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

[angry_chick]

This would totally make sense if Olbermann were an impartial journalist. As it is now, he is NOT. He's made ratings and money for MSNBC NOT being an impartial journalist.

They need to fucking shove it.

[maxvinyl]

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm fully ready for a "free keith" t-shirt.

[maxvinyl]

of course, that could just be my bizarre affection for temporarily-relevant t-shirts

[joshlymanftw]

lol! I have that affection too!

[angry_chick]

I want one too, goddamnit.

[bludstone]

I dont like olbermann but this whole thing is still bullshit.

[doe_witch]

Basically. When I found out I practically exploded. The man's a fucking private citizen the same as anyone else, and the whole concept of "impartial news reporting" is fucked up and/or already ruined in the first place. As if other news commentators haven't likely done exactly the same thing as him, just without being noticed- or while belonging to the right wing. As if News Corp hasn't made political donations of its own that everyone knows about. I'm completely nauseated.

[devil_ad_vocate]

Much as I enjoy the people on MSNBC, most of them (Maddow, Olbermann, Scarborough, et al) are NOT news journalists; they are commentators on a network that is geared toward an audience with leftward leanings (which includes myself). Brian Williams is a news journalist; Williams and others working in the NBC news department are professional journalists - and are the only ones who should be held to ACCEPTED ethics within the profession, which includes NOT contributing to political candidates/parties.

Most of the American public has been thoroughly confused over the last 30 years about what constitutes journalistic ethics - largely by the media itself. They've shot their own integrity in the foot.

[koken23]

Maddow is potentially a journalist. She differs from the others.

Whether or not she intends to be is debatable - I have no idea if she perceives herself as a Keith Olbermann-style commentator or not - but...her investigative skills are good, her interview technique is pretty much identical regardless of who she's speaking to or where their loyalties lie politically - and her show does have conservative guests fairly regularly - and I've never seen an overt leftward bias from her, certainly not in the same way Olbermann has one.

She could take a role on another network and do well.

[noir_aya]

[squee4242]

They teased in the Countdown intro that they would discuss the news with Keith (they've got John Roberts hosting after Chris Hayes backed out). Nice try, guys, I'm not watching for that when I've still got some Rachel from yesterday on the DVR...hope someone can update us with what they say!