Al Sharpton Quicksand…
The Wall Street Journal’s Michael Howard Saul front loads his Al Sharpton profile with these four juicy paragraphs. Everything else that comes after is anti-climactic…
The Rev. Al Sharpton, the civil-rights activist who has been at the center of every hot political contest in New York for years, will no longer be able to make political endorsements or campaign for candidates now that he’s become the host of a nightly program on MSNBC.
But in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, Mr. Sharpton said he wasn’t aware of any MSNBC rules that prohibit him from endorsing candidates. “I cannot write checks, but I can make endorsements if I choose,” he explained.
Lauren Skowronski, a network spokeswoman, said, “Rev. Sharpton will be adhering to NBC News policies now that he’s an MSNBC host. NBC News prohibits employees from campaigning for candidates without prior consent from management.”
When told that Mr. Sharpton believed he was free to endorse candidates—and just merely barred from making political donations—Ms. Skowronski replied, “I can let you know that Rev. Sharpton is aware of the policy and has agreed to adhere accordingly.”
Setting aside the blatant tightrope walking finely parsed PR response from MSNBC which raises about as many new questions as it answers old ones, the implications of this story are pretty significant.
The microscopes will be all over Sharpton and what he does in his downtime. Any time he’s at a rally that’s tangentially political or campaign related, MSNBC is going to get asked questions about whether or not this violates NBC policy. If Sharpton goes anywhere close to an endorsement on his radio show, MSNBC is going to get asked questions about whether or not this violates NBC policy. And if NBC gives Sharpton an exemption to make an endorsement or attend an event, MSNBC is going to get uncomfortable questions about why an exemption was given for Sharpton but not Olbermann or Scarborough.
Thanks to sites likes NewsBusters MSNBC can be assured that no Sharpton movement will go unscrutinized. This could be sort of like quicksand for MSNBC. Al Sharpton quicksand. The more the network struggles to deal with Sharpton, the worse things could get.
September 1, 2011 at 2:03 pm
Al’s show still doesn’t show up on the topline of links along with Hardball, Last Word, Maddow, etc…
This can only mean one thing: MSNBC’s website is racist!
September 1, 2011 at 2:08 pm
Were the same questions about what rallies and events a cable news anchor attends when Glenn Beck and Fox News were doing some of their shows from Tea party rallies? How about when Ed Schultz hosted his show from Minnesota to back Michele Bachmann’s opponent in 2010? Or when Schultz went to Wisconsin to back unions against Gov. Walker? I don’t see how Sharpton would have any more of an issue as those people did, and they aren’t in trouble with any executives at their network.
Granted, Sharpton shouldn’t be supporting or donating to a certain candidate while at MSNBC, as Olbermann and Scarborough did, but I’m sure he can do any kind of rally or event he wants without any issues. MSNBC and Phil Griffin knows he runs the National Action Network, which does stuff like that, and has definitely given him his guidelines. Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves here.
By the way, I don’t thank NewsBusters for anything but comedy relief… and most fair minded people should think the same way. They are simply out to dig up dirt on MSNBC for insignificant situations that come up and rile up their comments for their website to get paranoid about the “liberal media”. Unlike Fox, MSNBC maintains legitimate guidelines to not cross unethical lines.They suspend, reprimand and have talks with their people so they don’t screw up.
September 1, 2011 at 2:13 pm
http://i56.tinypic.com/23rsltj.png
September 1, 2011 at 2:28 pm
ProgLib, do you see him on the top black line? I don’t…
September 1, 2011 at 2:39 pm
Proglib…this is not an issue about Glenn Beck or Fox since Beck is no longer with the network thus it should not be included in your analysis. In addition, the rallies that Beck participated in were not presidential.
Since I’m not an Al Sharpton fan (he destroyed a man’s personal & professional life)…I’ll only state that Sharpton should follow the guidelines that were entered into his contract.
September 1, 2011 at 2:44 pm
…while I follow a guideline that lands at CNN’s door at 6:00. I’m not a fan of Wolf’s speaking style, but I’ll take it over Rev. Al’s. MSNBC is making a huge mistake.
September 1, 2011 at 2:46 pm
– Were the same questions about what rallies and events a cable news anchor attends when Glenn Beck.. –
Yes, you tool, they were. And is that really where you wish to draw your comfort, in any case?
September 1, 2011 at 3:19 pm
Whether or not Beck is currently with the network is besides the point. When he WAS with Fox, he was at these rallies, and that’s why my point is relevant to what went on then, not now.
And has Sharpton taken part in presidential rallies? I’m asking literally because I don’t know if he did that for Obama in 2008, for example. He definitely shouldn’t now that he’s working at MSNBC.
I’m not making an ideological point to attack Beck… because I also brought up Ed Schultz doing his show in front of rallies, as well, and if that’s allowed. It would help if you didn’t splice my sentences and childishly name call.
September 1, 2011 at 3:26 pm
Glenn Beck’s activities have been questioned in every venue imaginable. It would “help” to not mindlessly imply otherwise.
September 1, 2011 at 3:30 pm
- mindless name calling -
Ok, if that’s off limits, I’m outta here..
September 1, 2011 at 3:30 pm
I never implied he wasn’t questioned, I asked if he was (along with others in the same paragraph). Relax.
September 1, 2011 at 3:32 pm
Well, that’s not up to me, JR. I just didn’t see the point in calling me a tool. You can say whatever you want, though.
September 1, 2011 at 4:20 pm
It seems like the whole thrust of this issue is being forgotten: partisanship, as in political parties and candidates. At the time Beck broadcast from the site of a tea party event, there were no candidates on the table. It was a protest against spending and taxation, not a rally to support a candidate. That is a huge difference, everywhere from IRS regs to MSNBC standards. Plus Beck was never working under MSNBC rules and practices, so the example is doubly irrelevant.
The more appropriate example is the one given of Ed Schultz not only backed Bachmann’s opponent, but MSNBC actually aired a special edition of his show emanating from that challenger’s get-out-the-vote rally. It’s nice to know that somebody noticed this, because when I pointed it out at the time everyone yawned.
As that example made clear, MSNBC is perfectly willing to let Ed Schultz ‘bend’ its policies. In fact they’re ready to give him special airtime and a location shoot to help it along. The angst over Sharpton’s possible transgressions don’t seem to exist for Schultz (one can draw one’s own conclusion why). So I’d be shocked, shocked if, regardless of what they say now, MSNBC was stricter with Sharpton than they have been with Schultz.
It’s sure a good thing MSNBC isn’t a political operation, isn’t it?
September 1, 2011 at 5:15 pm
I don’t see any conflict between what Al Sharpton said and NBC’s policy. According to the NBC spokesperson; “NBC news prohibits employees from campaigning (and contributing) for candidates without prior consent from management.”
I read this to say that Sharpton can endorse a candidate but not contribute or campaign for that candidate. And he can contribute and/or campaign for the candidate if he gets NBC’s permission.
There doesn’t seem to be any prohibition on endorsing a policy of any party or candidate. The Ed Schultz case, discussed above, seems to have set the limits of what a host can or can’t do at MSNBC; and it would seem there are few restrictions.
What happens at FNC is not relevant as the have no rules except ‘ Do no harm to the Republican Party.’
September 1, 2011 at 5:37 pm
MSNBC is much more openly ideological than FNC, especially from Martin Bashir’s show through primetime. MSNBC would do itself a favor and put on high-quality programming to counter Special Report and the Fox Report. Instead they put on Sharpton and reair Matthews.
September 1, 2011 at 6:11 pm
…adhering to NBC News policies
As it pertains to political talk show hosts who are hired at least partly because of their political activities, I think such rules are stupid. Would any MS/NBC viewers feel tricked if Al Sharpton gave a campaign contribution? He’s not there to present an unbiased appearance so holding him to “news” standards is dumb.
Equally dumb are comparisons to FNC’s rules. What Glenn Beck did is irrelevant, and if FNC’s chief political correspondent, Carl Cameron, endorsed any candidate you know he’d never show up on that channel again.