I disagree. You've been talking about numbers and audience. Take just the LA and New York Times as examples. How many small town conservative papers have the audience that they have? You are more knowledgeable of print media then I am. How many conservative leaning newspapers have the same readership as the NYT? If you really believe that the small-town conservative papers balance out the liberal leanings of papers like the NYT then wouldn't small audience liberal hosts like Olberman and Maddow balance out Limbaugh?

 

No single paper has the audience of the Times. But there are tens of thousands of small papers across the country, each one with its own little chunk of readership. There's no single one that has the large-scale influence of a NY Times, but those papers are highly influential in their own little slice of America. That adds up.

While reading this thread, I could only think of Jim Jefferies comedy skit.

 

In the interest of full disclosure and accuracy, I must apologize for grossly misreading that list. Limbaugh has 15+ million weekly listeners, not daily listeners. Sorry for the confusion. :ohbrother:

In the interest of full disclosure and accuracy, I must apologize for grossly misreading that list. Limbaugh has 15+ million weekly listeners, not daily listeners. Sorry for the confusion. :ohbrother:

Thanks. That makes a lot more sense :lol: I could have bought the Rush, but when you said All Things Considered had 13,000,000, I nearly called shenanigans. That would be closer to 2.6 million a day which is a little closer to what I would have guessed.

No single paper has the audience of the Times. But there are tens of thousands of small papers across the country, each one with its own little chunk of readership. There's no single one that has the large-scale influence of a NY Times, but those papers are highly influential in their own little slice of America. That adds up.

 

I would guess that even if you put the scope of influence of all of those papers together it still wouldn't match the impact of the NYT. Then throw in the LA Times and even our "beloved" Courier-Journal among other left biased papers and I would say that it isn't even close. In terms of audience I don't see any way that left leaning papers aren't dominant. I really believe that's part of the reason why there's such animus towards right leaning outlets by the left. For years all that was heard was the voice of the left except in the few small pockets where those niche papers were dominate. Limbaugh's reach with his radio show changed all of that. The fact that there has yet to be a left leaning host that can even come close to matching Limbaugh's numbers has to drive the left crazy. Since they can't beat him, silence him. And FWIW I rarely, if ever listen to Limbaugh. I prefer the local guy who's on opposite him.

Which is more influential? Radio, print or cable news?

Just gave my opinion as to why no fuss was made over it. However, Tracy Morgan is a comedian and GLAAD made a huge deal out of his anti-gay comments so maybe this is an example of the liberal media run amok. I don't like Rush but his comments really didn't bother me. I expect it from him.

Tracy Morgan being a comedian is debatable. :lol:

 

We agree on Rush, I expect it as well.

Only if Santorum, Romney and Gingrich give back money from donors who have said off color things about Obama. Of is it only an issue of we find out about the off color statements?

I'd be ok with that.

That same list I'm citing from — Talkers Magazine, which compiles the Arbitron ratings — has Morning Edition and All Things Considered at 13 million apiece daily.

 

RM, on your other comment earlier, I would bet that in both cases — the Hannity and Rush audiences, as well as the NPR audiences — there is a lot of sharing. No way there are that many distinct listeners.

 

I agree, I doubt if they run against each other on most stations. I know several years ago they came on back to back on one of the local stations.

Somewhat. But I am capable of critical thinking and am able to read between the lines. I would argue, however, that there are more than their fair share of mainstream media outlets that are conservative in their leanings — take small-town newspapers, for instance — that balance things out.

 

You truly think that balances it out?

Only if Santorum, Romney and Gingrich give back money from donors who have said off color things about Obama. Of is it only an issue of we find out about the off color statements?

 

If we don't find out about them, how would we know?

Which is more influential? Radio, print or cable news?

 

I would say cable news.

Which is more influential? Radio, print or cable news?

 

Internet forums in the list?

You truly think that balances it out?

 

Totally? Probably not. But it's not as bad as what the right makes it out to be in its effort to paint all media as pinko liberals.

If we don't find out about them, how would we know?

 

Should it make a difference is the question? I say no. There will never be a president who doesn't have 'unsavory characters' donate to them. If those people want to support him then so be it.