In early 2012, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh claimed that Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown University law student who advocated for insurance coverage of contraceptives, "wants to be paid to have sex." Over the next few days, Limbaugh attacked Fluke personally, often in crude terms, while a powerful backlash grew, led by organizations such as the National Organization for Women. But perhaps what was most notable about the incident was that it wasn't unusual. From Limbaugh's venomous attacks on Fluke to liberal radio host Mike Malloy's suggestion that Bill O'Reilly "drink a vat of poison... and choke to death," over-the-top discourse in today's political opinion media is pervasive.

Jeffrey M. Berry is John Richard Skuse Professor of Political Science at Tufts University.
Sarah Sobieraj is Associate Professor of Sociology at Tufts University.

• Chapter 1 Outrage


• Chapter 2 Mapping Outrage in Blogs, Talk Radio, and Cable News


• Chapter 3 The Perfect Storm


• Chapter 4 It's a Business


• Chapter 5 Political Anxiety and Outrage Fandom


• Chapter 6 Mobilizing Outrage


• Chapter 7 Continuity, Change, Synergy


• Chapter 8 The Future of Outrage


• Appendix