Us against Them: The Political Culture of Talk Radio (Lexington Studies in Political Communication) - Hardcover

If you are interested in talk radio, this is the book to buy. It covers the personalities, the issues, the political impact, and the audience in a well researched, easy to read manner. -- Lloyd Rohler, UNC-Wilmington Bobbitt (Univ. of West Florida) treats an important phenomenon that has received little objective examination....The book's main strength is the breadth...of its treatment. Bobbitt includes chapter-length treatments of talk radio audiences, sponsors, commentators (Right and Left), women, local talk radio programming, 'shock' hosts, and the role of talk radio in the 2008 presidential election....Recommended. * CHOICE * Us Against Them: The Political Culture of Talk Radio by Randy Bobbit examines the phenomenon of talk radio and the role that it plays in the American political process as well as popular culture. Among the central questions addressed is why people listen to political talk instead of music....After relating the history of talk radio as well as where the format stands today in terms of audience demographics and advertiser support, Bobbit examines how talk radio may have impacted political campaigns from the 1950s through 2006 midterm election. * Communication Booknotes Quarterly *

Us against Them examines the phenomenon of talk radio and the role that it plays in the American political process as well as popular culture. Utilizing historical accounts of the industry's growth, biographies of well-known hosts, and interviews with individuals working in the industry, Randy Bobbitt explores why people choose to listen to political talk instead of music when they turn on their radio.