Newsroom
Summer 2002
- Talk Radio: Providing the Audience a Safe Haven
Talk Radio: Providing
the Audience a Safe Haven
by Mary C. Lamia, Ph.D.
In an era of instant communication
and a plethora of media outlets, talk radio remains a thriving industry. Why
are so many people concerned with what Dr. Laura or Rush or O'Reilly had to
say yesterday?
“People
listen to talk radio because they want to feel informed by a credible source,”
says Mary C. Lamia, Ph.D., a Bay Area psychoanalyst who hosts a local call-in
show for children on Radio Disney called Kid Talk with Dr. Mary. Adult listeners
are hungry for identifications. Talk show hosts with strong opinions serve
as authority figures, in much the same manner their parents and teachers did
for the listeners when they were young.
“Those listeners who are uncertain
about how they feel on a particular topic can try on the opinion of the talk
show host,” continues Dr. Lamia. "If they then proceed to internalize
the opinions of the host, they feel affirmation in stating that opinion in
social circles.”
Another reason for the popularity
of talk radio is that it bridges the gap of isolation in our society.
"For
disenfranchised individuals, talk radio provides a safe place for them to
feel they as though they have opinions worth hearing,” says Dr. Lamia.
“When they get air time, these people can try out new ideas, have them
validated and gain respect.”
Dr. Lamia acknowledges that interacting
with an anonymous social group, “the listening audience”" may be the
best some individuals can do for interaction. Radio stations promote that sense
of belonging through listener appreciation contests and newsletters. And rather
than view the Internet as competition, the talk radio industry has integrated
e-mail and web sites into its promotional package to provide listeners with
even more opportunities to contact the hosts.
As a caveat, Dr. Lamia advises, “People
who are afraid to interact socially, but are obsessed with talk radio programs,
may want to get some psychological help. A mental health professional can help
the individual identify why it is difficult for them to interact with others
face to face.”
