On MSNBC, Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow have chosen to be every bit as unfair and misleading as Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly at Fox. MSNBC brings on writers from the very-left-of-center Nation magazine, much as Fox brings on the agenda- driven Dick Morris -- offering partisan, ideological drivel that masquerades as serious political analysis.
Many of these talk-show hosts have no interest in being even-handed, preferring instead to play to the partisan preferences of their viewers. So they mischaracterize their opponents; ask loaded, self-serving questions intended to damage the opposition; and pass falsehoods and half-truths off as accurate characterizations of their adversaries.
What's lacking, of course, is any sense of humility. The Olbermanns and O'Reillys of the world hardly ever express any doubts about their own views or display a sense of modesty. They are right and their opponents are wrong. Always.
Unfortunately, these efforts at pandering to true believers have borne fruit. Conservatives now watch Fox, while liberals tune into MSNBC. The public deserves some of the blame, of course, because these networks are only giving people what they want.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
America did not "come together" to elect Obama
Stuart Rothenberg wrote one of the best articles I've read in some time today, that I recommend reading, Can Anyone Bring America Together in an Era of Division?. What is especially noteworthy is that instead of blaming one side and pretending the other was not equally or at least partially to blame, he takes an honest look at both and our responsibility as well:
4 comments:
Interesting article Lisa Renee. I admit that I'd rather watch FOX than MSNBC. I can't stomach Olbermann and Maddow.
I totally disagree with you. The Olbermann and Maddow programs are only a tiny,tiny baby step toward our broadcast news media doing the kind of job in reporting on the news and issues of the day they should be doing. They are not even remotely comparable to Hannity or O'Reilly. It is true that Olbermann and Maddow give their opinions, and opinions from a left-wing perspective are almost unheard of in the dominant corporate controlled media for many years. But they do so on the basis of the facts. That is not what Hannity and O'Reilly do. What they serve up is almost continual failure to get the facts right, indifference to what the facts are and day in and day out lying and self-contradictions and reversals.
Olbermann and Maddow help to provide a needed balance in the overall presentation of the news by our electronic media, but we have a long way to go before we can reform it and make sure that it's content is determined in a truly democratic and fair manner.
Considering the media coverage during the primary and the presidential election? We do have a very far way to go before the media demonstrates they are interested in the concept of fairness in journalism.
I watch "The Daily Show." Which side am I on?
I used to like Olbermann, but I am pretty sure something made him snap. I never really got into Maddow because I didn't like her voice, I am touchy that way.
Post a Comment