Panelists disagree on talk radio.

CALIFORNIA RADIO talk-show host Michael Reagan characterized his program and the others like it as "audio letters-to-the-editor pages," in which listeners take part in public dialogue and learn about important issues.

But Keith Runyon, opinion pages editor of The Courier-Journal in Louisville, argued at the session during the NCEW convention that the new breed of strident talk-show hosts exemplified by Rush Limbaugh poisoned the public discourse by being loose with the truth and carrying on ideological campaigns on the air.

Runyon took the opposing side against Reagan, son of former president Ronald Reagan, and Michael Siegel, a Seattle talk-show host, during a discussion entitled, "Radio talk shows: What is their role in public opinion?"

Mindy Cameron, editorial page editor of The Seattle Times, was the moderator.

"Radio talk shows," said Reagan, "let people be heard on a regular basis, and to get insights."

Reagan says he performs a service to his listeners by reading congressional bills, something he charges most representatives don't bother to do.

People relate to many issues emotionally, and radio talk shows like his allow listeners to discuss unedited opinion, to express their feelings and get involved, he said.

"People don't always operate on a cognitive level," Siegel said. Talk shows, he said, are like pressure relief valves for pent-up emotions.

"It's better than their exploding on the street," he said. He said that while radio talk shows appeal to feelings, they also are informational. If somebody's information is wrong, people will phone in to let him know it.

Runyon strongly disagreed with the views of the two hosts that their shows enrich the discussion of issues. He pointed to radio talk-show hosts of the past, who, he said, maintained a high level of civility, cut off racist callers, and engaged their listeners positively.

"They were everything Rush Limbaugh is not," Runyon said.

He charged that Limbaugh and others have poisoned the environment of talk radio. They don't adhere to the same standards of accuracy and fairness that print journalists are required to.

"Lies and innuendo have become their stock in trade," he said. "They are tapping into people's frustrations. . . . They perpetuate rumors, lies, and half-truths. . . . Things that would never be published pep up on the radio."

This is not assisting in bringing the nation together, but is splintering it, Runyon argued. Talk shows that vent anger and hostility do more damage than good, he maintained.

Reagan and Siegel countered that talk radio has provided an outlet for an America that has become very conservative on fiscal matters. Reagan said the hosts have to be part entertainers because public issues are often dull, and hosts must be entertaining to maintain the attention of listeners.

People are busier than ever and spend a great deal more time than they used to in cars. They don't have time to read. Reagan and Siegel said they read numerous newspapers and public documents to stay informed, and to inform their readers on important questions.

Siegel said that slant isn't always negative, and some of the campaigns carried out on the radio have had constructive results. He said efforts on his show led to legislation requiring improved construction standards for oil tankers after the Exxon-Valdez disaster off the Alaska coast.

Former Interior Secretary Stewart Udall, who sat in on the discussion, took Runyon's side when the former cabinet member addressed NCEW later in the day.

Udall praised editorial pages for helping communities think about their problems.

"These guys [Reagan and Siegel] would kill every bond issue that came up for a new school," Udall said.

"They are not reasoning with people."

NCEW member Greg Stone is deputy editorial page editor for The Day in New London, Conn.