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In another article on this site, https://radioinfo.com.au/news/how-be-shock-jock-secret-revealed I made the distinction between the different types of 'shock jock' that were in Australia compared to those in the US. In Australia, the 'shock element' came from addressing, or as the article said the host "dressing down" the comment whose policies or views did not accord with the presenter. For example Ray Hadley appropriately attacking the advertising slogan "getting routed" for a a road directory when a component of Ray's listeners are stay-at-home parents looking after infants. Another example is Stan Zemanek's (RIP) dressing down of callers including Bruce The Goose (RIP). An extreme example are the vulgar insults to a journalist on his 2DAY-fm breakfast program (now on KIIS formerly MIX formerly 2UW). Even apologies by the radio station not condoning the presenter's actions did not deter the employer to dismiss or even being employed later to present the breakfast program on KIIS).
While I wouldn't call the exchange or the dressing down of a person by Mr Hadley as shocking. Generally, the 'dressing down' of a person whether a marketing director or CEO or government minister occurs if the policy is wrong. The late Stan Zemanek's insults included "numbnut", "you moron" and "socialist criminal" to callers including regulars as Bruce The Goose (RIP) who did not agree with Stan's view of the world. I also mentioned the inconsistent employment policies of dismissing Arch Tambakis (RIP) for calling the then Federal Opposition Leader Mr Howard a liar compared to Alan Jones calling former PM Julia Gillard "Juliar".
To answer the question is whether current US President, Mr Trump could present himself as a shock jock? The US shock jocks are shocking not only in dressing down people but also disseminating conspiracy theories. Mr Trump could easily do it well.
I shall not appraise the pros and cons of Mr Trump's policies while in office. Rather illustrate an example of his pre-2016 campaign shocks particularly the wrong assertion that Mr Obama was not an American citizen and that the late Senator John McCain was not a hero by virtue of being a POW during the Vietnam war.
First, could Mr Trump be a shock jock? He may well be. He and US shock jocks tried to portray presidential candidate Mr Obama as being ineligible because he was not an American citizen when in fact he was by dint of being born in Hawaii in 1963 long after Hawaii became a state in 1959.
The issue in US constitutional law of what is a "natural born citizen" is a topic beyond the scope of this essay. A natural born citizen can be born outside the USA to US citizens. Clearly Mr Obama is a "natural born citizen" because he was born in Hawaii in 1963 long after Hawaii became a state in 1959.
Mr Trump and his shock jock friends have constantly the MISREPRESENTED THE FACT that because the villagers of Mr Obama's father's village uttering "...he's one of us..." as being evidence of not being a US citizen. The repetition of the misrepresentation went for months. Reference of "...he's one of us..."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/07/26/for-obama-a-kenyan-homecoming-and-a-pointed-message/
One can only speculate at this time (10th November 2020) whether these shock jocks will do the same to VP Kamala Harris because her mother's Indian village celebrated Kamala's promotion to VC given that she was born in Oakland California. I hope not.
Finally, I will illustrate with another example of when Mr Trump addressed the late Senator John McCain as not being a war hero because Senator McCain was a POW. Definitely shock jock material, sources, https://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/trump-attacks-mccain-i-like-people-who-werent-captured-120317 and https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-33602916.
Whether you agree or disagree with the politics of the late Senator McCain is irrelevant. You don't mix what happened to someone in war and a person's current job. Moreover, Mr Trump's remarks are an insult to all those veterans who were POWs in any war in the course of defending their country. Mr Trump would also be insulting other POWs such as Admiral James Stockdale who was a POW from 1964 to 1973. Mr Trump would also be insulting Weary Dunlop and POWs of Changi. Mr Trump also would be insulting my mother's first cousin who was a POW for three years during WWII who returned home requiring treatment at Concord RGH for the rest of his life until passing away in 1965. My mother's first cousin grave has the "Rising Star" (1947 style) emblem embossed on his grave.
Apart from a radio station being able to afford any costs arising from defamation, Mr Trump could well be a shock jock. His controversial remarks could well attract an audience.
However, like social media networks who produce unverified and unreliable news, Mr Trump as a shock jock should not be relied as a source of news.
By saying what I am saying does not infer that I support or not support a particular political party.
Thank you,
Anthony of critical Belfield