Roger Ebert Bests Maher, O’Reilly; Named America’s Most Influential Pundit By Forbes

Forbes has just named Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times the most influential pundit in America.

Of course, the Chicago Sun-Times on Sept. 25 was all over it. Maureen O’Donnell reports:

Bill Maher must think it’s politically incorrect. Bill O’Reilly must be spinning in that no-spin zone.

Roger Ebert ... bested them and others to be named the most influential pundit in America by Forbes magazine.

Forbes analyzed market research on more than 60 top pundits in current events, entertainment, law, politics and sports.

Ebert “appeals to 70 percent of the demographic and [his] long career makes him well known to well over half the population,” wrote Forbes’ Tom Van Riper.

The magazine’s list of top pundits is “very impressive company,” Ebert said by e-mail.

[He added:] “It never occurred to me anyone would make such a survey. I never thought of myself as a pundit. Maybe it means movies are more popular than politics and non-partisan.”

The Sept. 24 Forbes story can be found here.