Revisionist History…
OlbermannWatch blasts Keith Olbermann for repeating an incorrect quote attributed to Rupert Murdoch…
You would think that having been caught yet again smearing people with false information, a responsible journalist would correct his error. Instead, on Tuesday night’s show, Herr Olbermann doubled down. That’s right, he ignored the truth and repeated the false Murdoch quote again!…
As Rupert Murdoch says of his own shop, ‘We have never been a company that tolerates facts”.
This is ridiculous. The correct quote was “We have never been a company that tolerates fat”. You can even listen to the audio here. Olbermann knows the original quote was wrong because the Countdown staff regularly monitors OlbermannWatch. We all know this. And yet Olbermann repeated the incorrect quote last night. I saw it live and thought, “Oh boy, here we go again.” I have to therefore infer that Olbermann doesn’t care if the quote is wrong and just wants to make hay to make Murdoch look bad. Problem is, too many people in the industry know now that the quote is wrong so only Olbermann ends up looking bad.
February 11, 2009 at 10:20 am
This one is hard to fathom. I don’t think KO is in the habit of knowingly misstating things. Most of his ammo is aimed at the acknowledged right-wingers over there who he just disagrees with. I e-mailed him last night after hearing the misquote again. I hope he addresses this because I have a lot of respect for him and don’t want to see him turn into Mr. No Mistakes, like that guy who just left office did.
February 11, 2009 at 11:03 am
What? Olbermann knowingly lied to distort someone associated with Fox News? Whoa! Knock me over with a feather. I’m shocked! Shocked, I tell ya. ha.
The funniest part is KO uses the quote to suggest FNC doesn’t care about facts. Is that ironic?
Olbermann’s obsession & jealousy about and relating to all things Fox News is borderline psychotic.
Of course, he won’t issue a retraction because, well, he’s Keith Olbermann and if there’s anyone who doesn’t get along with facts, it’s him.
February 11, 2009 at 11:40 am
Joe, do you actually think this was an honest mistake? It sounds like you do. If he apologizes and correct the record I promise to watch 2 consecutive countdowns as a tribute to your insights. Keep us updated.
I imagine his only apology will be a quick, FU
February 11, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Closing sentence,
“Problem is, too many people in the industry know now that the quote is wrong so only Olbermann ends up looking bad.”
That is not the problem, that is part of the solution.
The real problem is, a major news network continuing to reward and employ a proven liar.
February 11, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Yes L&J, it’s too egregious to have been intentional. I haven’t played the audio yet, but, considering Murdoch’s pentient for mumbling, it wouldn’t surprise me if the quote was genuinely misheard.
February 11, 2009 at 1:39 pm
The real problem is, a major news network continuing to reward and employ a proven liar.
If that’s your standard a lot of primetime talking heads are going to be on the unemployment line, including some from FNC…
February 11, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Joe
Great points and good examples. Thank you for your objectivity! However the number of examples you gave and nature of the examples speaks for its self so I rest my case. Personally I feel very fortunate and I don’t buy into any victimhood mentality. Again you made allot of good points and provided great examples and facts, I don’t argue against facts.
If KO does correct the record and apologize tonight please let me know so I can keep my commitment. I’m looking for a reason to change my opinion of him. (Even if it’s not a perfect correction, like FNC standard today)
Spud, If they knowingly lie or wont make corrections of honest mistakes, left or right, I say they should all be fired. That would improve the media.
February 11, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Sorry, the above answer was a response to two different threads in one post. I think Joe knows which comment I was responding to.
February 11, 2009 at 2:11 pm
It’s ok, because FOX is evil, Bush is a criminal and BillO is a big, fat doo doo head.
February 11, 2009 at 2:15 pm
You’ve got it all wrong Red. Billo is a big, fat ENTERTAINING doo doo head. Pay attention.
February 11, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Spud,
Care to name names? Do you know anyone who continuously lies to the point that a legitimate independent wouldn’t take anything they say, seriously?
I watch Fox the majority of the time so let’s start with them. I’ll admit that Hannity spins stories to fit his agenda but he doesn’t pretend to be a straight news person. He’s a proud conservative and freely admits his bias. I have never seem him intentionally lie or misquote the way KO does.
As for O’Reilly, I’ve seen him issue retractions numerous times. Has KO ever issued a retraction? Lord knows he lies almost pathologically.
KO has a deep seeded hate for FNC and (from what I’ve read and sometimes seen) continuously cuts & pastes quotes in an attempt to slander others. The guy is dispicable. If he had a fact-check staff, he wouldn’t have a show.
February 11, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Okay, you had me going, Spud – I thought Murdoch was going to prove to be a fitness nazi…
February 11, 2009 at 2:57 pm
TVN says Olbermann is going to correct his lie tonight. Should be interesting. Hopefully I can read about it somewhere. I’ll go out on a limb and say that if he issues a retraction, he will use the retraction to bash FNC.
February 11, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Also, is he going to apologize for using the quote twice? In two different shows?
February 11, 2009 at 3:10 pm
icn2,
I’m not sure, does your response containsan implied admission that Olbermann is a known liar. Clarification???
February 11, 2009 at 3:52 pm
It will be a halfass retraction just like his halfass apology to Giuliani last year and after he apologies to Giuliani. He smeared him again over his apology…
February 11, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Do you know anyone who continuously lies to the point that a legitimate independent wouldn’t take anything they say, seriously?
I’m not going to name names but I would add intellectual honesty as another facet of the lying/won’t issue corrections issue. But to get to your point…
I would say that it’s impossible not to take anything anyone says seriously, even the out and out liars. Everyone can have a pertinent point at one point or another, even the most intellectually dishonest. And there’s plenty of intellectual dishonesty to go around on FNC and MSNBC primetime. Include CNN if you count Dobbs even though he’s not primetime.
This is one of the reasons I really don’t care much about primetime cable news. I’m in it for the news. Not the spin and distortion.
February 11, 2009 at 8:44 pm
I’m not sure, does your response containsan implied admission that Olbermann is a known liar. Clarification???
He’s a known distorter and spinmeister. So’s O’Reilly. As to whether he’s a known liar…that all depends on where you put the bar. Some of the “lies” Olbermannwatch has accused Keith of I wouldn’t necessarily call lies.
February 11, 2009 at 8:45 pm
It will be a halfass retraction just like his halfass apology to Giuliani last year and after he apologies to Giuliani.
It wasn’t. He played it straight.
February 11, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Spud, were you shroomin’ tonight?
February 11, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Yeah Red, anyone who disagrees with you is on dope.