This is Abraham’s Rule For Media: People Are Voyeurs. That means media works because people want to know about people. This is a rule that’s constantly violated by media journalists and editors and on a daily basis. They violate the rule the moment they cry “Who cares about what Miley Cyrus does” in reaction to some tweet or blog post about her. It’s that very cry and whine about such content that causes media giants to topple: they just don’t get that people want to know about people.
People are voyeurs. They want to know about the loud mouth on the radio who spouts off those stupid comments and racist remarks. Then they listen to the loud mouth on the radio who spouts off those stupid comments and racist remarks and say to someone else, ‘I’m not listening to him.” And so the person who heard his friend, or overheard that conversation, then goes to listen to the loud mouth on the radio who spouts off those stupid comments and racist remarks. Who wins?
The loudmouth. And if you guessed by now, the loudmouth is Rush Limbaugh. Indeed, after a 2012 that saw national advertisers running away from the loud mouth after his Sandra Fluke attack, guess, what? Rush is still going strong, and being quoted by the news publication Politico.
The reason why is Rush gives people something to talk about. This is not to condone his approach, but to point out a simple, painful fact: we react to it, and the reaction is to talk about it with other people. Saying you don’t listen to him is nothing more than an advertisement for someone else on the receiving in of your comment to do so. It’s human nature: we can’t help it.
Plus, he’s consistent, which also factors into Abraham’s Rule Of Media: be there. In other words, be consistent. And be consistent because people want to know about people, but they can’t know about what you’re doing if you’re not consistently out there. Doing something. Also media outlets have to be consistent in their presentation of what people are doing – so others can read or see what they’re doing.
Celebrities. Politicians. Business people. All can and are fodder for the fact that people want to know about them.
Remember the rule: people are voyeurs.
Stay tuned.
Bill Carroll