Toxic Talk: How the Radical Right Has Poisoned America's Airwaves [Hardcover]

Bill Press (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 25, 2010

A timely cannon blast at the right-wing media machine and how it subverts the principles of democratic representation

Talk radio has done an end run around the voting populace. With Rush Limbaugh now the unofficial leader of the Republican Party and the far right controlling the five major syndicates, conservatives have a disproportionate voice in the medium—even in liberal cities such as New York, Boston, and San Francisco. Writing with his characteristic and incisive wit, Bill Press exposes the destructive power of Rush, Glenn Beck, Mark Levin, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, Bill O’Reilly, and the other polarizing figures of talk radio who dominate 90% of the political airwaves today. Citing their own words as evidence, Press brilliantly makes the case that much of what is broadcast on radio and television today is—at best—distorted and partisan, and—at worst—lies, propaganda and bigotry sold by these talented modern-day pitchmen who have followings in the millions.

Editorial Reviews

Review

ADVANCE PRAISE for TOXIC TALK

“Mr. Press charges Rush Limbaugh and other conservative radio talk-show hosts with employing ugly rhetoric, dirty tactics and outright lies to build their audiences and advance their political agendas. In the process, he argues, the radio talkers have coarsened the political debate and diminished opportunities for bipartisanship.”--The Wall Street Journal

"For far too long, conservatives were the only voices heard on talk radio. But no longer. Now there’s a whole community of strong and dynamic progressive voices on the airwaves. As Bill Press shows, progressive radio is alive, well, and growing!"—Congressman James E. Clyburn, House Majority Whip

“Good for Bill Press! Finally, somebody exposes that gang of right-wing talk show hosts for the hate-mongers they are. If you want to know how much damage Rush Limbaugh and his clones have done to free speech, read this book!”—Ed Schultz, host of The Ed Schultz Show

"I poke fun at the ‘right-wing world’ on my own radio show every day. But Bill Press shows us that the world of right-wing talk is not only stupid, it’s dangerous. I dare Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity to read this book. If they ever did, they would immediately resign in shame!"—Stephanie Miller, host of The Stephanie Miller Show

 

"Finally, a bare knuckled challenge to those bullies on talk radio who invent their own truths. Bill Press is a progressive breath of fresh air."—Senator Byron Dorgan

"For too long, talk radio was the exclusive playhouse of right-wing extremists. No longer. Now, we see them exposed for what Bill Press rightly calls them, toxic talkers. We also see the promise, from a progressive perspective, of more and more strong truth-tellers."—Senator Bernie Sanders

PRAISE for HOW THE REPUBLICANS STOLE RELIGION:

“Bill Press writes the way he talks: with wit, spiritual conviction and political passion.”

—Lydia Howell, Pulse of the Twin Cities

“Impassioned, entertaining and sure to please . . .  thoughtfully reminds readers how and why religion and government need to be protected from each other in order to flourish.”

—Publishers Weekly

“This thoughtful look at religion and politics in America will interest even those who may not agree with its premises.”

—Booklist

“The movement toward a theocratic America has a new obstacle: Bill Press’s articulate defense of real religious freedom.”

—The Rev. Barry Lynn, Executive Director, Americans United for Separation of Church and State

“God bless Bill Press. This former seminarian and former California Democratic Party chair has the courage, theological training, and moral clarity needed to point out both the deep spiritual values of the left and the hypocrisy of some on the far right. Hallelujah, Brother Bill!”

—Paul Begala, Cohost, CNN’s The Situation Room

PRAISE for SPIN THIS!:

“A witty exploration.”

—The Tampa Tribune

“Fascinating.”

—U.S. News & World Report

About the Author

BILL PRESS is host of the nationally syndicated Bill Press Show, also on Sirius XM, and writes a syndicated column for Tribune Media Services. He is the former co-host of MSNBC’s Buchanan and Press and CNN’s Crossfire and The Spin Room. Press lives in Washington, D.C.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; 1 edition (May 25, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031260629X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312606299
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #829,713 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bill Press began his career as a political insider and media commentator on KABC-TV and KCOP-TV, both in Los Angeles. Over the years, he has received numerous awards for his work, including four Emmys and a Golden Mike Award.

The former co-host of MSNBC's Buchanan and Press, CNN's Crossfire and The Spin Room, Press has built a national reputation on thought-provoking and humorous insights from the left side of the political aisle.

Press is the author of six books: Spin This! (Atria, 2002), Bush Must Go! (Dutton Books, 2004), How The Republicans Stole Christmas (Doubleday, 2005), Trainwreck (Wiley, 2008), Toxic Talk (Thomas Dunne Books, 2010), and his latest, The Obama Hate Machine (Thomas Dunne Books, 2012).

The host of radio's nationally syndicated Bill Press Show (Monday-Friday from 6-9am ET), Press attends the daily White House press briefing and writes a syndicated newspaper column, distributed weekly by Tribune Media Services.

Press resides in the nation's capital with his wife Carol.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 36 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Toxic Talk: Intriguing, but I expected more June 19, 2010

By Anthony West

Format:Hardcover

First of all, I'm a liberal. Not the most extreme liberal, but a liberal nonetheless. I very much like Bill Press and his debates with conservatives on Ed Schultz's MSNBC show are pure entertainment. It's refreshing to have a few liberal voices in a mainly conservative talk landscape.

As soon as I saw Toxic Talk on the bookshelves at Barnes & Noble, I immediately snatched it up and bought it. I cannot resist a liberal giving their take on the right wing radio and TV world.

That said, as much as I enjoyed Toxic Talk, I walked away wanting a little more.

To me, it felt like he took everything he had to say about conservative talk from Media Matters (which he acknowledges he used quite extensively in research for Toxic Talk). I love Media Matters, and it felt like I was reading Media Matters in book form, as if it was written by Eric Bohlert or David Brock instead of Press. I almost felt as if I could have written the book. Also, noted many of the things right wing talkers have said on the radio, but, while there are rebuttals to some of Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck and other's claims, many were left without any thing to point out where the righties were wrong and what the truth really was.

The editing of the book was not quite on par, either. One example was Press's recalling of Sean Hannity versus Sonia Sotomayor. On page 83, it reads: "On May 1, 2004, the day David Souter announced his resignation from the court, Hannity predicted that Obama's first nominee would be "somebody extremely radical," since his policies as president so far had been purely "Socialist." Three days later, still twenty-two days before Sotomayor's confirmation, Hannity declared..."

Now, I read this and thought to myself, surely Souter didn't resign from the Court in 2004. How could Hannity have predicted that Obama's first nominee to the court would be radical, when Obama was relatively unknown on May 1, 2004, months before his breakthrough at the 2004 DNC with his remarkable address? Obviously, he meant May 1 of 2009, but it's something that his editor must have went over. I'm bad at proofreading some of the things I write, but yet even I noticed this typo.

Another thing about this book is that much of what this book covers is right wing radio personalities attacking Obama as both nominee and as President. I follow politics very closely, and most of the things I read here I already knew from going on Media Matters and Huffington Post. The book is more for people who don't follow those sites and don't know just how vile these right wing talkers are.

Progressive talk radio does have some very good voices, such as Press and Schultz. But there are some that just as vile as Limbaugh can be on the left. Take Mike Malloy, for instance. Sometimes when I go online and read all of the righties on the message boards just blow my mind with all of the ignorance that they can espouse, it's refreshing to hear some of Malloy's harsh rhetoric, but I can only take so much of it. What Malloy does is just the kind of thing Limbaugh and others do, which is personally attack those with whom they disagree with. Press argues that when conservatives do that, it's harmful to the public discourse. Yet he effusively praises Malloy for doing basically the same thing, only on the progressive side. When conservatives call Obama ridiculous names, such as "Chairman Mao Tse Obama" and "Obama bin Laden" among others, Press rightly denounces it. Yet he seemed to enjoy when Malloy called Bush "Knuckle Nuts", "the Unelected Idiot", "President Bunny Pants", and "Cinco de Moron". And to be fair, Ed Schultz has said some pretty crazy things himself.

That said, it still takes my breath away to read of some of the things extemist Michael Savage says on his show. I thoroughly enjoyed Press's reminisces of his experiences and his encounters with talkers like Savage and Laura Ingraham. It is a very entertaining book and it makes me want to make billions of dollars if for nothing else but to start my own media company and buy up some stations so we can have more progressive talkers on the air instead of a near monopoly the righties currently enjoy.

32 of 43 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a continuing disease ! July 19, 2010

By Lincoln Templeton

Format:Hardcover

I read the book 71 Days: The Media Assault On Obama and it seems this toxic talk began even before Obama was elected. That book shows how the the airwaves were poisoned back on the day of the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Bill Press has done a great job of detailing how the Right is treading on thin ice and in danger of destroying themselves from within. The Whig Party should be a lesson to them. THe book is highly entertaining with some insider tidbits that make for an enjoyable read. It leaves Limbaugh and the like resembling a disease of some sort. Bill Press gets an A+ here. Get it!

17 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The real reason October 5, 2010

By Yubacity Bill

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Very informative with entertaining anecdotes. Conservative talk hosts say there is no market for Progressive talk and that is why Conservatives dominate this market. This is not true and tells why. The book exposes many of the lies told by right-wing pundits.