By SN
Monday March 16, 2009
Washington Post – Kathleen Parker – Sunday, March 15, 2009:
The biggest challenge facing America’s struggling newspaper industry may not be the high cost of newsprint or lost ad revenue, but ignorance stoked by drive-by punditry.
Yes, Dittoheads, you heard it right.
Drive-by pundits, to spin off of Rush Limbaugh’s “drive-by media,” are non-journalists who have been demonizing the media for the past 20 years or so and who blame the current news crisis on bias.
Unfortunately, the chorus of media bashing from certain quarters has succeeded in convincing many Americans that they don’t need newspapers. The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press recently found that fewer than half of Americans — 43 percent — say that losing their local newspaper would hurt civic life in their community “a lot.” Only 33 percent say they would miss the local paper if it were no longer available.
Constant criticism of the “elite media” is comical to most reporters, whose paychecks wouldn’t cover Limbaugh’s annual dry cleaning bill. The truly elite media are the people most Americans have never heard of — the daily-grind reporters who turn out for city council and school board meetings. Or the investigative teams who chase leads for months to expose abuse or corruption.
Everything that I read in the Washington Post was 3 days old. That was the decline for me.
How about putting out a quality product? Jeez … and stop giving that gas bag the credit.
“Elite” refers to their attitudes of smug superiority, not their salaries. 90% of reporters are Dems and committed to liberal causes…unlike the people they supposedly serve.
This is just a part of the move to shut down the only outlet for conservative opinion …talk radio, which is disproportionately listened to by ordinary people.
Liberal talk radio is a massive failure except in some very liberal areas…so they have to shut it down out of “fairness”.
Fucktards.
I’m no fan of Limbaugh but the story is ludicrous.
Most people under forty without regard to gender, race, political point of view, or religion don’t read magazines or newspapers so forget that.
The most conservative people are the ones over forty and what do they usually get to read? Liberal to ultra liberal magazines and newspapers posting last night’s or last week’s national news sometimes slightly reworded.
Even if you are a liberal who needs that?
A few publications may be doing all right but the ones like the above are going out the door.
Our local paper on the other hand seems to be doing okay. At least they haven’t complained.
Idiots I tell you, anyone who actually believes in the term Liberal Media is most truly a dumbass, in the end the most if not all of the owners of radio/tv channels and the newspapers are conservative.
Any real “liberal” attempt to broadcast real liberal media ends up failing for a simple thing: People like positive reinforcement for their bigotry rather than being scolded live on the airwaves.
Radio hosts gain more ratings by saying “You’re right, those brown-skinned, job stealing, wetbacks South of the borders deserve to die on the streets with no medical aid and their brown offsprings too” than scolding the audience by replying “These people left their family in hopes for a better future, they are risking their lives crossing the border and working in inhumane conditions for a meager pittance so they can send some money to their loved ones in their impoverished countries, they are humans like you and you should stop treating them like animals.”
HAH, HAH. The Guttenberg press should have shut down after its first print run of the bibble. Nothing else needs to be read.
Rush is just an example==not the whole cause. Would newspapers be stronger if not for the impact of media bashers like Rush. Yes. Would they still be in decline because of the internet? Yes.
Can we keep more than one idea in our head at a time? Raise your hand.
i dont listen to Rush, I got tired him very soon when i tried but man has he gotten the liberals scared shitless. Liberals fear this motherfucker like a vampire does sun light. If you want to make a liberal shit his pants all you have to do is show a picture of this fat bastard or mention his name and they will shit themselves clear down to their shoes. Funny as hell…
#6–dittohead==check your own shorts for the white stain in front. Perhaps that is a compliment?
Blame AlGore, he’s the one who invented the internet.
#5 Angel:
“Idiots I tell you, anyone who actually believes in the term Liberal Media is most truly a dumbass”
After this last election, how could you *not* believe the media is left-biased?
“most if not all of the owners of radio/tv channels and the newspapers are conservative”
But the reporters aren’t. And even Rupert Murdcoch endorsed Obama.
“you should stop treating them like animals”
Can we still treat them like criminals? Because they are. And I’ve never heard anyone on the radio say they should die, only that they should be sent back. Big difference.
#10: Actually, Murdoch did not endorse Obama and spoke against him on a number of occasions. And regarding the liberal “bias”: the reality is a liberal bitch, ain’t she?
if the shoe fits, throw it at him
that’s just silly the net killed the news papers its part of the bad that comes with the good Rush can be blamed for only so much
bigger question is with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer going away where will I get my David Horsey editorial cartoons?
#10 brm,
“After this last election, how could you *not* believe the media is left-biased?”
They covered Obama campaign because he sells; PLUS regardless he was the first African American with a real chance to winning the presidential election (which he did) and everyone wanted to be there when history was made.
“But the reporters aren’t.” So? While the entertainers, the reporters and the public behave like chimps throwing turds at each other the ones truly benefiting from this war are the media moguls.
And yes, you can treat them like criminals.
The trouble with the media is they aren’t liberal ENOUGH, if in fact they are at all.
The media needs to be downright anarchistic. These advocates of the status quo and anything that someone in power says is far from that.
While everyone is left/liberal compared to rightwingnut idiotlogues, that doesn’t mean they are “actually” liberal.
VOTE ALL INCUMBENTS OUT OF OFFICE.
Let’s see, newspaper subscriptions on a per capita basis have been dropping since the 60’s, and it is Rush’s fault? Sounds more like terminal stupidity in the newspaper executive suite.
More evidence that proves liberalism is a mental disorder.
#14 Little Commie Bobbo
>>The trouble with the media is they aren’t liberal ENOUGH, if in fact they are at all.
What a dip-wad! Next you’ll be complaining that there is not enough propaganda. What’s the point of a media if all you get is lies and indoctrination?
#17–contempt for a well turned phrase==when ALL YOU GET is propaganda from the government, what is “propaganda” from the media?
You really are a silly little nutjob. It hardly matters if the media is liberal or not as THEY AREN’T DOING THEIR JOB!!!!
Where is this media bias when for 8 years the media did not excoriate Congress for not impeaching Bush?
Where is this media bias when for the last 8 months the media has not been excoriating Bush & Obama for getting at the rampant Banking Fraud under both their watches.
Stop being struck dumb by bright lights.
Did he grind up all the papers and make pain killers out of them? I could see why they would all disappear then.
Follow the money. Craigslist, monster.com, and google killed the newspapers. Rush just uses newspapers for toilet paper.
#20 Nick,
Actually, Rush is so tight-assed he can’t poop that’s why every time he opens his mouth shit comes out of his mouth.
#18 Little Hitler Bobbo
>>Where is this media bias when for 8 years the media did not excoriate Congress for not impeaching Bush?
I see that toy you call a brain has reached the toxic deathtrap stage. The media is not suppose to be the democrat hit squad that removes all the undesirables. As always you fail to see the real problem which is congress.
They’re selling our eyeballs to the highest bidder.
I’d credit Rush and Bill O for leading journalism to the current gutter entertainment industry it has become. Even once reputable CNN had to follow the money with their own cast of clowns once Glen Beck put msnbc on the map. Now, Americans can hear what they want to hear 24×7 and get entertained at the same time.
Another gift to America from the wingnutts.
The only reputable news org left is the BBC .
Liberal, conservative, everybody is a damned expert these days. Each says the other is (or is responsible) for destroying the country. You’re all a bunch of polarized lemmings ready to take the leap. Jump already, I’m sick of hearing the lot of you!
Time changes, technology changes, media changes…
Cassette tapes, 8-tracks, vinyl records, Beta-max, VHS, rotary phones, 8″ floppies, 5.24″ floppies, 3.5″ floppies, etc…
News papers have become a slow moving car in the fast lane…
Constant criticism of the elite left leaning media is just some thing Rush likes to say to get his dittos worked up(good for his ratings and wallet. It was the Facts that hurt the loyal Bushies not a left leaning media and Rush knows that. That’s why he dropped his hero W and went after the media instead of the message. Did he ever apologize for helping get W elected twice?
They are money leaning not left leaning
Sure Fox showed a new model that taking a side made for more a compelling/entertaining 24/7 time filler and MSNBC saw this was working and took the other side. The rest of them are just trying to be balanced with shows on both sides CNN will show what the people want not what they think is supporting there view of a political agenda. Check out there Clinton Lewinsky coverage if you don’t believe that, or just wait for Obama to have a real scandal (it will come, I hope not but it will) they will all be all over it like bees to a field of blooming clover. Oh wait the Neo-Cons killed all the bees.
#25 BigBoyBC
>>Time changes, technology changes, media changes
Good point. Now the pressing question is – are these TV news channels really news channels with lots of commercials or commercial channels filled with bits of news?
With a barrage of commercials every 5 minutes it could go either way.
#22–contempt for all that is reason==I said the media was worthless for not criticizing congress and you call me hitler for not realizing that the problem was congress.
Could you be a smaller nitwit?
So it’s Limbaugh’s fault for pointing out the reality that newspapers are biased to the left?