Media Elder Alan Berg versus Charlie Kirk: Tradition versus Innovation
In June 1984, Alan Berg, a talk radio host known for his outspoken and controversial style, was murdered in Denver at the age of 50. Fast forward to June 2023, Charlie Kirk, a right-wing activist and media personality, met a similar fate at Utah Valley University.
Berg, often referred to as a practitioner of 'insult radio,' was a divisive figure. His network asked him not to speak to the press about his murder due to his controversial personality. The New York Times reported that he focused on the intelligence of his callers and guests or their ideas on serious issues.
In the aftermath of Berg's murder, the police had 'zero' idea who had killed him or why. This eerie similarity was seen again in the case of Charlie Kirk. The immediate aftermath of his murder also left the authorities baffled. It wasn't until 33 hours after the shooting in Utah that the murderer, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was arrested.
The murder of both these personalities sparked a wave of reactions. Richard Lamm, the governor of Colorado, called Berg's murder a 'societal tragedy' and lamented that people too often respond to views they dislike with violence. In the case of Kirk, Spencer Cox, the governor of Utah, decried it as a 'tragic day for our nation' and expressed hope that 'all of us will try to find a way to stop hating our fellow Americans.'
Hasan Piker, a socialist streamer, described Berg's murder as a 'wake-up call,' while Adin Ross, a right-wing streamer, said, 'I'm not going to bait these motherfuckers anymore. I don't want smoke.'
Meanwhile, in the world of media, Penske Media, owner of Rolling Stone and the Hollywood Reporter, brought a lawsuit against Google, alleging that AI summaries are illegally using its original reporting and depressing online traffic. Elsewhere, Ravi Somaiya, former CJR digital editor and Times media reporter, is launching a new home for long reads called Bungalow.
In other news, Sam Sifton, an assistant managing editor at the Times who also writes the Cooking newsletter, will be the next writer, host, and anchor of the publication's flagship Morning newsletter. Mehdi Hasan is expanding his Substack publication Zeteo and has made multiple hires from Rolling Stone.
Unrelated to these events, ninety-five people, including journalists, were freed from arbitrary detention by Belarus after a US delegation visited Minsk. In a separate incident, nine Israeli soldiers stormed the home of Oscar-winning Palestinian director Basel Adra, searching for him and going through his wife's phone while their nine-month-old daughter was home.
Lastly, in the world of entertainment, Nine Israeli soldiers stormed the home of Oscar-winning Palestinian director Basel Adra, searching for him and going through his wife's phone while their nine-month-old daughter was home. Mehdi Hasan is expanding his Substack publication Zeteo and has made multiple hires from Rolling Stone.
