MSNBC dumps liberal anchors
Lots of juicy tidbits in this New York Times article today – after the eye-rolling use of the word “bold” in the 1st paragraph. Only the NYT would consider it “bold” to front 2 liberal commentators as objective news reporters:
MSNBC tried a bold experiment this year by putting two politically incendiary hosts, Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews, in the anchor chair to lead the cable news channel’s coverage of the election….
That experiment appears to be over.
After months of accusations of political bias and simmering animosity between MSNBC and its parent network NBC, the channel decided over the weekend that… David Gregory would anchor news coverage of the coming debates and election night…
The change… is a direct result of tensions associated with the channel’s perceived shift to the political left….
Executives… had high hopes for MSNBC’s coverage of the political conventions. Instead, the coverage frequently descended into on-air squabbles between the anchors, embarrassing some workers… and quite possibly alienating viewers….
MSNBC… remained in last place among the broadcast and cable news networks….
When the vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin lamented media bias during her speech, attendees of the Republican convention loudly chanted “NBC“….
On the final night of the Republican convention, after MSNBC televised the party’s video “tribute to the victims of 9/11” Olbermann abruptly took off his journalistic hat…
After saying that the video had exploited the memories of the dead, he directly apologized to viewers who were offended. Then, sounding like a network executive, he said it was “probably not appropriate to be shown.”…
A like-minded talk show will now follow [Olbermann’s] “Countdown” at 9 p.m.: “The Rachel Maddow Show,” hosted by the liberal [Air America] radio host, begins Monday.
Mr. Griffin, MSNBC’s president, denies that it has an ideology. “I think ideology means we think one way, and we don’t,” he said. Rather than label MSNBC’s prime time as left-leaning, he says it has passion and point of view….
Some tensions have spilled out on-screen. On the first night in Denver, as the fellow MSNBC host Joe Scarborough talked about the resurgence of the McCain campaign, Mr. Olbermann dismissed it by saying: “Jesus, Joe, why don’t you get a shovel?”
The following night, Mr. Olbermann and his co-anchor for convention coverage, Mr. Matthews, had their own squabble after Mr. Olbermann observed that Mr. Matthews had talked too long….
On a recent Friday afternoon, a graphic labeled “Breaking News” asked: “How many houses does Palin add to the Republican ticket?” Mr. Griffin called the graphic “an embarrassment.”
[HT: proofreader Laura Loo; top photo courtesy of New York magazine]
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
Mr. Griffin, MSNBC’s president, denies that it has an ideology. “I think ideology means we think one way, and we don’t,” he said. Rather than label MSNBC’s prime time as left-leaning, he says it has passion and point of view….
Who the heck does he think he’s kidding? – they don’t think one way!??? Ha!
Haven’t noticed the chapeau, have you?
But…but…but….the media isnt biased towards the liberals!!!
“After months of accusations of political bias and simmering animosity between MSNBC and its parent network NBC, the channel decided over the weekend that… David Gregory would anchor news coverage of the coming debates and election night…”
SG: Interesting … Fox accused of biased reporting accepted the depiction, but argued that by presenting what they called a (R)ight bias, they were bringing balance to MSM coverage as a whole. E(R)ego, Fox’s bias is ‘Fair and Balanced’
The alleged left-leaning media … pretty limp response compared to Fox, wouldn’t you say?
Snerd
Olbermann isn’t what anyone would refer to as a professional journalist or commentator. He’s a liberal hack if I ever saw/heard one. His response to the Palin and McCain speeches last week were laughable in his attempt to try and squelch the effectiveness of those speeches.
The contrast of the Democrat and Republican conventions and the way that MSNBC reported and covered them really did some big time damage to MSNBC and their party the Democrat Party.
This site has been exposing Olbermann radical bias for a while:
http://www.olbermannwatch.com/
Kieth Olberman is not a man of character he is a man of compromise.
It is obvious.
I see Snerd is just arbitrarily making up crap now. Fox has never claimed to have a right-wing bias; they have always claimed to try to present both sides, and as any viewer of FNC knows, they freaking bend over backwards to present both sides. You can’t watch O’Reilly or Hannity without seeing a “Democrat Strategist”, liberal professor, or some random Obama supporter explaining why America stinks.
Does anybody remember the ventriloquist, Edgar Bergen and his dummy, the dim-witted Mortimer SNERD? Does this describe someone on this blog?
I LOVE OLBERMANNWATCH.COM!!
♥
I think it might have been for entertainment value, because isn’t Chris Matthews conservative?
“they have always claimed to try to present both sides, and as any viewer of FNC knows, they freaking bend over backwards to present both sides. You can’t watch O’Reilly or Hannity without seeing a “Democrat Strategist”, liberal professor, or some random Obama supporter explaining why America stinks.”
And if you watched any other channel you’d realize there is always a strategist/analyist for both parties for each story, usually at the same time (which of course often leads to speaking over one another, etc) but claiming fox is the only one “bending over backwards” to do that is plain old BS.
And as far as I’m aware Fox is the only network that has had an anchor walk out because he thought coverage was biased.
I think it might have been for entertainment value, because isn’t Chris Matthews conservative?
LOL! no PIP, he’s part of the angy left.
Sure, Dan. Keith “Countdown to Insanity” Olbermann has all kinds of opposing viewpoints on his show. When is John McCain going to be on?
LOL sorry jasper I was thinking of Tucker Carlson XP My bad.
Wake up, Snerd. Here’s your coffee:
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/Media-Bias-Is-Real-Finds-UCLA-6664.aspx
Or is UCLA conservatively biased as well
John-
I’m sure if McCain ever offered to be interviewed Olbemann would be ecstatic as it would be his chance to go after McCain himself. He was taken off election coverage for a reason, even I thought he was going too far, and Matthews was getting close if not there. I agree with that decision, however accusing the station on the whole of being biased because a candidate seemingly hasnt even tried to be interviewed is ridiculous. Any outlet right now would be psyched to have McCain come on if he allowed questions not only about himself/policy but about Palin, which I doubt he will at this point. She’s still too “new” and he isn’t going to make making political gaffes any easier by taking the risk of talking to the media and letting something slip or making some other mistake like he did with the whole sunni/shi’a incident months ago.
McCain is not political dummy, he’s avoiding it, and people are beginning to notice. He apparently isn’t the only one either. A lot of reports lately have been talking about the ‘exclusivity’ of the RNC vs that of the DNC, where reporters felt far more welcome and had far more access to facilities and the politicians themselves (whether or not they got those interviews with the politicians depended on each individual however).
^— Look at Dan stumble all over himself just like his hero Obama, attempting explain why Olbermann won’t have McCain as a guest. Oh that’s right, Olbermann was banished from the newsman’s chair for being a far-left fanatic. Put that “commentator” hat back on, Olby.
Fox News doesn’t have anybody who comes even close to Olbermann or even Matthews in partisanship but in the opposite direction. Not even close.
Or, instead of arguing about it, everyone could just read the report I put a link up to where people actually did the research…
Xalisae-
there have been various reports going either way in terms of bias. Though I must say if there is a bias at least the way “liberal” news outlets presents the news allow their watchers to better remember/comprehend it than those who watch fox, though of course none of them compare to a good old fashioned newspaper :D
xalisae-
random question, is your display name latin in origin?
Well, let’s consider my source here, Dan. I’d hardly characterize an institution like UCLA as conservatvely biased, and if you read the article, you’d find their methodology to be quite a refreshing way to go about this endevour, and the resultant data would be exceedingly difficult to skew.
As for my name, I happen to be an incurable nerd, so my name is not Latin, but in fact drow. ;P
And adam and eve listened to the snake. Whats new about the capitulation to evil. I really don’t understand NBC’s decision. If FOX can have a conservative bias, then I think there should be a place for liberal voices. CBS doesn’t give it and ABC doesn’t give it – and who really watches CNN anymore?
It was called Air America, YLT, and it went under almost everywhere it was broadcast because no sane person enjoys subjecting themself to such auditory feces.
If you want liberal voices, watch Fox News Channel. Every ten minutes there’s another liberal on there.
The fact that alan colmes is still employed by them is a testament to their tolerance.
Its funny.. all this blasting of MSNBC for providing a new and fresh idea. FOX news has been providing conservative ideas and no one gets upset. All it takes is someone to rock the hegemony and the right just blows a fuse.
Can you read? Look at the link I posted, read what it says, then eat all of your delicious crow, and quit being stupid.
Fox News has some conservative COMMENTATORS, YLT. They don’t have their conservative COMMENTATORS serving as ANCHORS.
Yo La Tengo, do you happen to know if the surgery to remove Keith Olbermann’s lips from Sen. Obama’s hiney was successful?
Fox News has some conservative COMMENTATORS, YLT. They don’t have their conservative COMMENTATORS serving as ANCHORS.
Yo La Tengo, do you happen to know if the surgery to remove Keith Olbermann’s lips from Sen. Obama’s hiney was successful?