Reading the fine print

[rock_bottom]

Did Keith Olbermann even violate NBC policy?

By Greg Sargent

Check out the fine print of what NBC policy said, as of 2007, about political activities on the part of NBC employees:

"Anyone working for NBC News who takes part in civic or other outside activities may find that these activities jeopardize his or her standing as an impartial

Comments

[yank_abroad]

I've been trying to follow the developments on Twitter, and it keeps getting more and more confusing. So he kind of maybe broke the rules by donating money as a private citizen, making no announcement of the donation or endorsing the candidates on the air, when there's no doubt in anyone's mind that he's a liberal commentator whose entire show is based around his opinion?

MSNBC management have to know that this move will damage their ratings. In fact, they have to know that Olbermann could very likely quit and never come back - he's walked out on them before, and for less. And the outrage from Olbermann's fans is completely drowning out any "MSNBC is as bad as Fox" critics who might have been grumbling about the donations. Either this was an overwhelmingly stupid move on MSNBC's part, or something else is going on.

[bord_du_rasoir]

"While NBC News policy does not prohibit employees from donating to political candidates, it requires them to obtain prior approval from NBC News executives before doing so.

[MSNBC President Phil] Griffin's statement underscores that it was Olbermann's failure to obtain approval, and not the actual political donations, that prompted the suspension."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/05/keith-olbermann-suspended_n_779586.html

So, the official explanation sounds more small and insider-y than big and principled.

[yank_abroad]

I've read that. But the above article points out that MSNBC is not necessarily restrained by the rules of NBC News. And the punishment doesn't fit the crime, if Olbermann did screw up. They could have suspended him for a week, or just publicly reprimanded him. The last person MSNBC "suspended indefinitely" was David Shuster, and that meant basically ending his career. This feels like a convenient excuse for something that's been brewing for a while.

[potionsprincess]

I'm wondering if contract negotiations went poorly, or if there's some sort of behind the scenes business that being covered with this, because even if he's completely in the wrong this seems like an overreaction.

[potionsprincess]

IKR? A) He's not an impartial journalist and was never hired to be one and B) even if he was, they just want him to notify them first about possible conflicting interests, which I agree with.

The "obtain approval" part sits funky with me because it sounds like MSNBC is trying to control the way their employees spend their money, which is a little shady and condescending.

[laurie_springs]

With the "lean forward" thing, Cenk Uygur being passed over for a show on the network, and now this, apparently there is some truth to the rumor of Comcast's intention to clean house/come at us with CNN 2.0.

[laurie_springs]

Also, Such activities may include participation in or contributions to political campaigns or groups that espouse controversial positions..

Did any of Keith's endorsements fit into this category? And when I say fit into this category, did any of them have explicit anti corporate leanings? jw.

Jon Stewart may have been correct about MSNBC being like Fox in some sense. Just not the way he originally intended.

[devil_ad_vocate]

The only difference between MSNBC and FOX is that MSNBC doesn't make any bones about their lean to the left. FOX just won't admit their lean to the far right.

[bord_du_rasoir]

I don't think that's the only difference.

I don't think that MSNBC creates and perpetuates narratives with the same uniformity and diligence that FOX News does.

[danceprincess20]

This is so confusing to me. Where is the line drawn? While I really like Chris Hayes, his wife works in the White House. How does that make him less biased than someone who donates money?

[iamrosalita]

What a bunch of shit. KO is not an impartial journalist. He is a liberal commentator; and therefore, the rule, as it reads, does not apply to him.