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Abstract
In 2007, shock jock Don Imus, while on the air, referred to the Rutgers University women's basketball team as “nappy-headed hos.” His initial apology did little to defuse calls for his firing, so Imus accepted an invitation to appear on civil rights activist Al Sharpton's radio show to address the criticisms. Following the interview, Sharpton appeared on CNN's Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer to discuss his conversation with Imus. This essay performs a close critical analysis of both interviews to better understand the tensions between apologia discourse and political talk radio and the influence of talk and shock radio culture on mainstream news coverage and media culture.
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Michael R. Kramer
Michael R. Kramer (Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 2005) is associate professor and chair in the Department of Communication Studies, Dance, & Theatre at Saint Mary's College. His research interests include apologia and image repair, political communication, and rhetorical criticism.