shouting loudly

U Indiana scholars study O’Reilly Factor: Uses derogatory names ever 6.8 sec

In perhaps the most systematic study to date of The O’Reilly Factor, journalism scholars from the University of Indiana concluded that O’Reilly systematically deploys a broad array of disreputable propaganda techniques.

On many counts, the researchers concluded O’Reilly uses underhanded propaganda techniques over 50% more often (12.9 times per minute) than the infamous 1930’s radio host Father Charles Coughlin (8/min).

During his “Talking Points Memo” commentaries on his cable show, the polarizing pundit insults a person or group of persons on average 8.88 times per minute, leading the researchers to describe “name calling [as] the backbone of his communication strategy” (p. 205).

After name calling, his second most common technique is the glittering generality, “roughly the opposite of name calling” (p. 206). For example, “O’Reilly likened a movement to increase security on the Mexican border to a ‘non-partisan people’s movement’” (p. 206). He uses these almost three times per minute.

O’Reilly also uses fear appeals in 52% of episodes, but he offers solutions to these fears just 1% of the time.

The contrast with Coughlin provides remarkable historic context. Coughlin broadcast anti-semitic and anti-New Deal rhetoric to over 40 million listeners in the 30’s. He also explicitly supported Stalin and Hitler at the outset of World War II.

Coughlin became the inspiration for propaganda analysis, one of the earlier versions of the systematic study of media content using verifiable quantitative measures.

Link via Think Progress, via Digg. (Bet you can’t guess why I was on Digg…)