Pete Seeger

Although it was fifty-three years ago, I can still remember the day that the legendary folk singer Pete Seeger came to perform at my grammar school.  It was 1956, and I was in first grade. I can remember sitting cross-legged on the warm concrete playground, squeezed tight between my best friends in the front row, straining to be as close as possible to the amazing sound of Seeger’s banjo.  It was years later before it occurred to me that the reason such an incredible musician was playing at my grammar school instead of at Carnegie Hall that year was that he had been blacklisted as part of Joe McCarthy’s red scare.

I kept thinking about Pete Seeger and Joe McCarthy this past week as I read about Glenn Beck’s attacks on various Obama administration officials. Like Joe McCarthy, Glenn Beck is making wild accusations about people’s political beliefs and trying to get them removed from their jobs. Unlike Joe McCarthy, Beck is a talk show host, not a U.S. Senator. Beck is the host of the third most popular talk radio program in the U.S. and in January he launched a Fox News television show.

When Pete Seeger and others refused to testify before Senator McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee, they were indicted for contempt of Congress and faced legal sanctions. Fortunately, Beck does not have that kind of legal power since he was never elected by anyone, but his radio show reaches over 8 million listeners a week and his new television show has over 2 million viewers.  His programs give him a strong financial incentive to make outrageous statements that will continue to boost his ratings. Although he claims to speak for the common man, Beck’s income is estimated at $18 million a year, far more than the salaries of the government employees he is picking on.

Glenn Beck is finding signs of communism everywhere these days – even on the walls of New York’s venerable Rockefeller Center. This past month Beck attacked environmental activist Van Jones in 14 episodes of his show. Jones decided to resign from his position as Special Advisor on Green Jobs at the White House Council on Environmental Quality rather than become a lightning rod for controversy. Beck has also been attacking the National Endowment for the Arts and in particular, publicist Yosi Sergant, who was serving as its Director of Communications. Sergant has been removed from his position as Director of Communications but it appears he will continue at the National Endowment for the Arts in some other role. Beck has also targeted Mark Lloyd at the Federal Communications Commission and several other Obama appointees.

It is important to understand that one of the main reasons that conservative talk shows like Beck’s have proliferated in recent years is that so many broadcast regulations have been removed.  Money is driving the programming decisions instead of the public interest, and that is not good for women or other groups that tend to have less money to buy stations or air time.  A recent study of commercial broadcast TV stations by Free Press found that women are 51% of the U.S. population, but own less than 5% of all stations, and minorities are 33 percent of the U.S. population, but own only 3.26% of all stations. A study by the Center for American Progress showed that 91% of weekday talk radio is conservative.

Earlier in the year, Glenn Beck accused President Obama of being “a racist” with a “hatred of white people.” As a  response to this false and divisive statement, a group called Color of Change has been asking people to write letters of complaint to his advertisers.  As a result of their efforts 57 advertisers have withdrawn support for his show, but in spite of the boycott, Beck’s audiences continue to grow.

What Can We Do?

It’s frightening that Beck and other right-wing television and radio personalities are allowed to monopolize so much air time with mean-spirited and unsupported allegations. How can we respond?

First, we need to work for more regulation of broadcasters so that they will be required to serve the whole public, not just the few who can afford to buy the stations.  There has been an unprecedented consolidation of corporate ownership of the media in recent years, and six giant conglomerates now control the majority of U.S. television networks, cable channels, and Hollywood studios. Glenn Beck’s Fox News show is owned by News Corporation which had revenues of $33 billion in 2008.

We need legislation to keep this handful of multi-national giants from controlling our news and silencing diverse perspectives. If you would like more information about ways to work on this, two organizations that provide excellent information are Free Press and Fairness and Accuracy in the Media.

Second, we need to remember that although Glenn Beck has millions of listeners, his audiences are still only 3% of the U.S. population.  They are a small but vocal minority. We need to organize other segments of the population to speak out with other perspectives.

Finally, as artists, we need to remember that we have the tools to touch people’s hearts and bring out the best in them. We need to focus on creating and supporting art that is powerful enough to cut through all the corporate chatter and spin.

Pete Seeger’s life demonstrates this principle. In spite of being blacklisted during the 1950’s and ’60’s, Pete Seeger is now recognized as one of the most influential folk musicians of his generation. He has written songs that have become classics, he helped popularize spirituals like “We Shall Overcome”, and he is still performing at age 90. Through thick and thin, he has been steadfast in his support of civil rights, racial equality, labor rights, environmental issues, and peace.

Joe McCarthy made Pete Seeger’s life difficult, but in the long run, he could not silence him. Millions of Americans know Pete Seeger’s songs by heart and have taught them to their children. He even performed at President Obama’s inaugural celebration.

Pete Seeger’s banjo carries a slogan that sums up his faith, “This machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender.”  In these difficult times, Seeger’s life-long confidence in the power of creativity is a powerful example for us all.