Should political bias be a part of the model?
Jeff Santos
We’re seeing more and more outlets embrace a right- or left-leaning bias as part of their programming. This is especially true on radio, where conservatives have long ruled the commercial airwaves. But there’s a station in Boston that is trying to offer counter-programming — WWZN 1510 AM is gunning for the left. The Boston Globe’s Johnny Diaz profiles WWZN radio host Jeff Santos, who offers progressive talk weekday mornings. Santos has his work cut out for him – the station’s audience is too low for Arbitron to measure. The history of liberal radio isn’t strong — Santos came out of Air America, which failed after two years. So why is it that liberal broadcasters can’t capture an audience the same way conservatives do? Is it true, as conservative hosts say, that they are “the antidote” for the “liberal media,” so there’s no need for liberal radio?
As we continue to examine the idea of a Native News startup, the question is: should it have a political leaning from the get-go?