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The Patrick Coffin Show | Interviews with influencers | Commentary about culture | Tools for transformation

14: James Hoggan On the Toxic Levels of Public Discourse

The Patrick Coffin Show | Interviews with influencers | Commentary about culture | Tools for transformation

Vancouver-based PR director Jim Hoggan (pronounced Hogan) thinks strong disagreement can co-exist with civility. In today's media culture, modes of communication (from emails to memos to blog posts) have become more swords than words. Have you noticed how many YouTube debates are described as some version of, "Watch our hero eviscerate (or slaughter/kill/slay/own/etc. the other guy"? We can't seem to disagree without destroying. This is why Hoggan wrote I'm Right and You're An Idiot: The Toxic State of Public Discourse and How to Clean it Up. What's interesting is that he takes a definite (possibly dogmatic) stand on what used to be called global warming – rebranded as "climate change" – so his communication lessons are tied to a controversial topic from the get-go. But the merits or demerits of Al Gore's approach to climate change weren't the topic of the interview – the need for engagement at the level of facts and not facetiousness was. And in this interview, Mr. Hoggan models the civility he recommends. (Surely his Canadianness gives him an edge in the nice department…) In this context I can also, without shame, recommend my free e-booklet, Stay Cool When the Argument Heats Up: Proven Strategies for Calm Conversing. Get your free copy by subscribing to my Inside Scoop Newsletter here. Yes, Virginia, we can disagree without destroying. BOOKS RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODE I'm Right and You're An Idiot: The Toxic State of Public Discourse and How to Clean it Up. by James Hoggan

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About Podcast

The Patrick Coffin Show podcast features crucial conversations with A-list influencers, whistleblowers, and truth tellers. Patrick is an author, podcaster, and media analyst who draws out the best in guests such as Jordan Peterson, Tucker Carlson, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Kevin Costner, and hundreds of others. The Canadian-born former host of Catholic Answers Live radio show has raving fans around the world, who love the way he injects these fascinating interviews with his own distinctive blend of depth and levity. If you're tired of politically correct mediaspeak, you want to see false narratives exposed—and you're not allergic to having a laugh—this is the place to be.