Dana Loesch Goes One-on-One With OutKick

Nationally-syndicated talk radio Dana Loesch sat down with OutKick for an in-depth conversation about her career, her investment into radio, her new contract, Rush Limbaugh, post-Trump America, and creating a media brand. 

Enjoy:

Bobby Burack: Dana, we've heard for years that the radio medium is archaic, that podcasting and digital videos will soon take over. Do you feel in three years -- when your new radio contract is up -- that your radio show can still be the focal point of your brand, as it is now? Or do you predict you will need to pivot?

Dana Loesch: Oh, that's good, that's a good question, Bobby. That's a tough question to answer because I started as a writer. I didn't start as a broadcaster. I had zero interest in going into broadcasting, and I didn't listen to talk radio. I definitely didn't listen to political talk radio, but I loved the theater and where you can go with it. I'm hesitant to say because if you were to have asked me in 2007 if I was going to go into radio, I would have said, "No way, I'm a writer." And then if you would have asked me later on if I was going to go to television, I would have said the same thing.

I'll say this: I don't think that terrestrial radio is ever going to go away, nor do I think that podcasting will ever go away. But I think that one complements the other. With podcasts, you can go on a deep dive with one subject if you want to. You don't have to worry about the ins and outs and the breaks and watching the clock. With podcasting, you don't have the same kind of management, sponsors and affiliates to deal with. There are things you don't have to necessarily juggle with if you're not live. So, mechanically, podcasting and radio are different. Podcasting is great for those who want to "catch up," like an afternoon reading. Or want something to turn on while they are working out.

But I really love what I'm doing now. I'm not looking to leave it. It sounds bizarre, but when you're live, you can feel the connection with the audience. I don't know how to describe it. That's something that you really can't replicate in the world of podcasting.

Burack: Does the "main" medium matter? To me, it's about being on and monetizing everything and adding it all up. Radio, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc. The product can still originate on terrestrial radio and then repurpose on all the digital platforms.

Loesch: That's a good point. There are certain ways to explore a story in each of these mediums, to offer a different way to explore a story that maybe you're not necessarily able to achieve with the others. So, I agree. With Instagram, it's a very different expectation than on Twitter, which is in the trenches, right? Twitter is a fight. You bring that fight. Instagram is not that. And Facebook is where you interact with your family. They are looking at everything you post. That's also awkward. So, yes, they all go together, but in different ways. 

Burack: Talk radio, political talk radio is undergoing a completely new chapter. In 2021, not only did the medium lose President Donald Trump -- the main subject on most shows -- but it lost Rush Limbaugh. The post-Rush landscape is, to use a word, a mystery. Rush created, saved and dominated talk radio. 

Loesch: There's no question, two massive changes a few months apart. I do, however, think conservatism and conservative media go through progressions, though maybe not as drastic as these two.

This new era is incredibly different. Obviously. Rush created this entire industry. He's the reason Americans listen to it. Everyone, Bobby, whether they wanted to admit it or not, took their cues from Rush. By the way, I wish more people took his humorous side. He was so good. He had so much fun on-air while also being incredibly smart in a great, creative way. He was this warrior who greatly influenced me. He showed me you had to have fun doing this. 

It is a mystery what listeners will do moving forward, yes. Republicans right now, conservatives right now, are trying to figure out where they fit in it. The same goes for commentators. The good thing is that if you were authentic before, and just keep that authenticity, you don't have to change who you are in this post-Trump landscape. There are always these progressions, some big, some small. You don't want to have to reinvent yourself every single time there's somebody new in office. If you try, you will have a hard time. Because of that, I'm confident.

I've always made this clear. I give credit where I do and I give criticism where I do. I am not in this to be friends of politicians, and I'm not in this to go to DC cocktail parties. People will tell you, Bobby, I have to be lured to DC with bacon and black coffee and pork chops. I love where I am in America, a.k.a. Texas. That's where I get my mindset from. When you embrace authenticity, you don't have to find out where to fit in, you fit in where you do. There will be new eras and new administrations. And in this case, an era where the creator is no longer leading. 

Burack: Where did Trump leave America? I argued two weeks ago that Trump's lasting impact as president -- unless he runs in 2024 -- is that he opened a door for Americans to push back. To not sit back and accept cancel culture, Big Tech suppression, and calling everything in America racist. 

Loesch: I think the door was opening and Trump shoved it open the rest of the way. Conservatives had always been hesitant and nervous to fight back. Like we have to be polite above all else. And there's nothing wrong with that. But you know, sometimes people need to get told by someone just stating basic facts. That isn't rude, that's needed. 

Progressives for a very long time have purposely conflated issues with people so it's easier to discount someone's humanity and justify the nastiness. And that's sort of like what we've been seeing. The Tea Party, I think that the whole Tea Party movement really kicked things off in terms of pushing back. I don't think that you would have had Trump without the Tea Party. And I don't think that you would have people who are getting as invested locally and pushing back and being as outspoken, including a number of politicians, without it.

Trump opened the door the rest of the way and showed people how to fight back. He made it okay to defend your beliefs. And people realized, "I'm not violating any rules by doing so. I'm just being true to my principles." That was powerful. Americas saw Trump do that and thought they could do the same, many of whom would never before. 

Of course, there were some others that thought, "Well, I can speak out but just not as aggressive as Trump." That was important too.

Because of Trump, that opening door is now all the way open and not shutting anytime soon. 

Burack: Let's take it a step further. Of those who have begun to push back, few are in the spotlight. Most employers, particularly in the media, don't allow anything other than what is echoed in the mainstream media. Therefore, many media members don't push back for fear of being fired. What do you suggest those Americans who work online or in media do?

Loesch: That's a problem, for sure. It goes back to what I said earlier about being original. If you are yourself, make strong points, people will listen, and there will be a platform. There are so many voices out there but so many are all the same. There's a lack of originality. This is what I find cool about digital media: you don't have to wait for someone to hire you.

The first thing to remember is that no one is owed a seat at the table. No one. 

Now, I get what you are saying about the challenges. There's a struggle with Big Tech's algorithm bias or whatever else Twitter changes tomorrow. It's tough because social media does elevate careers, so it does matter. It's a fight that needs to take place. 

One route I like is Substack, which I'm on. You control it. You have freedom. People can choose to read it or not. 

As you said, some opinions are punished, but that's why we need more voices willing to speak out. We need more who create platforms to share these opinions, not wait for someone else to create them. I'm talking about entire platforms created to facilitate the conversation people are afraid of having. We need fewer think tanks and more investment into conservative tech. That would go a long way and help people who are really good at reasonable thought and have great voices.

If you have that voice but are afraid, believe me, we want to hear it.

Follow Bobby Burack on Twitter.