Breaking Through Media Tribalism

About this episode

Michael Smerconish discusses the challenges of media tribalism and the importance of a robust local press.

Michael Smerconish is a Sirius XM and CNN host, a prolific political commentator, a nationally recognized author — and leader of the fight for a political center in the U.S., which means having a robust media. "I think the press is being hollowed out," said former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. Local outlets are disappearing, the press is "functionally gutted; there's no longer a paper on your porch … and there's been a conservative effort to buy up local media because [it] still has credibility with folks." Smerconish is also an activist for voters who refuse to align with either of the two major parties. "I became so disenchanted with the Bush administration (W.) for their inability to go kill bin Laden," he said. He then swam against the tide of his own listener base by announcing his support for Barack Obama's presidential run in 2008. "How do you feel about that vote today?" asked former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. "Oh my god, I feel great about it," Smerconish said. "[My listeners] went crazy, but it was a breaking point and a wake-up call for me." Join us for a thoroughly entertaining and important conversation about what local leaders and citizens alike can do to break…

People in this episode

Host: Michael Smerconish

Topics covered

• media
• politics
• partisanship
• local news
• voter activism

Keywords

• media tribalism
• local news
• political center
• voter activism
• partisanship

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Sirius XM, CNN, Barack Obama

Places: U.S., Atlanta, Philadelphia

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