New Books in Critical Theory Laura Garbes, "Listeners Like Who?: Exclusion and Resistance in the Public Radio Industry" (Princeton UP, 2025)
Sep 13, 2025
Laura Garbes, a Sociologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, dives into the racially exclusive narrative of public radio. She explores the historical context of this industry and how it perpetuates white supremacy while marginalizing voices of color. Garbes discusses the financial shifts that impact diversity, examines the evolving listener demographics, and shares insights from radio workers resisting these norms. Her compelling analysis reveals the ongoing struggle for inclusivity in a crucial media space.
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Sound Reveals Racialized Listening
- Radio removes visual cues, revealing how hearing is conditioned along racial lines via the 'sonic color line'.
- Public radio is a prime site to study who is valued to speak in public spaces because sound foregrounds linguistic ideologies.
White Institutional Space Shapes Authority
- 'White institutional space' means organizational norms and authority are shaped by white-dominant histories, not just demographics.
- Authority, expertise, and the 'good voice' get linked to white professional institutions, excluding others.
Public Radio Wasn't A Blank Slate
- NPR emerged from educational radio rooted in Jim Crow-era universities, so it was not a blank slate in 1967.
- Founders' idealism did not reckon with the field's white-controlled infrastructures and ownership.
