Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

I was healed of a Rush Limbaugh addiction

I was healed of a Rush Limbaugh addiction

Rush Limbaugh in his studio during his radio show

Photo by Mark Peterson/Corbis via Getty Images

Swearengin is an author, emotional & spiritual well-being coach, podcaster and content creator through his social media presence as Unconventional Pastor Paul. He talks religion and politics at times joined by his wife Ashley, a former elected official and community leader. Find him at Pastor-Paul.com.

I’m a recovering rightwing media addict. Whew, feels good to get that off my chest.


That fact makes me deeply interested in the recently revealed evidence of Fox News leaders knowing there was no truth to Trump’s 2020 election fraud lies, yet they continued to platform guests and stories that fueled this misinformation. While distressing that a “news” organization blatantly lied, it may be even more worrisome that Fox News leadership were certain they would lose viewership if they told the truth. Fox demonstrated their understanding that the “rage porn” news/entertainment phenomenon has addicted their audience to big lies.

I know this is true, because I had to be healed from a Rush Limbaugh addiction.

Limbaugh’s brilliance enabled him to basically invent an entirely new genre of media and he made millions. But, I believe he did so at great cost to our culture. When mental health seems to be a nationwide struggle, how much does such culture war media add to negative impacts?

Years ago, I found myself extremely agitated while driving.

“What’s wrong with me?” I asked my empty car out loud. A segment from Limbaugh’s show came to mind and I realized I was angry at some perceived “enemy” Limbaugh had pointed me towards. The drug of rightwing media angst was having its effect and it made me uncomfortable. I decided to try an experimental “Rush fast.” The results were stunning.

I’m only half joking when I say five days without rightwing, conservative media made the sky turn blue again. I quickly found that the constant anger thrown at me by Rush, Hannity and others had a profound impact. In my later work as an evangelical pastor, I’d find angry, anxious people who regularly took in heavy doses of rightwing media. Every time they followed my encouragement to give that media up for a week, that person found a significant improvement in their emotional and spiritual health.

But, I know it’s not easy for people to push away from rightwing media.

Media entertainment must drive people to emote. Emotion brings connection, and connection brings the follower back again and again. Hosts like Limbaugh, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith and Howard Stern don’t care if you hate them, or hate the subject of their topic. As long as the emotions of anger or fear are stoked, they know they’ve locked in their followers. For a generation, Rightwing media has perfected the creation of emotional anger. They know their job is to get the audience angry and keep them angry – even at the cost of truth.

A 2014 University of Nebraska study found that conservative leaning people tended to carry a “negativity bias” in their lives. In other words, those of a conservative political bent were “physiologically more attuned to negative (threatening, disgusting) stimuli in their environments.” The scientists had backed up what my experiment had revealed to me – heavy doses of conservative media is addicting as it creates false fears and enemies to prey on our primal need to survive.

I often say “The Religious Right is Religiously Wrong.” Isn’t it interesting that much of the rightwing media audience are Christians despite their Biblical encouragement to meditate on “…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely…” (Phil. 4:8.) Does intake of copious amounts of rage porn, masked as news, line up with this spiritual instruction?” Partisanship requires enemies; the Bible says divine spiritual alignment will make “even our enemies to be at peace with us.”

Some might say Left-leaning media has the same impact and I’m not going to argue that point here. I’m just very aware how many Christians adherents follow these conservative outlets and I’ve seen first-hand its destructive nature. It’s a far cry from the spiritual edict to desire truth. I hope one day again Christians can believe their bible when it says “truth will set you free.”

Read More

The Economic Models that Made America Great Are Broken

American flag and money

Javier Ghersi/Getty Images

The Economic Models that Made America Great Are Broken

We all want an America where hard work pays, families thrive, and the American Dream is real again. Greatness starts with dignity for workers, safety for communities, and a fair shot for every kid. The promise is simple: if you put in the work, you should be able to raise a family and get ahead—period.

So why do we cling to what is obviously not working for everyday people?

Keep ReadingShow less
Meet the Faces of Democracy: Neal Kelley

Neal Kelley, who served as the registrar of voters for Orange County, California for nearly two decades before retiring from the role in 2022.

Issue One.

Meet the Faces of Democracy: Neal Kelley

Editor’s note: More than 10,000 officials across the country run U.S. elections. This interview is part of a series highlighting the election heroes who are the faces of democracy.

Neal Kelley, a Republican, served as the registrar of voters for Orange County, California for nearly two decades before retiring from the role in 2022. Home to nearly 2 million voters, Orange County, part of the Greater Los Angeles area, is one of the largest jurisdictions by population in the country and the third largest in the state. Kelley is currently the Chair Emeritus of the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections, as well as the statewide project manager for the 2024-2026 elections in Hawaii.

Keep ReadingShow less
Is America Still Welcoming Global Talent?
Close up of american visa label in passport.
Getty Images/Alexander W. Helin

Is America Still Welcoming Global Talent?

A few weeks ago, when new proposals limiting J and F visa expansion were open for public comment, immigration quickly became a hot topic again at our research center, where more than half the scientists come from abroad. Some worried about their plan, others traded news and updates about the H1-B. A colleague asked if I was anxious too. To my own surprise, I wasn’t.

I used to be. But after weathering turbulent visa policies under different U.S. administrations, like many other international scholars, I have learned to stay flexible and mobile. My U.S. visa for a graduate program was delayed due to tensions between the U.S. and China several years ago. Up against a deadline for the program, I pivoted to Japan to continue the research training. What felt like a closed door became a new window: I fortunately joined a world-class team in tissue-engineering vascular medicine, broadened my view of clinical care and research, and began bridging my path as both practitioner and scientist. Committed to strengthening the “bench-to-bed” pipeline—learning real-world needs and translating research to meet them—I chose the United States again to carry this work forward.

Keep ReadingShow less