Olbermann Addresses Decision Not to Cover Cramer/Stewart Interview

[DainBramaged]

The most-commented post currently on The Daily Kos' front-page "Recommended Diaries" list is a story titled: "Moment of Truth for Keith and Rachel coming up tonight with Update."

Within the thread, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann has left six comments, including revealing "it is true," that Jon Stewart has something against him and that he'll be appearing on Real Time with Bill Maher next week.

But the crux of the post relates to whether Olbermann and Rachel Maddow would highlight the Daily Show's interview with Jim Cramer on their shows last night. Maddow did, but several commenters who say they are longtime viewers of Countdown expressed disappointment over the decision by Olbermann not to cover the story. Olbermann responded with reasons why, while noting, "I threw Santelli in twice to Worst Persons, played clips, and called him "Sick Rantelli"...and I never heard a word of criticism from management."

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/msnbc/olbermann_addresses_decision_not_to_cover_cramerstewart_interview_111377.asp#more


I've been at the Mets game all day (121+ / 0-)
So I'm reading the TVNewser post for the first time.

Frankly, the guy who posted this, the site's Associate Editor, Steve Krakauer ("SteveK"), is well known around the industry as being entirely in Fox's pocket.

His "MSNBC producers have been told" not to mention this, is, frankly, bullshit.

Have a look at his posts on this otherwise successfully neutral site: they are Fox News and Fox Business Channel press release rewrites, and anonymous criticisms from "industry sources" of people at CNN and MSNBC.

The Fox Business stuff is particularly egregious and particularly relevant to this. If a newspaper with a circulation of 500 people runs a feature on somebody on that channel, SteveK summarizes it, posts a picture from it, posts a link to it. I mean, seriously, if there's been any publicity for this channel that has yet to get a measurable audience after a year on the air (that means they're under 15,000 viewers), that hasn't gotten a link on TVNewser courtesy SteveK, it'd be a shocking upset.

Rachel could get the cover of Newsweek and he wouldn't link to it.

So, did Stewart do a good job? Obviously. Did we get ordered not to run it? Nope. Was stirring up rumors about a ban in the interest of a Foxophilic blogger with the credibility of a bush league Drudge? You bet.

"If you're going through hell - keep going!" -- Winston Churchill

http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2009/3/13/182441/605/438#c438

[lonestarnot]

1. Interesting.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. K&R. Very interesting stuff...

I wondered... :-) :hi:

[90-percent]

3. Keith

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5254130&mesg_id=5255740

keith is all over it at that Kos link.

Very generous of him to interact. Most celebs get devoured when participating in internet message boards.

-90% Jimmy

[KharmaTrain]

4. Someone Protests Too Much

I'm glad KO posted about this, but he just added more fuel to the fire by doing it.

He didn't have to say he was told not to cover the story...cause it was more implied than said. In short, you don't shit where you sleep. It's easy to throw Santelli under the bus cause he's a bit player...and one whose contract was just about up with the network. A good chance he'll be gone, if he isn't already. But Cramer is another story. He's a "franchise"...a very visible figure on a network commonly owned by GE. Tearing down Cramer is crapping to close to home. KO knows it and trying to palm it off as someone trying to stir shit on the internet is disengenuous.

I noticed this when Timmeh Russert died. I had little respect for this beltway shill, but he was all but diefied at that network, and KO played the loyal foot soldier. While he's been criticized in the past of not being a team player, KO knows he's the meal ticket now at MSNBC and to stay that way, he needs to stay in the good graces of Steve Camus and the GE hierarchy.

[NYCGirl]

5. Did it ever occur to you that Olbermann really liked and respected Russert?

He knew him personally; did you? You're way off base with that accusation -- so off-base that it negates your entire post, IMO.

[KharmaTrain]

6. I Wasn't Discussing Personalities...

Sheesh...I was making an observation as a viewer. I didn't condemn him for his praise or friendship, but just to point out how Olbermann has been very much a team player with the network and how this loss surely had an effect on him (as it did for all who worked there). It was meant in a positive, not negative fashion.

People jumped all over him at the time for being so moved by the Russert situation (in light of Russert's role in the Plame case)...that somehow at the time he should have spoken out about this incident and he didn't. I thought that was a classy move.

This has nothing to do with my opinions...and was an observation not an accusation.

[dkf]

7. Ha! Jon Stewart and Olbermann don't get along!

I knew it was something like that.

I still bet Olbermann's impulse is to get on Jon Stewart's case and not Cramer's, which is not where popular culture is right now.

He is staying out of it because he knows where his typical viewer stands and it isn't with him or with me.

[Phred42]

8. No. I don't think they do get along

Stewart has skewered KO on at least two occasions that I've seen.

[misanthrope]

17. I'm liking Stewart more and more**nm

**

[localroger]

9. I thought that diary was out of line

All right, we're entitled to our opinions and if your opinion is "if my favorite celebrity doesn't do X I'm gonna fold my arms and hold my breath" then we all know there's a certain number of people who have such an overinflated opinion of their own opinions. But I don't think it reflected well on dKos that that particular diary, with its rather uncalled-for threatening tone, made the rec list.

[Stinky The Clown]

10. I wonder how many of the flared nostril set will read this thread and post an "I was stupid" comment

[DainBramaged]

11. None, they have their fingers stuck in their nostrils.

[glinda]

12. I think KO did the right thing to stay out of it. He generally covers bigger stories.

[Berry Cool]

13. Yeah, like whether or not he REALLY has a Cornell University degree

which he devoted several minutes to proving a few weeks ago, and why? Just because Ann Coulter implied he didn't. :sarcasm:

I'm sorry, but that's a false dilemma. KO does indeed cover a lot of big stories, but he also covers a lot of pointless/silly/meaningless ones too. And every once in a while, when the wingnuts poke him with a sharp stick, he responds and spends a lot of time dismantling their stupid and pointless criticisms of him.

I am normally the last person to believe that he would ignore a big story that makes his employer look bad, and the first to point out that it's no big deal if he doesn't mention the latest dumb thing Scarborough or Buchanan or Gregory said and call them Worst Person in the World because of it--attacking his coworkers over that kind of stuff is not worth his time. But this is bigger than that. This is a major story (not just the celebrity dustup some would paint it as), and he's not touching it with a 20-foot pole. His excuses? "It's not a real story. And I was at a baseball game. And...and...and...."

It just doesn't work for me. In fact, the more "explanations" he comes up with for why he said nothing, the more suspicious it looks.

[jberryhill]

14. When will KO post his birth certificate? /nt

[misanthrope]

16. I wonder if this is KO's way...

...of trying to glom some of Stewart's recent attention for himself, catching a refraction of the limelight. Stirring up a controversy over this via Kos might be his way of doing such.

[jillan]

15. Personally I was really disappointed that he didn't even mention it -

He coulda given it a sentence or two.

Also disappointing was SNL for not covering it. They could've really had some fun with this.

[Motown_Johnny]

18. I hate that Keith and Jon don't get along. I love both their shows and respect both their opinions

Keith does a news show with comedy and Jon does a comedy show with news.

If these two were ever to find a way to join forces the combination could be extremely powerful.

It is to bad they have some bad blood between them. Maybe it was wise of KO to stay out of it.

[Uzybone]

19. Most people who have worked with KO dont like him

he seems quite full of himself.

Not saying Jon has worked with him, but i can see how he and KO wouldn't get along.