He was both brilliant and bitter, masterful and malicious, alluring yet repulsive, superbly talented and yet supremely contemptible.  Email not displaying correctly?
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Loved and loathed — the death of Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh (Hoo-me/MediaPunch /IPX)

If there was a Mount Rushmore for talk-show radio hosts, there’s little question that the first figure chiseled into that mountain would be Rush Limbaugh. Few connected with audiences like the conservative radio host who died Wednesday at the age of 70 after a battle against lung cancer.

For more than three decades, Limbaugh’s nationally syndicated radio show that aired on more than 650 stations from coast to coast drew millions of devoted listeners and helped set the conservative political agenda in this country. And, yet, that very same show — because of Limbaugh’s bigotry, gaslighting and crass hatefulness — helped to split a nation and lay the groundwork for the political discourse that currently defines our country.

So as we look back at Limbaugh’s legacy today, there is no simple description.

He was both brilliant and bitter, masterful and malicious, alluring yet repulsive, superbly talented and yet supremely contemptible.

He was the good, bad and ugly of American media and American politics.

The New York Times’ Robert D. McFadden and Michael M. Grynbaum described him this way ([link removed]) : “He became a singular figure in the American media, fomenting mistrust, grievances and even hatred on the right for Americans who did not share their views, and he pushed baseless claims and toxic rumors long before Twitter and Reddit became havens for such disinformation. In politics, he was not only an ally of Mr. Trump but also a precursor, combining media fame, right-wing scare tactics and over-the-top showmanship to build an enormous fan base and mount attacks on truth and facts.”

The Washington Post’s Marc Fisher wrote ([link removed]) , “He saw himself as a teacher, polemicist, media critic and GOP strategist, but above all as an entertainer and salesman. Mr. Limbaugh mocked Democrats and liberals, touted a traditional Midwestern, moralistic patriotism and presented himself on the air as a biting but jovial know-it-all who pontificated ‘with half my brain tied behind my back just to make it fair,’ as he often said.”

His influence on both radio and politics cannot be overstated.

During a phone interview on Fox News following Limbaugh's death, Fox News primetime host Sean Hannity said, “There is no talk radio as we know it without Rush Limbaugh. It just doesn’t exist. I would even make the argument in many ways there is no Fox News or even some of these other opinionated cable networks.”

Former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly tweeted ([link removed]) , “The legacy of Rush Limbaugh is clear: the most successful radio broadcaster in history. Mr. Limbaugh provided a conservative balance against the dangerous left wing corporate media machine.”

Yet, to be frank, not everyone was saddened by Limbaugh’s passing — as a quick glance on social media would show you.

HuffPost’s headline ([link removed]) called Limbaugh the “bigoted king of talk radio.” HuffPost writers Nick Robins-Early and Christopher Mathias called Limbaugh “a talk radio pioneer who saturated America’s airwaves with cruel bigotries, lies and conspiracy theories.”

Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, tweeted ([link removed]) , “Rush Limbaugh helped create today’s polarized America by normalizing racism, bigotry, misogyny and mockery. He was a demagogue who got rich off of hate speech, division, lies and toxicity. That is his legacy.”

Limbaugh was born in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on Jan. 12, 1951. After dropping out of Southeast Missouri State University, Limbaugh tried to make it in radio and worked as a disc jockey before getting his own show in 1984 at an AM station in Sacramento, California. In 1988, Limbaugh’s show was syndicated, he moved to New York and thus set the stage for, arguably, the most successful and influential talk show in radio history.

Not only did his show connect with regular listeners, but it attracted the leading figures in the Republican party — such as Ronald Reagan.

Rush Limbaugh suddenly was the king of talk radio, masterfully hosting a three-hour show entirely by himself, except for phone calls and occasional interviews. In terms of hosting a radio show, regardless of content, Limbaugh might have been the best to ever do it.

However, Limbaugh did have a number of personal issues. CNN’s Oliver Darcy notes ([link removed]) , “In 2001, Limbaugh suffered hearing loss due to an autoimmune inner ear disease. He later received a cochlear implant. In 2003, Limbaugh announced that he was addicted to pain medication and would seek treatment. Limbaugh said he had become addicted after back surgery. In 2006, he was charged with ‘doctorshopping.’ His attorney said he pleaded not guilty and that the charge would be dropped once he completed 18 months of drug treatment.”

Through it all, one thing remained constant: Limbaugh’s dominance of the talk-radio world, as well as his position as the top voice of American conservatism. It also should be noted and respected that Limbaugh continued to have a powerful voice in a medium (terrestrial radio) that has lost popularity and reach over the past decade.

MSNBC’s Chris Hayes tweeted ([link removed]) that Limbaugh is among the “five most important and influential conservative figures in American life over the past three decades” along with Donald Trump, Newt Gingrich and Fox News’ Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes. Hayes added, “The conservatism we have is the conservatism they have forged.”

Limbaugh was so big that, in 2003, ESPN invited him to be an NFL commentator on its “NFL Sunday Countdown” pregame show even though Limbaugh had no experience as a football commentator. But that risky experiment blew up in ESPN’s face and lasted only a month. Limbaugh resigned under pressure after he said Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb “got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn’t deserve.” Limbaugh went on to claim that was because the media wanted a Black quarterback — like McNabb — to succeed. That comment merely confirmed what Limbaugh’s critics already believe — that Limbaugh was a bigot and a race-baiter.

But his crash at ESPN didn’t slow down his syndicated radio program, which continued to be as popular as ever. What also continued was Limbaugh’s hateful rhetoric on the radio.

Such as 2006, when he accused actor Michael J. Fox of either acting or purposefully not taking his medication in order to exaggerate his Parkinson’s symptoms while appearing in a Democratic election commercial.

Such as 2009, when, just before Barack Obama was sworn in for his first term, Limbaugh said, “I hope he fails.”

Such as all the times he pushed “birther” conspiracy theories about Obama.

Such as 2012, when he called Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute” after she pushed for universal contraception coverage.

His defiance against Democrats lasted right up until the end as he continued to push against the results of the 2020 presidential election and even seemed to support those who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Those are just a few of many examples over the years of Limbaugh’s abhorrent behavior.

Many of Limbaugh’s fans dismissed his insults as simply being entertainment — part of Limbaugh’s schtick. Or, they accused those on the receiving end of Limbaugh’s attacks as being “snowflakes” or part of the “P.C. police” whenever they pushed back or felt offended.

Fox News’ Chris Wallace said there was a big difference between how Limbaugh was on the air compared to off the air.

“He was actually kind of quiet and even shy,” Wallace said. “And, you know, his views were his views. But there was, he was not as forceful a presence in person, in private, as if he was on the air.”

While that might have been true, one cannot dismiss the things he said on the air — things that often landed him in trouble. Limbaugh often was forced to apologize to placate sponsors who threatened to pull their advertising. Yet his popularity among listeners never waned.

Limbaugh announced on his show a year ago that he had advanced lung cancer. Just one day later, then-President Trump awarded him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom during Trump’s State of the Union address.

Many conservatives applauded Trump honoring Limbaugh, while others bristled at the thought. Right after all this, Media Matters’ Matt Gertz wrote ([link removed]) , “What strikes me the most as an observer of Limbaugh’s career over the past 12 years is his frequent jaw-dropping cruelty. He mocks the suffering of others and trains his audience not to sympathize with people different from themselves.”

Reaction continued to be mixed following Limbaugh’s death on Wednesday. Conservatives mourned Limbaugh’s passing. Fox News essentially turned all of its programming over to Limbaugh’s death and even did a telephone interview with former President Trump — his first TV interview since leaving office.

“He is a legend,” Trump said. “He really is. There aren’t too many legends around. But he is a legend. And those people who listen to him every day, it was like a religious experience for a lot of people.”

Former Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News, “There will never be another Rush Limbaugh.”

Limbaugh will be missed by millions, and truthfully, not missed by millions more.

As Michael Harrison — publisher of Talkers trade magazine, which covers talk radio — told USA Today’s Maria Puente ([link removed]) :

Love him or loathe him, few would deny that Limbaugh was one of the most influential commercial broadcasters, if not the most influential, in American history.
Rush’s replacement?

To be fair, no one can truly replace Rush Limbaugh, can they? He was beloved by his listeners. Not just anyone can be thrown into that spot and have the same following, loyalty and — what matters most — ratings as Limbaugh.

The first name to jump out is a strong conservative who is beloved by the right and is currently out of work:

Donald Trump.

While Trump’s name might be fun for the rumor mill, it seems highly unlikely that Trump would want that gig. For starters, radio is hard. Part of what made Limbaugh so good was his work ethic. While it often appeared that Limbaugh was just winging it for three hours, it was his preparation that made his program appear so smooth and effortless. Would Trump be willing to put in the time to be good at radio?

While a national radio show would keep Trump in the spotlight and get his message out there, it’s hard to imagine him committing three hours a day, five days a week to hosting a radio show. He probably will have a standing invitation to go on Fox News or Newsmax whenever he feels like talking.

A couple of months ago, a natural choice to replace Limbaugh would have been former Vice President Mike Pence, who has experience as a radio and TV host.

But Pence’s reputation among Trump loyalists is mud, and that eliminates chances he could host Limbaugh’s show, assuming he would even be interested.
More Rush

Here are a few other stories about Limbaugh that are worth your time:
* CNN’s Chris Cillizza with “How Rush Limbaugh Created Donald Trump.” ([link removed])
* Vox’s Zack Beauchamp with “Rush Limbaugh’s Toxic Legacy.” ([link removed])
* CNN’s Brian Stelter with “Fight Over Rush Limbaugh's True Legacy Began Immediately After His Death.” ([link removed])
* The Washington Post’s Philip Bump with “Rush Limbaugh Created the Politics That Trump Used to Win the White House.” ([link removed])
* Poynter’s Al Tompkins with “How Rush Limbaugh’s Rise After the Gutting of the Fairness Doctrine Led to Today’s Highly Partisan Media.” ([link removed])

Now on to the rest of today’s newsletter …

The bulk of today’s newsletter is dedicated to the death of Rush Limbaugh, but here are some other media stories, links and thoughts you should know today.
Trump talks
Donald Trump, seen here when he left Washington on Jan. 20. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Most of Trump’s first interview on Fox News yesterday was about the death of Limbaugh. In fact, Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer even said, “Mr. President, we probably have 100 questions for you, but so many of them are not appropriate for this venue, so we’ll keep it on this topic for now.”

However, Trump did again lash out about the election, making more false claims by saying, “I think it’s disgraceful, what happened. We were like a third-world country on election night with the closing down of centers. ... You don’t know how angry this country is, and people were furious.”

Trump then appeared Wednesday night on Sean Hannity’s show. And OAN. And Newsmax. If you’re so inclined, I’m sure you can track down what he said, but it was more the same. It appears Trump’s self-imposed media silence is now over.
Going on at Gannett

For this item, I turn it over to Poynter media business analyst Rick Edmonds.

While I was absorbed in all things Alden/Tribune ([link removed]) , I failed to note a smart and potentially lucrative business move from Gannett ([link removed]) . It will begin selling various types of digital advertising across McClatchy’s chain of 30 dailies as well as its own 260 regionals and USA Today’s sites.

Both sides of the deal stand to benefit. Digital national sales have been a strength for Gannett in recent years. With USA Today’s online content still free, traffic volume is huge. Plus geographical reach allows for customization to an advertiser’s pick of target markets. All the better on both scores when you add in McClatchy markets.

Could this lead to bigger and better things, wedding bells even, for the two chains? Maybe. But it makes a whole lot of sense even if not.

Two other Gannett nuggets:
* As print consolidations and outsourcing continue, Gannett has added the Sarasota Herald-Tribune to its list of print plant closings ([link removed]) at the loss of 95 part-time and full-time jobs. The work will be done not at Gannett’s nearby Lakeland facility (which is picking up the Tampa Bay Times’ business ([link removed]) ) but all the way across the state at its Treasure Coast papers. Moves like these generate substantial savings, as CEO Mike Reed regularly highlights in financial reports to investors and analysts, but at the cost of both jobs and much earlier print deadlines.
* A Gannett watcher in South Jersey forwarded me a recent introductory paid digital subscription offer at the rate of $1 for six months. Now that’s a bargain, working out to half a penny a day. It is tempting to quip that you get what you pay for with truly local staff-reported news hard to find in small market Gannett papers. However, deep discounting (usually not that deep) is a respected strategy to build up paid digital subscriber numbers if not revenue. Some convert to full paid subscriptions and, worst case, some email addresses are captured.

CNN revamps schedule

One day after CNN daytime anchor Brooke Baldwin stunned viewers by announcing she was leaving the network in April, CNN announced changes to its morning and daytime weekday lineup. Here’s how it looks:

Laura Jarrett and Christine Romans will continue to anchor “Early Start” from 5 to 6 a.m. Eastern.

“New Day” will air from 6 to 9 a.m. with hosts John Berman and Brianna Keilar, who moves to this slot from the afternoon.

Poppy Harlow and Jim Sciutto will continue to anchor “CNN Newsroom” from 9 to 11 a.m., and Kate Bolduan will continue to anchor “At This Hour” from 11 a.m. to noon.

Also staying the same, “Politics with John King” from noon to 1 p.m.

As far as replacing Baldwin in her 1 to 3 p.m. time slot? Ana Cabrera will anchor “CNN Newsroom” from 1 to 2 p.m. and Alisyn Camerota and Victor Blackwell will now anchor coverage from 2 to 4 p.m.
More Tucker Carlson

Get ready for more Tucker Carlson. Fox News Media announced Wednesday a new deal for the primetime host to produce original content for Fox Nation — Fox News Media’s on-demand subscription-based streaming service.

Beginning in April, Carlson will release at least three new video podcast episodes a week. Fox says it will feature “interviews with newsmakers, as well as a discussion of the issues shaping the country.” The series will be called “The Tucker Carlson Originals.” Here’s the trailer ([link removed]) .
The rating game
President Joe Biden participates in a televised town hall Tuesday night in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Joe Biden’s town hall — his first since becoming president — on Tuesday night turned out to be a ratings winner for CNN. The 75-minute town hall hosted by CNN’s Anderson Cooper drew 3.54 million total viewers. That bested MSNBC (2.99 million) and Fox News (2.86 million).
The Widower

From the producers of “Dateline NBC” comes a multi-night true-crime docuseries that starts tonight. “The Widower” looks at a decadelong investigation into Thomas Randolph, a Las Vegas man accused of killing his wife, Sharon. Turns out, Sharon was Randolph’s sixth wife and fourth to die under mysterious circumstances.

The series starts tonight at 10 p.m. Eastern on NBC and continues Friday and Sunday. Check out this creepy trailer ([link removed]) .
Politico’s new project

Politico launches a new series today called “Recovery Lab.” ([link removed]) As Politico describes it, its purpose is to “inject solutions journalism and thought leadership into the biggest challenges facing Governors and State officials right now as they tackle the COVID-19 crisis and how we recover from it.”

It also said it will be a “deep dive into a policy challenge posed by the pandemic including health care, education, economic redevelopment, infrastructure and others.”

The project will combine Politico reporters from Washington, D.C., and statehouses across the country.
Hosting ‘The Argument’
Jane Coaston of The New York Times. (Illustration courtesy of The New York Times)
Starting Feb. 24, Jane Coaston will be the new host of “The Argument,” ([link removed]) The New York Times’ first Opinion podcast. Before joining the Times, Coaston was the senior politics reporter at Vox, with a focus on conservatism and the Republican Party.
Hot type
* The New York Times’ Damien Cave with “Google Is Suddenly Paying for News in Australia. What About Everywhere Else?” ([link removed])
* In an opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley with “The Media Tries to Divide Republicans. ([link removed]) ”
* In the wake of hedge fund Alden Global Capital reaching a deal to acquire Tribune Publishing, The Washington Post’s Margaret Sullivan weighs in with “The ‘Audacious Lie’ Behind a Hedge Fund’s Promise to Sustain Local Journalism.” ([link removed])
* Speaking of the Alden-Tribune deal, Los Angeles Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong could veto the deal, but Vanity Fair’s Joe Pompeo reports ([link removed]) that it’s “highly unlikely” he will.
* The Weather Channel with “Power Outages and Bitter Cold: Photos of a Texas Disaster.” ([link removed])
* One final thought — check out some of the remarkable work being done across the South, particularly in Texas, from news organizations covering the brutal winter storm. A special shout out to The Texas Tribune ([link removed]) .

Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected] (“mailto:[email protected]”) .
More resources for journalists
* PolitiFact fact-checks about the coronavirus ([link removed])
* Hiring? Post jobs ([link removed]) on The Media Job Board — Powered by Poynter, Editor & Publisher and America’s Newspapers.
* Starting Poynt ([link removed]) for new Managers (Online Seminar) — Apply by Feb. 23
* Becoming a More Effective Writer: Clarity and Organization ([link removed]) (Online Seminar) — April 5-30

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