MSNBC Drops Olbermann and Matthews
September 8th 2008 18:54
MSNBC has decided to replace Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews as anchors of political news coverage with David Gregory. This from the New York Times:
In no way would I compare Olbermann (or even Matthews) to the gang at Fox News, but there is no doubt MSNBC's political news coverage with Olbermann and Mathews has indeed had a leftward tilt. While I personally enjoy seeing some ACTUAL liberal media, I can at least begin to understand the objections, however hypocratic they may be given many of the objectioners have no problem with Fox News.
That said, it seems to me there are two key differences between MSNBC and Fox News: 1)As is a typical difference between right and left, Fox News will never relent, never repent. MSNBC is all too happy to please it's right-wing critics. 2) MSNBC's political news coverage may lean left and Fox New's coverage of everything may be overtly conservative, but at least MSNBC does a pretty good job of labeling what is opinion. There is no pretense on Olberman's part of being balanced nor fair, although the later he usually seems to deliver on.
After months of accusations of political bias and simmering animosity between MSNBC and its parent network NBC, the channel decided over the weekend that the NBC News correspondent and MSNBC host David Gregory would anchor news coverage of the coming debates and election night. Mr. Olbermann and Mr. Matthews will remain as analysts during the coverage.
The change — which comes in the home stretch of the long election cycle — is a direct result of tensions associated with the channel’s perceived shift to the political left.
The change — which comes in the home stretch of the long election cycle — is a direct result of tensions associated with the channel’s perceived shift to the political left.
In no way would I compare Olbermann (or even Matthews) to the gang at Fox News, but there is no doubt MSNBC's political news coverage with Olbermann and Mathews has indeed had a leftward tilt. While I personally enjoy seeing some ACTUAL liberal media, I can at least begin to understand the objections, however hypocratic they may be given many of the objectioners have no problem with Fox News.
That said, it seems to me there are two key differences between MSNBC and Fox News: 1)As is a typical difference between right and left, Fox News will never relent, never repent. MSNBC is all too happy to please it's right-wing critics. 2) MSNBC's political news coverage may lean left and Fox New's coverage of everything may be overtly conservative, but at least MSNBC does a pretty good job of labeling what is opinion. There is no pretense on Olberman's part of being balanced nor fair, although the later he usually seems to deliver on.
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Comment by Jim Stillman
Political Certainty
I also join in your comments comparing Fox and NBC. The latter was sensitive to the charge of leaning to the left in their news reporting; Fox and its supporters deny any possibility of a right-tilt. Thus, Fox asserts it is “fair and balanced” which is a joke.
If you will read the posts of many far right folks, you will note their bragging about getting all of their information from Fox and Fox-like sources. Thus, Fox commits the “sin” of pretending that it has no agenda and that it reporting of news is balanced.
I am very pleased that both Matthews and Olbermann will remain on their respective MSNBC programs, perhaps more free to express their respective opinions.
Comment by PopulistConservative
Angry Electorate
There were a couple of distinctions between Fox News and MSNBC. MSNBC was being criticized by other Democrats for their coverage (which was mostly a holdover from the Obama-Clinton battle). A popular governor, Ed Rendell, recently took them to task for their primary coverage. You didn't see Republican candidates lash out at Fox News because Fox News didn't really play up any favorites in the GOP primary. Also, the infighting at MSNBC spilled out onto the live coverage and made them look awful. KO and Matthews had a spat. Scarborough and KO had a spat. Scarborough and Shuster had a spat. Matthews and Buchanan were practically shouting at one another at one point. It was just unseemly and unprofessional. It was a perfect storm of ego boxing and they put it out there for the world to see during the DNC.
The bottom line is that KO and Matthews should never have been anchoring the conventions. Todd or Brokaw or Williams or Gregory were all much better suited for that.