Waves of Rancor: Tuning in the Radical Right » (1st Edition)

The airwaves in America are being used by armed militias, conspiracy theorists, survivalists, the religious right, white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and other radical groups to reach millions with their messages of hate and fear. Waves of Rancor examines the origin, nature, and impact of right-wing electronic media, including radio, television, cable, the Internet, and even music CDs. Waves of Rancor also features exclusive interviews with far-right and extreme-right leaders, including David Duke, a former leader of the Ku Klux Klan and founder of the largest Klan organization today, the Knights of the KKK; James Green, founder and "major general" of the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps, whose radio program, "Battle Cry," is carried on international short-wave by the World Wide Christian Radio network; and Tom Valentine of the Liberty Lobby - an organization that attempts to "put as populist or as friendly a face on neo-Nazism as it can." The authors also present the work of groups working to counter the efforts of these right-wing groups, such as the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Anti-Defamation League, the Coalition to Halt Hate Radio, and Political Research Associates.

Library Journal

Hilliard (communications, Emerson Coll.) and Keith (communications, Boston Coll.), coauthors of communications textbooks, explore the potentially explosive subject of "hate media" in this intriguing but ultimately uneven book. The heart of their work, based on interviews, is a categorization of the wide variety of radical right groups utilizing electronic media (radio, TV, the Internet) and brief characterizations of leading and regional radio personalities such as David Duke, Rush Limbaugh, and Chuck Harder. The history of freedom of speech on the airwaves and suggested ways to fight the far Right open and close the book. What's missing is actual text from the radio talk shows under discussion, as well as cited research on the interaction of the media with individuals' political views and actions. Recommended only for academic collections specializing in communications.--Donna L. Schulman, Cornell Univ. Libs., New York Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.