In a Q & A with the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle newspaper published Monday, USA Today founder Al Neuharth described Rush Limbaugh's radio show as “one of the funniest programs on the air” and asserted: “I don't become offended by the idiotic things he says; I become amused by them.” Neuharth, however, conceded Limbaugh is entitled to his supposed idiocy: “I also think that from my perspective that it's OK for idiots like him to voice their opinion because that's what this country is about and that's what the First Amendment is about.” He also allowed that he has “become convinced, although a little reluctantly, that all the bloggers on the Internet have a right to all of their stupidity, too. And there's a lot of it.” (Screen shot from a 2004 Smithsonian event carried by C-SPAN, MRC CyberAlert article.)
Neuharth, who in 2002 once devoted his weekly USA Today column to how he needs to buy diapers for himself (MRC CyberAlert item), proclaimed in February of this year that George W. Bush is the worst ever President (NewsBusters post). In 2002, he denounced Bernard Goldberg’s book, "Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News." Neuharth took a personal shot at Goldberg, accusing him of being “a second-rate newsman,” and insisted that “Goldberg's depiction of the three biggies as biased bad guys is fiction” since Dan Rather, Peter Jennings and Tom Brokaw were all “fair.” (MRC CyberAlert article)
Hat tip to Romenesko, who on Monday highlighted the Rochester newspaper item.
The relevant exchange in the June 18 Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, a paper which, like USA Today, is owned by Gannett:
Q: We are...ripped by the right-wing conservative talk show hosts and others who just brand the mainstream media as worthless. Do we deserve that?...And what can we do about it?A: Well, when I travel across the country, my amusement comes from Rush Limbaugh's show. I find that that's one of the funniest programs on the air. I don't become offended by the idiotic things he says; I become amused by them. But I also think that from my perspective that it's OK for idiots like him to voice their opinion because that's what this country is about and that's what the First Amendment is about. I might add that I have become convinced, although a little reluctantly, that all the bloggers on the Internet have a right to all of their stupidity, too. And there's a lot of it.
But I really think we're better off with those kinds of opinions and dissenting voices than we would be if we or the government tried to control them.
—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Neuharth: Yeah, I'm offended
June 18, 2007 - 20:14 ET by ThisnThatNeuharth: Yeah, I'm offended by blogs and talk radio. They've taken away our rights. Only we -- the enlightened elite -- are allowed to call others "idiots" and "stupid". Why do they get to get away with that kind of stuff. We copyrighted it; it belongs to us!
Kinda reminds me of the movie Trading Places. At the end, one of the Duke brothers was proclaiming that he started the stock exchange, and that it was all unfair after they had lost everything by trying to swindle everyone else.
The MSM's day or reckoning is coming -- sooner than they think.
question...what question?
June 18, 2007 - 20:18 ET by LionKing"Q: We are...ripped by the right-wing conservative talk show hosts and
others who just brand the mainstream media as worthless. Do we deserve
that?...And what can we do about it?"
Now, in typical liberal fashion, he deflects and starts talking about Rush. He never addresses the question. What a goof !!!
But I really think we're bett
June 18, 2007 - 20:31 ET by SMGalbraithBut I really think we're better off with those kinds of opinions and dissenting voices than we would be if we or the government tried to control them.
Geez, there's a full-throated defense of the First Amendment.
It's always interesting (in the car crash sense of the word) watching journalists interview journalists. The smugness, the failure to address serious questions, the presentation of caricatures and strawmen arguments, all done by those champions of transparency and openess in our institutions.
Howard Fineman had the great phrase: The Media Party.
Neuharth, Rather et al.: They're like those fossil Senators (Byrd, Stevens).
" my amusement comes fr
June 18, 2007 - 20:58 ET by" my amusement comes from Rush Limbaugh's show. I find that that's one of the funniest programs on the air. I don't become offended by the idiotic things he says; I become amused by them.
He voices exactly how I feel when I read the stupid right comments that are obvious Rushism from the sheep who cant think for themselves. I am very amused by this site ..it never fails to give me a laugh..
A free press is one of the first things to go in a totalitarian government. Montana Lyons
He voices exactly how I feel
June 18, 2007 - 21:03 ET by SMGalbraithHe voices exactly how I feel when I read the stupid right
And after all, it's all about how you feel, right?
Thinking is hard. Feeling is so much easier.
“Well, when I travel across
June 18, 2007 - 21:07 ET by USA4freedom“Well, when I travel across the country, my amusement comes from Rush Limbaugh's show. I find that that's one of the funniest programs on the air. I don't become offended by the idiotic things he says; I become amused by them”
For starts I did not know they have radios in wheel chairs.
How is this for amusement:
USA today circulation, 2.2 million and going down.
Rush listeners 10 to 20 Million.
He might be an idiotic (in your feeble mind) but he is kicking the $hit out of you.
These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc.
Ronald Reagan- 40th Anniversary of D-Day
rush doubling in size is like
June 18, 2007 - 21:15 ET byrush doubling in size is like being proud of the amount of disease in america doubling!
it appears like some of the irate dittohead bloggers on here have doubled due to brainwashing and alcoholism.
A free press is one of the first things to go in a totalitarian government. Montana Lyons
it appears like some of the i
June 18, 2007 - 21:25 ET by SMGalbraithit appears like some of the irate dittohead bloggers on here have doubled due to brainwashing and alcoholism
Do you have anything substantive to offer or do you simply wish to act like a child waving his little penis around?
If it's the latter, please pull your pants up and take it elsewhere.
It's not that impressive, believe me. We've all seen penises before.
Hahahhahahahah
June 18, 2007 - 21:36 ET by E4PukeThats funny let me ask you a question though. Do you go to truther sites that spout bs to the 35 percent of the Democrat party that believes that crap?
SMGalbraith - Thanks, I need
June 18, 2007 - 23:46 ET by thefightinggop"Thinking is hard. Feeling is so much easier."
SMGalbraith - Thanks, I needed a grin today!
thefightinggop.org
"A free press is one of
June 18, 2007 - 21:25 ET by general company"A free press is one of the first things to go in a totalitarian government." Montana Lyons
Is this a plan or prophecy? Considering your statement I cant tell.
its obviously the plan of the
June 19, 2007 - 02:17 ET byits obviously the plan of the large multinational corporations, as far as prophecy, Im sure karl is praying for it to happen. Fox was his best birthday present@
A free press is one of the first things to go in a totalitarian government. Montana Lyons
You mean like in Venezuela???
June 19, 2007 - 07:24 ET by dscottYou mean like in Venezuela???
“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.” – Marcus Aurelius
Drive-By Clowning
June 19, 2007 - 02:06 ET by Sua Sponte 75Awww, someone smack you around on the playground and take your milk money? You really got some RDS there as that seems to be all you EVER talk about, which shows no matter how much you try to claim you don't look up to him, you obviously do and have quite the facination with NB's. Sure you use the old "cause you make me laugh and all" tripe, but we all know you're just looking for some attention. And don't forget you make us laugh too, with all your chickenwire canoe paddling and stylish bowling cleats.....You are da' clowns clown...
"Stupid Should Hurt"
Montana, Can you give us an
June 19, 2007 - 04:16 ET by hydrodynDMMontana,
Can you give us an example of a specific thing that Limbaugh has said that has been parotted here in an unthinking fashion?
MLyons - Do you even know wha
June 19, 2007 - 05:16 ET by ThisnThatMLyons - Do you even know what freedom of the press is? Let me ask you -- how many of your Letters to the Editor have been published? If you're like others, not many, if any at all. That's what you get from the MSM -- very selective, very filtered. All you hear from the MSM is the MSM, and they get to "edit" (i.e., filter) everything -- quotes, items they will report on, position of the stories in the news (like on page A-39), etc. While the press is indeed free, they are also in total, complete control and can therefore exercise their bias -- without complaint.
Compare that "freedom" with blogs and talk radio.
Let me ask you -- how many posts have you done on NB and other blogs, and how many of these attempts have been blocked? Now, that's freedom. You get to post; you get to cite sources; you get to respond; you get to have others read your idiotic rants.
Do you really think blogs and talk radio are full of idiots and stupid people? No, you don't. You are upset with Rush and NB because the opinions expressed don't match your worldview; but we're not stupid, and you know it.
Yet, Montana lyons you still
June 19, 2007 - 07:23 ET by dscottYet, Montana lyons you still post here, I guess it didn't occur to you we "practice" the first amendment by letting you mock us here in our own web site. See how long you would last at the DU or DailyKos making a similar smug remark? Not long at all.
The next time you drop you pants to releave yourself in someone's living room, consider that you exposed yourself for the fool that you are. You are allowed to stay here to confirm for all of us what liberals really are, intolerant jack booted thugs just itching to repress anyone given the chance. You Montana lyons are our central display of what a liberal is, thanks for playing...
“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.” – Marcus Aurelius
Does anyone know the name of
June 18, 2007 - 21:06 ET by TEDoes anyone know the name of the blithering idiot from something called the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle who asked the "question" of Neuharth?
No Fool Like an Old Neuharth Fool
June 18, 2007 - 21:55 ET by Lame CherrySo we have a humungously wealthy liberal old guy with a biased propaganda rag printing all his fairness and harmless fuzz ball Rush Limbaugh is Neuharth's obsession. He admits he listens which means he can't turn him off.
Then we have the "idiots" of blogs who are on this rich liberal's mind.
Think of it. This rich guy is obsessed with everyone on this site. It bugs him. It eats on him. He can't refute what is being stated in debate and all he can do is call names. That is a looser in Mr. Neuharth, a big time looser.
If he was eating lots of cake at Donald Trump's wedding, the Donald would call him Rosie O'Donnell.
Amazing in the end, this guy who has it all has nothing, because he is so anal he can't control what is going on this little keyboard, can't stop you people from reading this, posting your own intelligent thoughts and stop Newsbusters which is the cutting edge of journalism.
Salute yourself people as this is what winning looks like. The best salvo this old fool can lob is the label idiot.
*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS
I feel so much better now, th
June 18, 2007 - 22:13 ET by general companyI feel so much better now, thanks. I think for that extra ummph, I will add Soros too
Another guy named Al...who se
June 18, 2007 - 22:23 ET by bigtimerAnother guy named Al...who seems to have a difficult time understanding the true being staring back at himself in the mirror....
Must be tough.....
Reality being a killer to the leftists...if that that word ever applied to leftists they would be extinct by now.
Devil in disguise....the devils in the details...and all that jazz.
It must be so frustrating to
June 19, 2007 - 07:17 ET by HelenSIt must be so frustrating to be a liberal. Take MLyon or this Al Neuharth clown - they spew and they screech and they try desperately to wring the last drop of venom and scorn they can out of their toxic little systems. Practically triggering a seizure in their attempt to be as sarcastically venomous as they possibly can and being frustrated in their attempt.
So much scorn launched and absolutely no respect or withering on our part. And when you hear them talk, they always, ALWAYS, insert an assinine little giggle somewhere in their delivery. Is that a neurological response to the apoplectic attempt to express their disdain or is it a code to someone who cares that they're not a violent person? (the purpling of the face and the grinding of the teeth would seem to deny that). How frustrating to be a teenie weenie self absorbed, spineless, testosterone-challenged wuss.
So much easier and healthier to be right and in the right.
"Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war" - Shakespeare
What can one say about the fo
June 19, 2007 - 07:47 ET by GalvanicWhat can one say about the founder of a 'newspaper' that dumbed down news to the point of uselessness. The irony is that not even the big dogs in the industry --- NY Times, Washington Post, LA Times, et al --- consider USA Today as anything more than a check-out line tabloid.
Jennings
June 19, 2007 - 08:58 ET by iveseenitallI'm so impressed that this jerk mentioned one of the left's heroes, Peter Jennings. A Canadian citizen most of his life, Jennings lectured Americans about what and how to think every night. Yet he, himself, was a high school dropout. Modern " journalists" might as well be too, for all they learn in schools today.
BTW, the British looked down upon us American "rabble" too. Look what happened to them. The "elite" will never learn. Are you listenting Lott, Martinez, Graham, et.al.?
And, like him or not, Rush is right on issues most of the time. But what do I know? I'm just a New York educated Ph.D., sitting here in my pajamas.
NEVER,NEVER trust a liberal
ive,I almost choked on my che
June 19, 2007 - 19:49 ET by msh1973ive,
I almost choked on my cherry pie....your last line was hysterical!