Buzzflash interview with Rachel Maddow:

[babylonsister]

Rachel Maddow, Another Progressive Talk Show Host Well Worth Listening To
Submitted by BuzzFlash on Mon, 09/17/2007 - 5:14pm. Interviews

A BUZZFLASH INTERVIEW

On mainstream political reporting: "... the entire way the arc of the story is told ... it never ever looks into the merits of anybody's claim on either side. ... You never, ever, ever assess the merits. You describe them. You compare them to other things. And then you bring in an expert. And every single story has that same formula. ... It's up to citizen journalism and populist journalism, like we're doing online and in progressive radio, to do basic, basic, basic reporting. It's embarrassing."

-- Rachel Maddow, Air America Host

snip//

BuzzFlash: First of all, when does your program air?

Rachel Maddow: From six p.m. to eight p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday. A lot of markets that air my show, air it live, but some places air it on delay. You can get a list of stations that carry my show at airamerica.com, and you can listen live to all Air America's programs on airamerica.com. We also make available the most recent program as a free stream that you can listen to until the next show is posted. You can always go to the most recent show at any time at airamerica.com.

BuzzFlash: How would you describe your style?

Rachel Maddow: I get asked that a lot, and a lot of people have come up with descriptions for me. I feel like I ought to have a pat answer, but I feel different about it every day.

I was recently described in print as Amy Goodman with animal noises. I don't think that's exactly right, but there's an element of kind of hard core news. In one sense, I really would like to replace people's NPR listening. I really feel like you can listen to my two-hour show, or you can just listen to the first super news-intensive half hour of my show, and it can really supplant any traditional news outlet that you're checking out for your daily news.

I try to be authoritative, transparently sourced, and pretty comprehensive in terms of what you need to know is happening in the world. I always cover the Iraq war at the top of every hour of the show. I am committed to always covering the war every day, and I'm pretty seriously committed to just being good at delivering news.

I'm also a total dork, and there's a lot of dorkiness, and animal noises, and humor.

more...

http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/interviews/076

[quiet.american]

1. I miss her show on AAR in the am in NY. Now, it's Armstrong Williams. blech!

[BrklynLib at work]

3. I used to have AAR on 24/7. Now I very rarely have it tuned in..especially since they changed to a

frequency here in NYC that is almost impossible to hear after 6PM. During the daytime I am at work and cannot get the AM reception.

You are 100% correct about Armstrong Williams. What a horror that he is on what is supposed to be a progressive radio station.

[quiet.american]

4. Hello! I've said it so many times, but AAR has practically committed suicide in NY.

I used to have it on 24/7, too -- and now haven't listened to it in months. -- And when I do, I have to stream it, can't get it on the radio....

[BrklynLib at work]

5. And NYC is supposed to be their "FLAGSHIP" station???!!!!

:wtf:

[quiet.american]

6. As the saying goes -- "fuhgeddaboutit!" :) n/t

[unhappycamper]

2. Wouldn't it be great if Skinner could interview her?

Zonkers!

On edit to add:

BuzzFlash: Well, this is our country. I think that's the point. The people who remain invigorated, who want to win back the Constitution, win back democracy, do feel that this is our nation, and that someone's trying to take away its basic foundations. And that battles are won in battle.

Rachel Maddow: It's kind of a call to account in terms of how much we are willing to do to defend our Constitution, and how much we value things like the separation of powers, and the Fourth Amendment, and the First Amendment, and actually even the idea of America as an honest broker in the world.

Liberals have a lot of reason to be cynical, because as liberals, we're very conscious of the things that have been done in America's name, sometimes secretly and sometimes not, that are not honorable. But in this overt threat that we've got, to the very traditions of what it means to be in this country, and to respect ourselves as a republic, as a constitutional republic, it makes us identify what's valuable in those things that we need to defend, that makes us identify what's valuable in the Fourth Amendment and the First Amendment, and the rest of the Bill of Rights. And the idea of America as an honest player in the international stage.

I think it's made me as a liberal be much more conscientious about what in our history, and what in our traditions, is worth fighting for. It's not just about the CIA overturning governments that weren't friendly to American business interests. I mean, that's part of our history. But what else is part of our history? A lot of stuff that we ought to feel more proud about, and that is worth salvaging. This country's legacies and traditions are complicated, but they are worth fighting for, too. We need to be more than critical. We need to be also proud and enthused by the potential of this country. I just feel like Bush has made me more patriotic.