Malaka Of The Week: MSNBC

We have visitors from the land of ham biscuits aka Virginia so I was offline most of Friday. I hadn't even planned to discuss the week in malakatude until I heard that Keith Olbermann was suspended by MSNBC for giving money to candidates he agrees with. Apparently, the suits at MSNBC were shocked, shocked to learn that Keith is a liberal so some suit named Phil Griffin "temporarily suspended" Keith from Countdown, which is the highest rated show on the cable network.

The timing of the suspension seems fishy: it comes after the GOP retook control of the House amidst winger complaints that MSNBC had a buncha commie pinko freaks handling the election eve duties. Nope, MSNBC had it regular night time hosts two of whom, Tweety and Lawrence O'Donnell, are centrists who took some flak on Tuesday from the so called "professional left." Mocking Tweety is a regular past time in the Crack Van.

MSNBC's chest thumping about journalistic ethics and neutrality is woefully misplaced in this instance. Olbermann is a pundit whose show takes a look at the news from a liberal and Keithy perspective. There's even a dispute as to whether or not NBC News' rules even apply to MSNBC news yakkers. They certainly didn't suspend Joe Scarborough or Pat Buchanan for their contributions to Republicans. There's clearly a double standard at work here and, for perhaps the first time ever, I agree with William Kristol who wrote:

“MSNBC’s suspension of Keith Olbermann is ludicrous. First, he donated money to candidates he liked. He didn’t take money, or favors, in a way that influenced his reporting. Second, he’s not a reporter. It’s an opinion show. If Olbermann wants to put his money where his mouth is, more power to him.”

Rachel Maddow has also called the suits at her own network on their malakatude:

 

Rachel is a standup broad. She landed her own show on MSNBC because of the excellent job she did sitting in for Keith on Countdown. I'm glad to see her sticking up for Olbermann while the coporate malakas are throwing him (at least temporarily) to the ravenous right wing wolf pack.

During the waning days of the Bush administration, MSNBC moved its evening schedule towards punditry and reporting with a liberal slant. They built their lineup around Keith and Countdown and added fellow libruls Rachel Maddow and Ed Schultz to the mix. Now that future Speaker Boner looms over the Capitol Dome, the corporate suits are shitting themselves. It's a textbook case of malakatude.

Here's the deal: I watch MSNBC and started watching it because of Keith Olbermann. I know not everyone likes his bombastic and sarcastic style but he's done a lot of good work including some fine reporting on the Beavis-Gonzo U.S. Attorney scandal. He's good at what he does and even *if* MSNBC sticks to its story about its rules applying to Keith, he should be reinstated immediately and, if he's not, that useless piece of shit Joe Scarborough should be flushed.

Comments

[NadePaulKuciGravMcKi]

Rachel Maddow Censored

http://gators911truth.blogspot.com/2010/08/rachel-maddow-knows-911-truth-but.html

[Brenda Helverson]

Well, now, you really need to sympathize with poor Phil Griffin. Between General Electric and Comcast, he just can't decide whose ass he is supposed to kiss.

I like Keith but would never confuse him with a straight journalist. He's a political commentator and shouldn't be held to a news reporter's standards.

[Robert Earle]

The NBC News policy reads "Anyone working for NBC News who takes part in civic or other outside activities may find that these activities jeopardize his or her standing as an impartial journalist because they may create the appearance of a conflict of interest."

So when Olbermann was both contributing to and soliciting donations for a fund to hold free health-care clinics during the debate of health-care reform, that wasn't "tak[ing] part in civic or other outside activities..."?

[bec]

Being a reporter or journalist, they have duty and responsibilities but they should not forget their limitations. All of us have different ideas and opinions about the issue and one should respect it.

We help Americans find jobs and prosperity in Asia. Visit http://www.pathtoasia.com/jobs/ for details

[lloydstool]

I recommend a boycott of NBC. Their boner-pill sponsors will go limp w/ fear. Who will buy the boner pills if they can't get the word out?

[pansypoo]

did morning joementqal have permission?

[MapleStreet]

The obvious contract with Faux news, who the candidates seem to proudly proclain as a money making machine for the Reich wing.......

The two things I don't understand are 1) doesn't Olbermann have a right to private beliefs and to act in private on these beliefs. OTOH it would be nice to think that at least one news network takes its journalistic integrity as a serious matter.

but

2) I wonder if there isn't something else going on and the campaign contributions was just a facade to get him for something else.