The idea for “Cultivating Misinformation” was planted long before the project sprouted, and it was fertilized by life experiences.
After earning my bachelor’s degree in communication from Wichita State University, I ran a small-town, weekly newspaper in central Kansas as the editor-in-chief. I was the only full-time staff member, putting in at least 80 hours of work each week. I attempted to purchase the publication from the owner, but that didn’t work out. Knowing I couldn’t sustain the time I was dedicating to the newspaper and refusing to allow the quality to dip on my watch, I decided to pursue teaching.
I ended up in western Kansas at a very small school. I launched a journalism program, drove the school bus, coached sports, and performed a variety of other duties.
During the summer months, I helped a farmer — who would become a lifelong friend and was a groomsman at my wedding — with wheat harvest and other agricultural activities (I rode a horse once while trying to help round up cattle . . . I didn’t go well for me).
While driving a tractor over the fields as I attempted to position my grain cart in the right area so the combine harvesters could empty their grain tanks, I needed something to pass the time. The tractor wasn’t new by any means, as evidenced by the lack of air conditioning and the presence of windows that opened just enough to allow grain dust to fill the cab and enrage my allergies. However, it did have a radio.
As a news junkie, I spun the dial and search for a news station.
I found a lot of country music and religious programming, but I didn’t find a lot of news, except for talk radio.
The voices of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Michael Savage came through loud and clear. These conservative pundits sharing their thoughts and opinions were the closest things to news reports I could find.
Perhaps this was the result of being in the middle of a field, right?
Apparently not. It didn’t just happen in the tractor. The stereo in the school bus I drove also picked up a limited number of options, but conservative talk radio always came in clearly, which means some people were getting all their news via the opinions of radio personalities instead of reporters.
This always struck me as interesting, especially since western Kansas and the state overall are so “red” politically speaking. Conservatism is the primary political stance, and Republican politicians garner the most support.
Eventually, I got a job teaching at another school in the middle of the state before entering the ranks of the professoriate in higher education, but the prevalence of conservative talk radio remained on my mind.
I continued to wonder which came first. Were rural Kansans such a welcoming audience to conservative talk radio because of previously held political beliefs, or did rural Kansans develop their conservative leanings because of the talk radio?
Having grown up in rural Kansas and currently living in rural Kansas, I had numerous conversations with people from all sides of the proverbial aisle. However, true to the state’s “red” reputation, the majority of people were politically conservative.
Then, as social media platforms like Facebook began to take root in the area, the passionate adherence to conservative ideals became more evident. This could be due to confirmation bias that constructs filter bubbles and echo chambers, but that still doesn’t answer how it all begins.
It’s the classic chicken or egg dilemma, and it is endlessly fascinating to me.
Individuals are so complex that there will never be one answer, but by at least investigating how rural Kansas and rural Americans more broadly receive their news and information, we can start to chip away at the reasons behind certain beliefs and actions, which includes shining a light on news preferences and trust in journalism.
Such considerations are important to ensure our democracy continues to function properly because journalism plays an important role in society by keeping people informed, just as farmers and ranchers are vital to keep pantries stocked and bellies full.
To that end, when it came time to determine my dissertation topic, I knew I had to investigate if there was any relationship between conservative talk radio and other forms of media and political beliefs and trust in news outlets.