Episode 239: What I Do With The Mad That I Feel

March 14, 2024

Central Thesis

Ad-supported media inherently corrupts content and undermines public discourse by prioritizing revenue over service, ultimately destroying the very value it seeks to exploit. The current state of podcasting proves this as advertising ruins listener experiences.

Key Arguments

• Advertising Destroys Service: Jim argues that advertising, especially when intrusive or poorly integrated, ruins the listener experience, making content unbearable. He cites J.C. McQuiston's "McQuiston test" as the principle the radio industry should follow, claiming that "Advertising must rise. Ride on some service. And in riding on that service, it must not destroy the service."
• Hypocrisy of Public Radio: Jim criticizes public radio for claiming to be supported by listeners while simultaneously running ads, arguing that this betrays its original non-commercial mission. He points out that WNYC's On The Media is especially bad.
• Podcast Advertising Is Out Of Control: Jim presents a personal account of his recent experience with ads on podcasts. He argues that an increasing number of podcasts run an obscene amount of ads and the quality of tone of ads is not considered.
• Influence of Fruities (Apple): Jim discusses how Apple's decisions regarding its podcasting platform have profoundly influenced the podcasting industry, creating a boom driven by ad revenue and binge listening that is now crashing. This is causing podcast companies to increase the number of ads on their podcast to make up for lost revenue. He sees a monopoly forming because Apple has too much influence in the industry.
• Need for Non-Commercial Funding: Jim concludes by advocating for a return to non-commercial funding models for media, citing Mr. Rogers' testimony before Congress as an example of how public media can be funded without relying on advertising. He argues that public media should be an oasis from commercial bombardment.

Notable Passages

• "That's kind of like asking when I finally stopped beating my wife. I've never beaten my wife, nor just as angrily advocated for an ad-free media world."
• "Our job, as reporters, is to be assholes. Is to challenge the powers that be. If all the daily newspapers disappeared tomorrow, the powers that be would still get their message out. They don't need us for that."
• "Seriously, Serial, the show, got private investors really interested in investing in podcast production. Millions flowed into the industry. We're talking tens of millions. But why?"
• "Even though the quality of public podcast programming and the privately owned podcasts that replicate this long-form public model, even though it is much better than that of commercial radio, when they fund these works with ads that follow the same style of commercial interruption, how would you like a dick in your ear?"

Rhetorical Approach

Jim uses a highly reactive and personal approach, driven by his own experiences and frustrations. He mixes personal anecdotes (dropping podcasts due to ads) with historical examples (J.C. McQuiston, Mr. Rogers) and satire (the "dick in your ear" parody) to build his argument. The tone is angry and exasperated, reflecting his stated "mad." Jim relies on analogy frequently.

References

• Previous Attack Ads! Episode 10, Episode 13, Episode 35, Episode 48, Episode 49, and Episode 143.
• J.C. McQuiston and his "McQuiston test."
• On The Media podcast and its ad practices.
• WNYC and its financial issues.
• The Fruities (Apple) and its influence on podcasting.
• Podcast Serial.
• Ira Glass and This American Life.
• Fred Rogers' testimony before Congress.
• Radio News article "Advertising by Radio. Can and should it be done?".