Olberman and Matthews demoted for doing their job
NBC's decision to yank Keith Olberman and Chris Matthews from their
anchoring positions during the elections is proof of what many had
already been saying. Rather than acting as mere observers of the
presidential elections, mainstream media has taken on the more powerful
role in shaping and influencing its outcome.
According to the Political Cortex, Olberman's dismissal can be traced back to his perceived "political left leanings". The complaints against him came to a head after he had the courage to criticize McCain for airing a graphic September 11 tribute during the Republican National Convention.
McCain staffers shot back by filing complaints against NBC's news coverage.
The pair was replaced by White House correspondent, David Gregory, who NBC expects to provide less "opinion-driven" reporting for the remainder of the election season.
Said, Brent Bozell, president of the conservative media watchdog, Media Resource Center: "Arch-liberal MSNBC has finally pulled the plug on the horrendous anchor tandem of Olbermann and Matthews. It's a good move, but it's about time."
On the other hand, Salon.com's Glenn Greenwald sides with Olberman, stating that the Right's decision to single him out for his election coverage amounts to pure hypocrisy, given its silence on partisanship reporting by other journalists.
NBC may be catching heat for Olberman's demotion from election reporting, but this isn't the first time that mainstream news has taken sides on the presidential race.
During campaigning, former Democratic candidate Senator John Edwards was consistently cast aside, despite his bold support for universal health coverage and labor unions.
Meanwhile, Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Independent Party member Ralph Nader and Green Party candidate, Cynthia McKinney, were even less successful attracting coverage, barely registering a blip on the mainstream radar.
The early departure of Edwards and Kucinich from the presidential race was partly a result of media manipulation. By denying progressive-minded candidates more air time, the big networks were able to determine who would become viable picks for the Democratic nomination.This time, mainstream media gets to decide who will serve as election commentators.
There is perhaps little chance of NBC returning Olberman to his anchor seat during the presidential races, despite his widespread popularity. But by not doing so, the networks will be losing out on his show's high ratings.
Rather than trying to appease the Right with Gregory's dispassionate coverage, NBC should be looking to Olberman as the future of reporting.
His mixing of the news with opinion on "Countdown" has given the cable networks a new style of journalism in the US that has attracted viewers. Why resort back to legacy journalism's standard of objectivity, if doing so would not only lead to a smaller viewership but less engaging political coverage?
It's about time that NBC owe up to its liberal leanings and give Olberman back his anchor position.
By allowing Olberman to reveal his biases on the issues, the network will not only bring back life to the news, but also provide viewers more truthful and transparent coverage.
According to the Political Cortex, Olberman's dismissal can be traced back to his perceived "political left leanings". The complaints against him came to a head after he had the courage to criticize McCain for airing a graphic September 11 tribute during the Republican National Convention.
McCain staffers shot back by filing complaints against NBC's news coverage.
The pair was replaced by White House correspondent, David Gregory, who NBC expects to provide less "opinion-driven" reporting for the remainder of the election season.
Said, Brent Bozell, president of the conservative media watchdog, Media Resource Center: "Arch-liberal MSNBC has finally pulled the plug on the horrendous anchor tandem of Olbermann and Matthews. It's a good move, but it's about time."
On the other hand, Salon.com's Glenn Greenwald sides with Olberman, stating that the Right's decision to single him out for his election coverage amounts to pure hypocrisy, given its silence on partisanship reporting by other journalists.
Over the past seven years, the following people have hosted prime-time cable news shows: Joe Scarborough (MSNBC), Michael Savage (MSNBC), Glenn Beck (CNN), Tucker Carlson (MSNBC), Nancy Grace (CNN), Bill O'Reilly (Fox) and Sean Hannity (Fox). None of that seemed to bother the likes of [TNR's Sacha] Zimmerman. None of that was depicted as the downfall of objective journalism or the destruction of civil, elevated, high-minded discourse.
NBC may be catching heat for Olberman's demotion from election reporting, but this isn't the first time that mainstream news has taken sides on the presidential race.
During campaigning, former Democratic candidate Senator John Edwards was consistently cast aside, despite his bold support for universal health coverage and labor unions.
Meanwhile, Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Independent Party member Ralph Nader and Green Party candidate, Cynthia McKinney, were even less successful attracting coverage, barely registering a blip on the mainstream radar.
The early departure of Edwards and Kucinich from the presidential race was partly a result of media manipulation. By denying progressive-minded candidates more air time, the big networks were able to determine who would become viable picks for the Democratic nomination.This time, mainstream media gets to decide who will serve as election commentators.
There is perhaps little chance of NBC returning Olberman to his anchor seat during the presidential races, despite his widespread popularity. But by not doing so, the networks will be losing out on his show's high ratings.
Rather than trying to appease the Right with Gregory's dispassionate coverage, NBC should be looking to Olberman as the future of reporting.
His mixing of the news with opinion on "Countdown" has given the cable networks a new style of journalism in the US that has attracted viewers. Why resort back to legacy journalism's standard of objectivity, if doing so would not only lead to a smaller viewership but less engaging political coverage?
It's about time that NBC owe up to its liberal leanings and give Olberman back his anchor position.
By allowing Olberman to reveal his biases on the issues, the network will not only bring back life to the news, but also provide viewers more truthful and transparent coverage.
