Mark Levin, Congressman Jim Jordan, Alan Robertson, Stacey Dash, Larry Kudlow and Cleta Mitchell highlighted the MRC’s “2014 Gala featuring the DisHonors Awards: Roasting the Most Outrageously Biased Liberal Reporting [1],” presented on Thursday night, September 25, before an audience of more than 900 at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.
In addition to the presentation of the DisHonors Awards videos in four categories and a look at some “funny clips,” the audience decided Eleanor Clift had earned the Quote of the Year dishonor. MRC President Brent Bozell asked the audience to show their derision, via jeers and noisemakers, of quotes from Martin Bashir, Krystal Ball and Clift, each of whom had won a news category earlier in the program. The audience’s pick was assessed by Bozell and the presenters and acceptors brought on stage to judge the audience’s preference.
>> Full rundown [1] with videos and all the quotes <<
The MRC opened the post-dinner program with MRC President Brent Bozell honoring Mark Levin with the MRC’s eighth annual “William F. Buckley Jr. Award for Media Excellence.” Levin scolded establishment Republicans and urged conservatives to emulate the examples of ideological integrity set by Buckley and Ronald Reagan. (Video of Levin's remarks [2])
As first implemented in 2013, DisHonors Awards category winners were determined by the audience. After watching the three nominated quotes, attendees at each of the 90 tables discussed the quotes and then, by electronic device, the table captain cast the choice on behalf of the table.
The nominated quotes were narrowed to three beforehand by a distinguished panel of 15 leading media observers, including Rush Limbaugh, Monica Crowley, Neal Boortz, Ann Coulter, Laura Ingraham, David Limbaugh, Walter E. Williams, Steve Hayes, Erick Erickson and Thomas S. Winter.
Cal Thomas, an author, TV commentator and nationally syndicated columnist, served as Master of Ceremonies. Larry Kudlow, a senior contributor to CNBC and a nationally syndicated talk radio host, presented the first two award categories before Alan Robertson, a star of A&E’s Duck Dynasty, cued up the “funny clips [3].” Chris Plante, host of a talk show on Washington DC’s WMAL Radio, handled the third and fourth awards.
In place of the journalist who won each award, a conservative accepted it in jest. Those standing in for the winners: U.S. Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH); Cleta Mitchell, the lawyer representing conservative groups targeted by the IRS; the Benham brothers (David and Jason), whom HGTV removed from Flip It Forward for expressing their Christian values; and actress Stacey Dash who earned liberal enmity when she supported Mitt Romney.
The evening began with an invocation by David Limbaugh. Abby Moffat, a member of MRC’s Board of Directors, led the Pledge of Allegiance.
During the evening’s program, Karl Ottosen, Chairman of the MRC’s Board of Directors, honored Dr. Seymour Fein, outgoing Chairman of the MRC’s Board of Trustees, for his medical achievements and work on behalf of the MRC.
— Brent Baker is the Steven P.J. Wood Senior Fellow and Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center. Follow Brent Baker on Twitter. [4]