September 08, 2008

That’s Because It’s the Right (Correct) Thing to Do

Just because FOX does something, doesn’t make it right. Well, it makes it right-wing, but not right in the sense of journalistic objectivity and ethics. And I will always chastise my side for using the other side’s tactics to achieve their own ends.


MSNBC Takes Incendiary Hosts From Anchor Seat


“MSNBC tried a bold experiment this year by putting two politically incendiary hosts, Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews, in the anchor chair to lead the cable news channel’s coverage of the election … Skip to next paragraphThat experiment appears to be over … Mr. Olbermann and Mr. Matthews will remain as analysts during the coverage.”

And that’s exactly what MSNBC should have done, so Bravo. Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann are not, and have not been for a long time, journalists. They are opinionators, editorialists, pundits, talking heads. They may be good (in the case of Olbermann) or sexist assholes (Chris Matthews), but they are not news anchors.

Salon loses journalistic credibility by claiming that MSNBC capitulated to the right-wing because FOX still behaves badly:

Finally, and perhaps most notably of all, Olbermann's role as anchor somehow destroys the journalistic brand of both MSNBC and NBC, while Fox News continues to be deemed a legitimate news outlet by our political and media establishment.”

Because Fox News fails at all matter of journalistic standards is not a reason for MSNBC to follow it down the path. You do not defeat or correct bad behaviour with equally or even worse behaviour of your own.

The criticism leveled against NBC for using one of its most partisan (Olbermann) and one of its most vitriolic (Matthews) anaylsts as anchors is sound, no matter who it is coming from.

I did not spend eight years arguing with right wingers about the ethics and tactics of Fox, the right-wing wackos, and the Bush Administration about the so-called liberal media only to have that same defended media start behaving exactly like Fox.

Shame on Salon for promoting the very tactics they despise.

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