Jeff Jarvis has published a cover story on the Howard Stern saga in The Nation. It’s entitled “F*CKED BY THE F*CC.”
Stern shies away from no sacred cow. He is a positive force in American media. Just as weblogs tweak big media to keep them honest, Stern pushes the line to keep politicians and celebrities and his audience honest. So I like to listen to him. If you don’t, fine. Listen to something else. I won’t stop you. Just don’t stop me.
And there’s the real question: If the government is going to regulate speech, where’s the line and who’s going to draw it? Is it at the least-common-denominator that makes all media safe for 5-year-olds? Is it at the church door that makes all media safe for church ladies? Is it at my car door so I can still listen to Stern? Is the line going to be drawn just on broadcast or will it extend to cable and satellite–and the Internet? Will the censored be just shock jocks–or newsmakers or bloggers?
I don’t have all that much sympathy for Stern, given that he operates under an FCC license and has repeatedly flouted the law. Nor am I as adamant as Jeff that denying the public the right to hear about private parts, bodily emissions, unusual sex acts, and the like over the airwaves is a major threat to the Republic. And, really, if the FCC goes after Wonkette next, we’ll likely survive.
Still, the harm that letting Stern do his thing unimpeded by federal content regulation would do to the Republic is small indeed. “For the children” is an increasingly tired argument. And, in the context of explicit language, essentially moot these days. Language and content much more vile than anything on Stern’s program can be heard pretty much anywhere rap music is played. Which is to say, pretty much everywhere. At least you have to voluntarily turn on Stern’s show.
I couldn’t help but be amused by this addendum to Jeff’s post:
PREVIOUS DAILY STERN POSTS: here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here. [hyperlinks omitted]
That’s a lot of Stern posts!
