Audio Essay: Limbaugh Controversy Another Example of Disrespect in American Culture

The Takeaway

After Georgetown University Law student Sandra Fluke spoke on Capitol Hill about her university’s coverage of contraception, radio host Rush Limbaugh criticized her on his show. Those comments quickly went viral, and over 40 of Limbaugh’s advertisers have pulled their sponsorship of the radio show. In this audio essay, Celeste Headlee comments on what she sees as trends on talk radio and political discourse as a whole. “Our civil discourse has turned ugly because, let’s face it, on the whole, Americans reward incivility,” she says.

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