By Brigitte L. Nacos
Today, the New York Times published an article by Motoko Rich that describes TV- and radio talk show host Glenn Beck as the new Oprah for the writers of thrillers. Yesterday, Maureen Dowd devoted her column in the Times to Rush Limbaugh. The paper wrote about and referred to Sarah Palin repeatedly before and after Tuesday’s election, especially in the context of the election contest in the 23rd congressional district in up-state New York. While one would expect that the press reports on the influence of the triumvirate Beck, Limbaugh and Palin on conservatives and politics in the Republican Party, one wonders how much of this trio's influence is the result of the extraordinary media attention that these three noise-makers rake in.
Never mind that stories about and references to those three are often critical in nature. That actually enhances their credibility as attackers of the so-called liberal media and as darlings of the conservative fringe. More importantly, their starring roles in the mainstream media helps their promotion of what Palin calls “grass-root patriots” and their intimidation of the few moderates left among Republican Party leaders.
To be sure, Palin, Limbaugh and Beck have a core of enthusiastic followers that share the triumvirate’s ideology and believe whatever they are told. But the extraordinary attention that the mainstream media bestow on them bolsters their star status at a time when celebrity tends to matter most in our society.
My too-much-attention-argument is backed up by a quick count of newspaper articles and radio- and television transcripts during the last three months (August 5 through November 5) as contained in the Lexis/Nexis electronic archive.
During that period, newspapers across the country carried a total of 1,986 stories that were about or mentioned Sarah Palin with The Washington Post (93), The Washington Times (87), and the New York Times (86) publishing most of such articles. There were 1,988 news transcripts from TV- and radio networks—342 from CNN, 181 the Fox News Network, 141 MSNBC, 59 National Public Radio, 47 NBC News, 35 ABC News, and 17 CBS.
1,591 newspaper stories were about or mentioned Limbaugh—53 of those in The New York Times, 46 in The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and 46 in The Washington Times. Television and radio networks reported about or mentioned Limbaugh in 962 segments. CNN has 191 such stories followed by Fox (150), MSNBC (85), National Public Radio (33) NBC (31), ABC (27) and CBS (12).
Finally, Glenn Beck was covered or mentioned in 1,394 newspaper stories, 66 of those in The New York Times, 56 in The St. Petersburg Times and 51 in The Washington Post. Beck was covered or mentioned in 502 TV- and radio segments (not counting 170 on the Fox News Network that carries Beck’s talk show) with CNN (100) segments paying most attention followed by MSNBC (85), National Public Radio (33), NBC (31), ABC (27) and CBS (12).
That much for Palin’s, Limbaugh’s, and Beck’s big publicity helpers in the media!
Today, the New York Times published an article by Motoko Rich that describes TV- and radio talk show host Glenn Beck as the new Oprah for the writers of thrillers. Yesterday, Maureen Dowd devoted her column in the Times to Rush Limbaugh. The paper wrote about and referred to Sarah Palin repeatedly before and after Tuesday’s election, especially in the context of the election contest in the 23rd congressional district in up-state New York. While one would expect that the press reports on the influence of the triumvirate Beck, Limbaugh and Palin on conservatives and politics in the Republican Party, one wonders how much of this trio's influence is the result of the extraordinary media attention that these three noise-makers rake in.
Never mind that stories about and references to those three are often critical in nature. That actually enhances their credibility as attackers of the so-called liberal media and as darlings of the conservative fringe. More importantly, their starring roles in the mainstream media helps their promotion of what Palin calls “grass-root patriots” and their intimidation of the few moderates left among Republican Party leaders.
To be sure, Palin, Limbaugh and Beck have a core of enthusiastic followers that share the triumvirate’s ideology and believe whatever they are told. But the extraordinary attention that the mainstream media bestow on them bolsters their star status at a time when celebrity tends to matter most in our society.
My too-much-attention-argument is backed up by a quick count of newspaper articles and radio- and television transcripts during the last three months (August 5 through November 5) as contained in the Lexis/Nexis electronic archive.
During that period, newspapers across the country carried a total of 1,986 stories that were about or mentioned Sarah Palin with The Washington Post (93), The Washington Times (87), and the New York Times (86) publishing most of such articles. There were 1,988 news transcripts from TV- and radio networks—342 from CNN, 181 the Fox News Network, 141 MSNBC, 59 National Public Radio, 47 NBC News, 35 ABC News, and 17 CBS.
1,591 newspaper stories were about or mentioned Limbaugh—53 of those in The New York Times, 46 in The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and 46 in The Washington Times. Television and radio networks reported about or mentioned Limbaugh in 962 segments. CNN has 191 such stories followed by Fox (150), MSNBC (85), National Public Radio (33) NBC (31), ABC (27) and CBS (12).
Finally, Glenn Beck was covered or mentioned in 1,394 newspaper stories, 66 of those in The New York Times, 56 in The St. Petersburg Times and 51 in The Washington Post. Beck was covered or mentioned in 502 TV- and radio segments (not counting 170 on the Fox News Network that carries Beck’s talk show) with CNN (100) segments paying most attention followed by MSNBC (85), National Public Radio (33), NBC (31), ABC (27) and CBS (12).
That much for Palin’s, Limbaugh’s, and Beck’s big publicity helpers in the media!
Never mind that stories about and references to those three are often critical in nature. More importantly, their starring roles in the mainstream media helps their promotion of what Palin calls grass-root patriots and their intimidation of the few moderates left among Republican Party leaders.
Posted by: Term papers | February 11, 2010 at 07:18 AM
I like this comment: "More importantly, their starring roles in the mainstream media helps their promotion of what Palin calls grass-root patriots and their intimidation of the few moderates left among Republican Party leaders..."
Posted by: propecia online | February 22, 2010 at 03:33 PM