That Time Private U.S. Media Companies Silenced the Falsehoods & Incitements of a Major Public Figure … in 1938
(The Conversation) — In speeches filled with hatred and falsehoods, a public figure attacks his enemies and calls for marches on Washington, D.C. Then, after one particularly virulent address, private media companies close down his channels of communication, prompting consternation from his supporters and calls for a code of conduct to filter out violent rhetoric.
Sound familiar? Well, this was 1938, and the individual in question was Father Charles E. Coughlin, a Nazi-sympathizing Catholic priest with unfettered access to America’s vast radio audiences. The firms silencing him were the broadcasters of the day.