How Proper-Wing Radio Stoked Anger Earlier than the Capitol Siege

The first change gives a lot of leeway to what hosts in the air can say. More recently, however, defamation lawsuits or threats have emerged as a potential control. Smartmatic, an election technology company, filed a $ 2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox Corporation and three Fox anchors last week, accusing them of making false statements that harmed the company.

Sidney Powell, the Trump attorney named in the Smartmatic lawsuit who accused Fox News of making false claims, uttered similar lies on Mr. Limbaugh’s show after election day. (Mr. Limbaugh later complained that Ms. Powell had provided no evidence of fraud, but she reappeared on his program on December 29th with little rejection from a restaurateur.)

In contrast to cable television, talk radio is difficult to monitor – broadcasts often fade into the air and transcripts are rare. A radio broadcast system maintained by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology transcribed the testimony of leading conservative programs between November 22nd and January 5th.

An analysis of these transcripts by the New York Times found that The Sean Hannity Show, which airs on more than 600 networks, identified 35 of the 45 episodes transcribed as fraudulent, tampered with, stolen or illegal in MIT this period, including comments from guests and callers. The poll was identified as fraudulent, tampered with, stolen, or illegal in 32 of 45 episodes of Mr. Limbaugh’s program transcribed in the same amount of time.

After the Capitol uprising, the same hosts denounced the violence. “Any good, decent, honorable American would condemn any violence,” Hannity said on Jan. 6.

On the same broadcast, the host reminded listeners that “hundreds and hundreds” of people claimed to have witnessed fraud or irregularities in the elections. “People feel like their voices are not being heard and they are angry,” Hannity said.

He then greeted a frequent caller on the show, pro-Trump activist Rose Tennent, who did not criticize the violence in Washington.

“At some point people break,” said Ms. Tennent.

Sophia June contributed to the coverage.

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