I am sure that this excerpt from Al Gore’s latest book is sending shockwaves through public radio circles.
If it isn’t yet — it should be.
Public Radio has been one of the few defenders of discourse in America, and the burden has been tough. The failure of PBS and it’s implosion (and hopeful resurrection) is an example of what TV cannot do. Much like the printed word, Radio is a Hot Medium.
While the obsession with sounding good and having great production are worthy distractions, Public Radio needs to instead focus itself fully on aiding the recovery of the american democratic conversation.
How can this happen?
Public Radio has to stop being embarrassed every time it is attacked politically by conservatives, but it must also liberate itself from it’s image as a lefty hippie camp. Down the center of American politics is a void, and in that void sits millions and millions of teenagers, senior citizens, new immigrants, workers, entrepreneurs, mothers and everyone you can imagine.
It’s that space, the discourse with the disenfranchised rather than the punditry, that will bring reason back to America.
Al Gore is Lazarus, just not your left wing touchy feely democrat anymore.
Socialwrite 
Public Radio could help their cause immensely if they would aggressively adopt more progressive licensing of their content. That would seem like a no-brainer strategy for getting back in the conversation.