 |
| You da man! |
Inside Television 527
Publication Date: 11-12-10
By: Hubert O’Hearn
I very nearly wrote about entertainment this week, but the case of Keith Olbermann intrigued me. I’ve written about Olbermann before - for my money he was the best sports anchor ever, while at ESPN and teaming with Dan Patrick, the Ruth and Gehrig of sportcasting - and his reasons for leaving ESPN were an exemplar for putting ethics above career. (He felt that women and minorities were unfairly treated at the cable profit machine.)
Currently, Olbermann hosts Countdown on MSNBC, weeknights at 8PM. Anyone who cannot tell that Olbermann is liberal, thinks ‘liberal’ is that new sedan from Toyota. But, as the ‘NBC’ in MSNBC implies, this cable news network is bound by the nominal non-partisan standards (nudge nudge, wink wink) of its larger broadcast partner.
Well, as I’ve said before and I suspect I will hold to until my grave, impartial journalism doesn’t exist and attempting to make it exist just makes it boring. I know the reporter has an opinion. She or he clearly knows more about the issue at hand than I do. I’d like to hear that opinion clearly stated. Give me the true and essential facts and all of them, but do share your thoughts.
Which tends to describe much of the cable/satellite news industry. FOX has a definite point of view, as does MSNBC. CNN is ... I don’t know what CNN is anymore and neither do they and neither do you. CBC is mushily liberal (or Liberal) CTV manages to be non-partisan and not boring, while BBC puts everything else to shame.
So, MSNBC with Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow is the liberal Yin to FOX’s, er, Yang. But one must still keep up appearances dear. So when Olbermann donated a total of $7,200 - combined - among three Democrat Congressional candidates he received a two day suspension.
Two thoughts. Any Congressman who can be bought for $2,400 a) deserves to be; and b) the district that elects them equally deserves them.
Second thought: Two days? Two days is not a suspension. Two days is an early Thanksgiving weekend. Two days tells me that the network is saying to the world, ‘Yeah, we know we have liberal bias, but let’s all admire the stunning spring show of the Emperor’s tailor.’
I will still and always prefer liberal media to conservative media because liberals are self-flagellating and therefore compulsively seek out facts that immolate the seekers. (Don’t believe me? May I present Paul Martin and the Gomery Commission as evidence?) Conservative media? They flagellate but leave out the ‘self’ bit.
And yet, the conservative media shall always trump the liberal until the liberal dares to declare itself as it is. Until then, it shall always be as the great Steve Martin in The Jerk: ‘You mean I’m not BLACK!?!’
Be seeing you.
Publication Date: 11-12-10
By: Hubert O’Hearn
I very nearly wrote about entertainment this week, but the case of Keith Olbermann intrigued me. I’ve written about Olbermann before - for my money he was the best sports anchor ever, while at ESPN and teaming with Dan Patrick, the Ruth and Gehrig of sportcasting - and his reasons for leaving ESPN were an exemplar for putting ethics above career. (He felt that women and minorities were unfairly treated at the cable profit machine.)
Currently, Olbermann hosts Countdown on MSNBC, weeknights at 8PM. Anyone who cannot tell that Olbermann is liberal, thinks ‘liberal’ is that new sedan from Toyota. But, as the ‘NBC’ in MSNBC implies, this cable news network is bound by the nominal non-partisan standards (nudge nudge, wink wink) of its larger broadcast partner.
Well, as I’ve said before and I suspect I will hold to until my grave, impartial journalism doesn’t exist and attempting to make it exist just makes it boring. I know the reporter has an opinion. She or he clearly knows more about the issue at hand than I do. I’d like to hear that opinion clearly stated. Give me the true and essential facts and all of them, but do share your thoughts.
Which tends to describe much of the cable/satellite news industry. FOX has a definite point of view, as does MSNBC. CNN is ... I don’t know what CNN is anymore and neither do they and neither do you. CBC is mushily liberal (or Liberal) CTV manages to be non-partisan and not boring, while BBC puts everything else to shame.
So, MSNBC with Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow is the liberal Yin to FOX’s, er, Yang. But one must still keep up appearances dear. So when Olbermann donated a total of $7,200 - combined - among three Democrat Congressional candidates he received a two day suspension.
Two thoughts. Any Congressman who can be bought for $2,400 a) deserves to be; and b) the district that elects them equally deserves them.
Second thought: Two days? Two days is not a suspension. Two days is an early Thanksgiving weekend. Two days tells me that the network is saying to the world, ‘Yeah, we know we have liberal bias, but let’s all admire the stunning spring show of the Emperor’s tailor.’
I will still and always prefer liberal media to conservative media because liberals are self-flagellating and therefore compulsively seek out facts that immolate the seekers. (Don’t believe me? May I present Paul Martin and the Gomery Commission as evidence?) Conservative media? They flagellate but leave out the ‘self’ bit.
And yet, the conservative media shall always trump the liberal until the liberal dares to declare itself as it is. Until then, it shall always be as the great Steve Martin in The Jerk: ‘You mean I’m not BLACK!?!’
Be seeing you.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar