Olbermann vs. MSNBC? Nah…
At the end of a segment on the NYC (fill in the blank for word describing a Islamic center which is not really a Mosque), Keith Olbermann said something that is going to have some people wondering if he just took a shot at his own network. Olbermann was criticizing network reporters going out and not reporting the facts on the story and saying that what has been reported is a fabrication and then said that would constitute “actual journalism” and added, “”We don’t practice it very much in this company, in this country, in this nation, in this world.”
When I first heard about this I thought, oh boy. But like a lot of things I get relayed to me, watching what actually happened makes the likelihood that what I was told was said was actually what was said as we interpret it and not what was said as intended. Clearly Olbermann did say “in this company” but I think it was a tongue tied mistake and he meant to say “in this country” which he subsequently did say. Some will argue it’s a Freudian slip but since I can’t peer inside the man’s mind I have no idea what he really thinks so I have to give the benefit of the doubt. But more than just giving the benefit of the doubt, in the moments before Olbermann made his faux pas, he seemed to carve out an exception for his own news division by saying “not particularly to NBC”. So based on that I have to say that Olbermann made a tongue slip and that’s all. But that won’t stop some from making hay out of this anyways…
Update: From a comenter who watched the next segment after this one. I was hip deep in video capture and posting of the above clip and didn’t catch it.
Luckily, after the segment with Spike Lee, he clarified what he meant and pointed out how he wasn’t going after NBC or the network personally, including his colleague Brian Williams, who he complimented, as well.
August 17, 2010 at 8:47 pm
At the beginning, it sounds like he says – “….when they send out the nightly news reporters….not jus[t] particular to NBC…” – meaning that he wasn’t singling out NBC for this lack of journalism.
I doubt he’ll get in trouble for it, but I don’t think it was a slip of the tongue given his criticism a few seconds earlier.
August 17, 2010 at 8:52 pm
BL, that correction was for implying the title “Nightly News”, when he meant the generic “reporters”. He specifically corrected that again later. He did not correct “in this company”, but it’s likely that phrase was intended to be “in this country”.
August 17, 2010 at 8:54 pm
nice that Olbergruppenfeurer let the man get a word in “edgewise”– wow, i guess eugene robinson just dosen’t cut the mustard when it comes to standing up to a speed freak like Keith– maybe he should go back to Morning Joe– if i was a liberal, this would be sad for me–
August 17, 2010 at 8:57 pm
Joe – I just caught his correction on my DVR – and now I’m lost. He doesn’t consider NBC’s “Nightly News” to be among “all those who report the news on a nightly basis?”
August 17, 2010 at 9:02 pm
Ah, Olbermann noted that his critique of O’Reilly’s childhood experience with his father to be over the top – good for him.
August 17, 2010 at 9:05 pm
BL, he realized way too late that bashing all journalists, while speaking on a cable news channel that’s related to a network evening news program was not a brilliant idea. “I..I..I.. I meant everybody else. You know, the mainstream media..”
August 18, 2010 at 3:27 am
I knew, right when he said this, it would start a sh*t storm within the followers of cable news. I was hoping he would notice it and clarify it ASAP.
Luckily, after the segment with Spike Lee, he clarified what he meant and pointed out how he wasn’t going after NBC or the network personally, including his colleague Brian Williams, who he complimented, as well.
With Keith’s knack to speak so off-the-cuff and just say whatever that’s on his mind, he tends to get himself in trouble with this kind of stuff. It’s the same thing with Chris Matthews… he’ll just say whatever that’s on his mind without regret and realize what he said didn’t come out as clearly as he thought.
I was happy that he clarified it, though.
August 18, 2010 at 5:18 am
With regards to Bushleague, I want to make sure I have my timeline right:
1. Olbermann takes cheap shot at O’Reilly over Aniston issue by mentioning O’Reilly was abused as a child.
2. O’Reilly runs a segment slamming GE as a corrupt company
3. The next night Olbermann says he crossed a line on the abuse issue.
Coincidence? Or did some NBC executive tell Olbermann to back off?
August 18, 2010 at 6:26 am
“Coincidence? Or did some NBC executive tell Olbermann to back off?”
Your timeline speculation is pretty thin gruel.
Why assume it was a NBC executive? It could just as well have been a friend or coworker like Rachael Maddow. Maybe he was approached by child abuse groups and told it was harmful to their cause to get in a tit for tat with Billo over this subject. Maybe Jennifer Aniston asked him to back off.
KO has been down this road before with O’Rielly; going after a charity for honoring BO; and it was an unpleasant experience for everyone concerned.
Billo has lots of flaws you can go after. Being a victim of child abuse isn’t one of them and maybe KO saw no future in furthering that discussion.
August 18, 2010 at 6:40 am
Wait, did Olbermann come out and admit he was over the top in going after O’Reilly’s deceased father? And apologize?
Or did he make a vague reference to ‘over the top’ comments, without explaining what he was talking about, and without any apology?
Given that he has been defending his O’Reilly comments on Twitter, it sounds to me like he was told by management he went over the top–he didn’t realize it on his own. He was further told he had to walk it back, but not being the sort who makes apologies easily (and NEVER does so about O’Reilly, no matter how outrageous or fictional his words were), the best he could squeeze out is a reference to unspecified comments from an unspecified person that said unspecified things.
That’s nothing to congratulate him for. In fact, it’s rather pathetic.
August 18, 2010 at 7:03 am
“Given that he has been defending his O’Reilly comments on Twitter, it sounds to me like he was told by management he went over the top–he didn’t realize it on his own. He was further told he had to walk it back, but not being the sort who makes apologies easily (and NEVER does so about O’Reilly, no matter how outrageous or fictional his words were), the best he could squeeze out is a reference to unspecified comments from an unspecified person that said unspecified things”
^Pure speculation.
August 18, 2010 at 7:11 am
Yes, Fritz, we speculate wildly. Isn’t that what this page exists for?
You may be right, it may have been someone else who informed Olbermann that he had crossed a line, but johnnydollar is also right. He did not man up and issue an actual apology, he only said comments on his show may have been over the top.
The ratings will only continue to dwindle as long as Olbermann fails to see his own shortcomings. Comcast will find a way to make Maddow the face of the network and Olbermann will beg CNN for a chance to revive his career…for the sixth time.
August 18, 2010 at 7:23 am
“He did not man up and issue an actual apology,”
For KO that is ‘an actual apology’.
“The ratings will only continue to dwindle as long as Olbermann fails to see his own shortcomings. Comcast will find a way to make Maddow the face of the network and Olbermann will beg CNN for a chance to revive his career…for the sixth time.”
^Lets not get carried away.
August 18, 2010 at 7:41 am
I don’t think I am getting carried away, and keep in mind I don’t like Maddow at all. But she is becoming a respected voice on the left, while Olbermann is a cartoon of his former self who doesn’t appear to have a whole lot of friends on the left (based on Journolist, not speculation).
Also, he makes 7 mil a year compared to probably 1 mil (if that) for Maddow. I stand by my prediction: Comcast will send Olbermann packing if he continues to lose viewers
August 18, 2010 at 7:49 am
Re the “mosque” question and “actual reporting”: At the MSNBC website, we get the following story (it’s from the AP):
Gov. David Paterson said he will soon meet with developers of a proposed Islamic center and mosque near the former World Trade Center, a spokesman said Tuesday.
Further down on the same page, MSNBC has a story titled:
“Proposed Mosque Near Ground Zero Spurs Controversy”
Apparently the only person practicing “actual journalism” in America is the self-described objective host, Keith Olbermann, self-described news anchor of the self-described newshow “Countdown.” The same show where Olbermann regularly attacks people’s character, name, physical appearance and family. And never allows them on the show to respond.
Yes, that type of “actual journalism”.
August 18, 2010 at 7:51 am
…it may have been someone else who informed Olbermann that he had crossed a line…
That somene else may have been a viewer that fired off a “what the hell is wrong with you”e-mail..
August 18, 2010 at 7:58 am
Yeah, Joe, based on his twitter feed, Olbermann got a lot of “what the hell is wrong you” messages.
Good for his viewers for alerting him that they were listening and not just blindly following.
August 18, 2010 at 8:38 am
based on his twitter feed
JWE, why put yourself through that? I still watch Countdown because I tend to agree with the POV, even if I find the host cartoonishly loathsome most of the time, but I’m sure as hell not going to track his blatherings on Twitter. One thing the world did not need was more outlets for Keith Olbermann to talk..
August 18, 2010 at 8:47 am
I don’t have time for a full hour of Olbermann (I get home from work when show starts and am in bed before repeat begins)
I track a lot of media personalities that I either like or like to dislike on twitter.
August 18, 2010 at 9:06 am
Just busting your chops, JWE. I track Lady Gaga, so who am I to talk? Her show in San Jose, CA. Monday night was TOTALLY AWESOME, btw. Just sayin..