The difference between fox "news" ...

Last month it was Juan Williams fired from NPR and this month it's Keith Olbermann suspended from NBC for being partisan in ways that break company rules. We're still not sure what the back story is with Keith who doesn't pretend to be an "impartial journalist," as Williams had.

But this underlines, as Rachel demonstrates so well, the difference between MSNBC and Fox News who simply has no rules against hosts blatantly $upporting Republican candidates with on-air and off-air fundraising. One is a news operation, the other a political operation.

Comments

[joanie]

According to what I read on Huffpo, there's some ego-conflict going on here. Just showin' you who's boss . . .

Sounds like the boss might be a Republican.

[sparky]

Bill Kristol came to his defense!

Also this:
"...But the notion that what he did is rare in the industry he serves does seem far-fetched. This past September, the Center for Responsive Politics produced a study showing that "235 people who identified themselves on government documents as journalists, or as working for news organizations, who together have donated more than $469,900 to federal political candidates." One of those individuals was Chris Hayes, who gave $250 to the campaign of his good friend, Alabama Democrat Josh Segall. "

[KS]

Correction - MSNBC has no rules, only arbitrary and capricious rulings at the whim of Mr. Griffin...

LMAO - Griffin is no Republican...

[joanie]

How do you know?

[BlackRhino]

Ok, KS I’ll bite. If there was no breach of contract by Olbermann, how could he have been pulled off the air and docked his pay?

[KS]

It seems like there was more to it than that - Olbermann has made few friends with his stinging and ludicrous bloviations on MSLSD. We may know the full story in a few days, but don't believe that it is all out there at this time. BTW - Some moderates and conservatives want him back because he is such a laughing stock with his pointed tin foil hat.

Griffin is a Republican and he hired the leftist loons that he has ? He may have been one, just like serial liar David Brock was. That doesn't add up now- but maybe it does in your upside down world - do you have evidence to the contrary ?

[Kathi M. Clark]

Mike Malloy on KPTK did a GREAT job in connecting the dots and digging for the underlying cause of MSNBC's heavy-handed action.

If you can find a podcast or stream of Malloy's first hour on Friday night, I highly recommend it.

[KS]

Maybe the progresso-cons do a better job at policing themselves than they do their opponents. Malloy and Olbermann are two sterling examples of mental instability,

[joanie]

Oh. You're guessing again. I should have known.

Do you guys ever inform yourselves with actual facts?

Hope you all listened to Olbermann without Olbermann tonight. Great analysis of tax cuts by David Cay Johnston.

[Coiler]

"It seems like there was more to it than that - Olbermann has made few friends with his stinging and ludicrous bloviations on MSLSD. We may know the full story in a few days,"..

or we may not thanks to no source on your part.

Are these more of your masturbatory assertions KS?

[BlackRhino]

KS, stop huffing your farts…

[jesus]

so KS is against "stinging and ludicrous bloviations" now? Someone should alert him/her to what's going on over on channel 48. see my post on prior topic re: hardcore, deliberatly ignorant righties' [yes, you] genetic, chronic inability to apply the "standards" they constantly shreik about, to themselves.

[raccoonradio]

Comcast is taking over MSNBC, etc. and they don't like losing money. KO ratings dwindling and he makes $4 mil a yr. MSNBC, Fox, CNN etc has news and also opinion shows. There is a difference. Perhaps MSNBC should have struck down their rule about donations, if done by commentators.

If Fox had a similar rule and Hannity or Beck broke it, they should also be suspended, etc.

For a network that got maybe one third of the ratings Fox did on election night (if not even less),
and whose Maddow claims they are
"news" (then Hannity and Beck's shows are news too...right?)...KO broke the rule.

[raccoonradio]

Last night CNN had on the likes of Paul Begala and a woman who was an editor at Salon (and who had worked at KO). She said MSNBC was trying to portray themselves as news and said that at her own publication, they would not have (in 2008) had someone who gave to the Hillary campaign reporting on Obama during primaries...

As for Olby, Hannity, Beck, Maddow etc they are OPINION not news. Is Rush L. news? Is the editorial page in your paper news? O'Reilly? No, opinion. Perhaps MSNBC's policy is what was wrong, but KO broke their rule, face it. And some are saying they are using this excuse to cut loose some salary.

[Puget Sound]

another great observation from the conservative side on the unjust suspension of Olberman.

"John Podhoretz observes:

Olbermann [was] suspended because giving Democrats $100 million worth of free commercial time is ethical, but writing a few thousand [dollars] in checks isn’t. Hilarious."

[Puget Sound]

I love the old, never let a crisis go to waste. Dragging in Fox is too funny.

Fox News folks have a prohibition.
Fox Opinion Commentators don't have a prohibition.
Why? Errr, is it hard to tell who Hanity Supports? Any doubt in your mind? Jeez

Stop trying to bash Fox in this brouhaha within MSNBC.

Everyone at Fox support Olby on this one.

In this area, the one thing you can nail Olby or is hypocrisy. Didn't he use to say how he wouldn't vote lest he be looked upon as partisan?

[Coiler]

GE is hardly one to set standards

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, GE made over $2 million in political contributions in the 2010 election cycle (most coming from the company's political action committee). The top recipient was Republican Senate candidate Rob Portman from Ohio. The company has also spent $32 million on lobbying this year, and contributed over $1 million to the successful "No on 24" campaign against a California ballot initiative aimed at eliminating tax loopholes for major corporations (New York Times, 11/1/10).

[joanie]

Coiler, you're trying to reason with people who tinker at the edges of reason, ethics and understanding. What Olbermann did was peanuts. Your example of GE is why we consider the rightwing world an idiocracy. And MSNBC was stupid.

And KS' assertion that just because a communications giant hires liberals, they are liberal, is also stupid. It's about the money. And maybe a little self-respect which Fox has long ago traded away for power.

[SeattleJew]

So boobelahs, IF MSNBC is is too tinted with yellow journalism, then what would you like to see as a fair balance to Fox?

The standards at MSNBC are left, but there are standards. The talkers do not lie, they do not out yell conservatives guests. MSNBC does not even have sock puppets like Williams, Combs, Cadell to represent the conservative side.

This gives me a great idea. Now that they are (still) unemployed, I think that MSNBC should hire Christine O'Donnel and Sharon Angle as commentators so they can make MSNBC "Fair and Balanced!"

[Puget Sound]

SJ
Do you really compare award winning writer, Juan Williams, with Christine O'Donnel and Sharon Angle?
But I do catch your point.

Why do you think MSNBC has poor ratings? I am curious.
The reason you hear no 'discussion' on MSNBC is by and large they hire people with the same viewpoint who bring on 'agreerers.' I mean, you really think when Olby brings on Chris Hayes, Richard Wolfe, or Jonathan Alter he is looking for a differing opinion?

The notable exceptions are Morning Joe in which you get good debate going and Lawrence O'Donnell who will debate anyone/anytime. Those are two shows I make time to watch.

[joanie]

Isn't it so appropriate that the ponderous know-nothing of blatherwatch still wonders why MSNBC has poorer ratings than Fixed News?

He's been told numerous times the multiple reasons for that. But nothing sticks with the guy. He can read the numbers but he can't understand the words. He just can't connect the dots. You gonna give it another old college try, Jew? I'm sure Sparky will be giggling as she watches you try and try again. Good luck.

[KS]

so KS is against "stinging and ludicrous bloviations" now? Someone should alert him/her to what's going on over on channel 48. see my post on prior topic re: hardcore, deliberatly ignorant righties' [yes, you] genetic, chronic inability to apply the "standards" they constantly shreik about, to themselves.

Posted by: jesus | November 06, 2010 at 12:57 AM

Not sure where to start - you are projecting well off of Black Rhino's graphic flatulence. How about some evidence of your assertion instead of your ad hominem ? Then I'll address it instead of laughing at your insanity. You are one of those angry progresso-cons who forgot to take their prozac...

Ph(J)oanie; it doesn't surprise me what you wonder why MSNBC has poorer ratings that Fox. You are drinking the progresso-con Kool Aid and you probably believe that George Soros is out to save America, besides being a 9-11 truther as Tommy008 exposed. Your blinders well in place and are impervious to common sense.

Speaking of not being able to connect the dots, seldom are you capable of that maneuver. Once in a while you have, like when you stated that Obama was poor leader, but even a stopped clock is correct twice a day. Trying to emulate the pending gridlock by Congress by disagreeing out of hand with everything written by someone other than the usual suspects ?

[sparky]

Um...joanie wasn't saying she doesn't know why the ratings are lower,,she said we have repeated it ad nauseum and it doesn't stick with you guys, as evidenced by your repeated ad hominems. She's right..this is an exercise in futility.

Meanwhile, I am having a lovely weekend in Oregon with family for numerous celebrations. It is even sunshining here this morning. Boogied to my brother's classic rock band over at the golf course and saw many people I have not seen for years. Fun times.

[Crack Smoker]

Liberals admit that their base is now illegals, queers and blacks, and only one of those groups of people usually have cable. The left is so pathetic that getting votes from illegals is the only way they can win, I guess it's a step-up from the dead that used to vote for dems in the 60's.

[Andrew]

The premise that MSNBC, CNN and FOX NEWS have equal ability to get the same ratings is false. CNN is more impartial than either FOX NEWS or MSNBC so it's an apples to oranges comparison and doesn't even count. FOX NEWS and MSNBC have different types of viewers; conservative versus liberal. This isn't like sports teams, red team versus blue team, their psychological makeups are fundamentally different. They are not the same kind of people, and among the plethora of differences between conservative and liberal dispositions is news consumption habbits.

[Puget Sound]

That's interesting, Andrew
Please elaborate on the 'type of people' that make up conservative and liberal.
Oh yeah, maybe cite some sources. I hope you're not basing this on some anecdotal observation.

[KS]

You've got it Crack Smoker. Correct assessment except now the liberal progressive (progresso-cons) are using funding from the Tides foundation, courtesy of George Soros to furnish them with talking points via MSLSD and the Air America talk shows that Joanie, Sparky and Coils regurgitate on this blog.

[Puget Sound for Usual Suspects]

Hey Usual Suspects
How's that Closing Gitmo thingie working out for you?
Want some Tea in that Slurpee?

LMAO

[KS]

To the upside downers (usual suspects)
Liberal progressives = Good and Conservative/Libertarians and Tea Party - Bad to evil

Sparkles - I understand that Joanie doesn't get it, why the ratings for FOX are way higher than MSLSD. Blinded by the truth ? Probably - She just needs to take her blinders off, stay sober and think about what she reads from different sources. We have repeatedly explained why to both of you and sorry that you don't want to believe it - so stay obtuse and in denial then. No skin off our noses, just a normal annoyance.

[Puget Sound]

But KS, they have done the equivalent of taking the football home with them.

Just like Coils mama told him when he had to repeat the 6th grade, 'that's okay son, they only promoted the tall boys this year' the Usual Suspects delude themselves with the ol' 'we are just too darn smart' which is too damn funny.

If they are so smart, how come they can't figure out a way to the masses to follow their lead?

[Henry Elsen J.D.]

Because we aren't sheep and don't require walking in lockstep like your side does.

[KS]

You claim that the right is in lockstep ? It's more complex than that - there's the Tea Party and the country club faction who march to a different drummer.

Yes, I realize that the left is in lockstep on most issues and are the sheeple, although Mr. Obama is turning off some of the flock, with entrenchment in his ideology and his robotic, out of touch personna.

As PJ O'Rourke wrote, this election was a restraining order on this Administration (and the progresso-cons).