Known as “the radio priest,” he was the first mass media demagogue. Foreshadowing today's social media reach and influence, Father Charles Edward Coughlin held millions of American radio listeners in his thrall, playing to their fears while also stoking their…
The Church gives Coughlin an ultimatum: his radio career or his priesthood. Meanwhile, the FBI closes in on Coughlin.
The radio priest drops all pretense at diplomacy, getting himself kicked off major radio stations in the process.
The radio priest and his National Union for Social Justice energize the anti-FDR base at massive political rallies across the country.
Father Coughlin's broadcasts become increasingly antisemitic, and the Jewish community debates how to respond.
Father Coughlin grew in influence by using hateful rhetoric to blame President Hoover, bankers, and communists for the economic downturn.
Preaching on the dial was once sacrilegious, inappropriate, crass. But soon, listeners were hooked by the radio priest’s targeted messaging.
Father Coughlin builds his church, with help from famous friends. He embraces the airwaves and becomes America’s first talk radio celebrity.
Andrew Lapin details the humble origins of the first mass media demagogue and the conditions that fueled his meteoric rise.
A study guide for the "Radioactive" podcast: the story of a crafty bigot who used a new mass medium to spread hate and gain political power.