MRC's Bozell Reacts to Newsweek/Air America Partnership

Imagine a partnership between the owners of the Titanic and the Hindenburg, and you've pretty much got the brilliance behind Newsweek's newly-announced alliance with Air America.

"[G]iven the respective ratings, it’s an outstanding business decision. Clearly, Newsweek wanted a radio partner whose listenership mirrors their readership -- minimal and declining rapidly," quipped Media Research Center President Brent Bozell in a statement released today.

The announced radio partnership comes the same week Newsweek used its cover art and the accompanying story to bash conservative radio talk icon Rush Limbaugh, the ideological nemesis of his ratings-challenged competition at Air America. 

"The 'News' in Newsweek has always been a joke," but now the weekly magazine's partnership with the "uber-liberal" Air America radio network "removes all doubt," added the NewsBusters publisher, reacting to news that Air America will syndicate "Newsweek On Air" on its stations. 

 Newsweek did its part in 2004 to hype the advent of the new liberal network, running a three-page announcement story featuring host Al Franken in a "photo illustration" depicting the comedian on an aircraft carrier in a flight suit.

Mr. Bozell's statement in full follows:

I am shocked - SHOCKED - that liberal Newsweek magazine has partnered with liberal Air America. Who would have known that the two would find so much common ground on which to build a business relationship? So not only is their current Rush Limbaugh-bashing cover an assault on their ideological opposition, it's an attack on their radio competition.

And given the respective ratings, it's an outstanding business decision. Clearly Newsweek wanted a radio partner whose listenership mirrors their readership - minimal and declining rapidly.

We've documented their left wing bias for years. The ‘News' in Newsweek has always been a joke. Their teaming up with the uber-liberal radio network removes all doubt. Newsweek and Air America - perfectly liberal together.

See related blog post by NewsBusters contributor Seton Motley here.