for them. They -- we -- are gonna need it.

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There are coronavirus topics and other things, in case you need them, at Talk Topics, the show prep column at All Access News-Talk-Sports. Just click here and/or follow the Talk Topics Twitter feed at @talktopics with every story individually linked to the appropriate item. There's also a fun "10 Questions With..." longtime New York (and New Jersey!) radio stalwart Anita Bonita, now anchoring at WCBS/New York and still one of the most multi-talented creatives in the industry.

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For obvious reasons, my annual convention tour is off for now, so scratch the WWRS panel and the BEA panel and the NAB Show and Conclave, and we'll see how things play out for Podcast Movement and the Radio Show. I always said I'd love to take a break from the convention circuit, but I wasn't quite expecting THIS. And it's weird that I now look forward to getting back to the conventions, because that'll mean things are getting back to normal. In the meantime, you'll find me at the ol' home office, or searching for hand sanitizer and toilet paper at the supermarket with everyone else.

Perry Michael Simon
Vice President/Editor, News-Talk-Sports and Podcast
AllAccess.com
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