Many Americans do not differentiate between different sources for information, and as a result, "many citizens--perhaps the majority--live in a state of confusion and ignorance about government and political issues" (Bennett 1). One target for criticism has been the rise of certain kinds of talk radio through which information, ideas, and biases are transmitted, often unfiltered and untested. Talk radio today seems fueled by two trends which often intersect--shock and controversy on the one hand, and confrontational political discussion on the other. Howard Stern is a representative of the former, and Rush Limbaugh of the latter. Each has been highly successful and has been syndicated to stations across the country. There is some evidence that Limbaugh may have peaked and be on the wane, while Stern's future may be more assured with his highly successful book tours and his recent movie, about himself, starring himself.
Both Stern and Limbaugh have been accused of having a negative effect on their audiences, though for different reasons. Each has also professed not to be responsible for their influence on the audience (Laufer 63). Stern tends to be more scatological in his broadcasts and Limbaugh political, but Stern has his political element as well and even announced his candidacy for Governor of New York in 1994 under the heading of the Libertarian Party. Bill Winter, Communications Director for the Libertarian party, seemed to accept this candidacy with some trepidation even as the party supported the candidate:
Mr. Stern is a professional entertainer, and we're sure his campaign will be entertaining. We just hope that it won't detract from the serious positions the Libertarian Party advocates reducing the size, cost, and power of government (Libertarian Party: "Howard Stern Is an Entertainer" press release).
Stern later dropped out of the gubernatorial race "because of New York's candidate financial disclosur...