Diane Sawyer couldn't resist repeatedly applying “right wing” ideological tags to Rush Limbaugh and his listeners in reporting on October 9 how he had lost his hearing. NBC's Lisa Myers offered more restraint on Today, and in the only broadcast network news story on Limbaugh aired that evening, passed along a doctor's theory about the cause of Limbaugh's ailment. (CBS's The Early Show didn't mention Limbaugh on Tuesday morning, but made room for a promotional preview of CBS's Survivor: Africa.)
On the October 9 Good Morning America, Media Research Center analyst Jessica Anderson observed, Sawyer described Limbaugh as a “conservative firebrand,” noted how his “boisterous exchange of words, ideas, barbs” have been “advancing the conservative agenda that made him a right-wing hero” and reported that “ditto heads” like him “for his cheerfully right-wing views.” Are there any other kind? All of Sawyer's tags were accurate, but they seemed to distract from the real news of his health.
Sawyer set up interview segments with Judith Regan, Limbaugh's book editor, and Dr. Nancy Snyderman: “Twenty-two million people a week listen to conservative firebrand Rush Limbaugh, and as we all read recently, he signed — are you ready for this? — a $285 million deal, reportedly, to host his syndicated radio show. But yesterday, Limbaugh's listeners heard a stunning announcement. He told them that he is losing his hearing and he may never regain it. From the king of conservative talk radio, a startling
announcement.”
After a Limbuagh clip, Sawyer continued: “It was a gutsy announcement for the media megastar, Rush Limbaugh, whose life's work and pleasure had been the boisterous exchange of words, ideas, barbs, advancing the conservative agenda that made him a right-wing hero.
“He signed on for the first time when he was just 16, at a Top 40 station in his Missouri hometown. His big break, 1988, the nationally syndicated show that made conservative Americans, what he calls 'ditto heads,' calling in to say, 'Ditto to that, Rush,' for his cheerfully right-wing views.”
NBC's Lisa Myers followed up a Today piece on Limbaugh with a story for Tuesday's NBC Nightly News. She ran this speculation from Dr. Alan Micco of the Northwestern University Medical School: “The most likely scenario, based on what he has told us, is this probably represents an auto-immune hearing loss where the body's immune system has formed cells that are attacking the sensory cells, that is the hair cells, in the inner ear which are responsible for sending a signal to his brain for him to hear.”
Myers wrapped up her piece: “Limbaugh says he's determined to keep doing his show, for which he earns more than $30 million a year. Doctors warn his speech may get slower and louder, but say with technology he should be able to cope.”
Limbaugh, shown via his Web site's video, ending his show: “Even though I can't hear, I can still communicate. So liberals and moderates: Beware.”
Myers: “His hearing may be gone, but Limbaugh's legendary ego remains intact.”
Viewers then heard anchor Tom Brokaw remark: “We wish him all the best.”
(This update courtesy of the Media Research Center.)
