MSNBC Takes Incendiary Hosts From Anchor Seat

cnredd · #1 (**permalink**) 09-07-2008, 11:57 PM

Quote:

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.

That experiment appears to be over.

After months of accusations of political bias and simmering animosity between MSNBC and its parent network NBC, the channel decided over the weekend that the NBC News correspondent and MSNBC host David Gregory would anchor news coverage of the coming debates and election night. Mr. Olbermann and Mr. Matthews will remain as analysts during the coverage.

The change — which comes in the home stretch of the long election cycle — is a direct result of tensions associated with the channel’s perceived shift to the political left.

“The most disappointing shift is to see the partisan attitude move from prime time into what’s supposed to be straight news programming,” said Davidson Goldin, formerly the editorial director of MSNBC and a co-founder of the reputation management firm DolceGoldin.

Executives at the channel’s parent company, NBC Universal, had high hopes for MSNBC’s coverage of the political conventions. Instead, the coverage frequently descended into on-air squabbles between the anchors, embarrassing some workers at NBC’s news division, and quite possibly alienating viewers. Although MSNBC nearly doubled its total audience compared with the 2004 conventions, its competitive position did not improve, as it remained in last place among the broadcast and cable news networks. In prime time, the channel averaged 2.2 million viewers during the Democratic convention and 1.7 million viewers during the Republican convention.

The success of the Fox News Channel in the past decade along with the growth of political blogs have convinced many media companies that provocative commentary attracts viewers and lures Web browsers more than straight news delivered dispassionately.

“In a rapidly changing media environment, this is the great philosophical debate,” Phil Griffin, the president of MSNBC, said in a telephone interview Saturday. Fighting the ratings game, he added, “the bottom line is that we’re experiencing incredible success.”

But as the past two weeks have shown, that success has a downside. When the vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin lamented media bias during her speech, attendees of the Republican convention loudly chanted “NBC.”

In interviews, 10 current and former staff members said that long-simmering tensions between MSNBC and NBC reached a boiling point during the conventions. “MSNBC is behaving like a heroin addict,” one senior staff member observed. “They’re living from fix to fix and swearing they’ll go into rehab the next week.”

I'm waiting for the Obama/Biden press release saying "We told the media outlet their support for us was backfir...I mean...Good decision on THEIR part. (Yeah...That's the ticket!)"...

saltwn · #2 (**permalink**) 09-08-2008, 12:15 AM

I like Chris Matthews. I was wanting someone who wasn't afraid to ask either candidate hard questions.

Mikeyy · #3 (**permalink**) 09-08-2008, 12:35 AM

I am disappointed in MSNBC also. I don't mind a little bias to counter the FOX bias. But they went way over on both sides. I don't think you can leave Joe Scarborough out of the stupid crap. Olbermann couldn't let a comment pass by the right without a snide remark. Chris Is just a big kid. But I think he was fair on the questions. He was gushing over Obama. I will say he was excited about Palin also. But it was unprofessional. And I am sorry its become this way.
I don't let FOX off the hook here either. Brit Hume also can't let a positive comment about the left stand unchallanged. Or Hannity. I have seen all of them arguing each other. Geraldo and O'Rielly. Sheperd Smith and Hannity. and so on. Even the best of partisans can't always agree.

saltwn · #4 (**permalink**) 09-08-2008, 12:44 AM

I miss Walter Cronkite and Roger Mudd. And Huntley /Brinkley.

foundit66 · #5 (**permalink**) 09-08-2008, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikeyy

But they went way over on both sides. I don't think you can leave Joe Scarborough out of the stupid crap. Olbermann couldn't let a comment pass by the right without a snide remark. Chris Is just a big kid. But I think he was fair on the questions. He was gushing over Obama. I will say he was excited about Palin also. But it was unprofessional. And I am sorry its become this way.

I get tired of people trying to fill news (and 24 hour news) with mindless babble of opinion.
Being "incendiary" is not news.
Quite frankly, I think it worsens the divide between the left and the right, and nobody wins when it's two sides against the middle.
One of the reasons people are interested in "change" and an end to corruption this year.

I remember seeing a study on how people become MORE polarized when confronted with polarized views. People who are more on the "polarized" side become more polarized themselves. People against become more polarized on their side as well.

Whoever wins the 2008 election, I sincerely hope for SERIOUS bipartisan effort instead of throwing stones at the other guy while nothing good gets done.

tristanrobin · #6 (**permalink**) 09-09-2008, 09:19 AM

I like both of them - especially Olbermann (always watch his show) - but I'm not sure a national convention is the best gig for them.

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