
Does this logo mean anything anymore?
Many fair-minded Americans were shocked and disgusted today when our colleagues over at MSNBC - during their coverage announcing Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's nomination for Vice President on the Republican ticket - placed a "Breaking News" banner under the visuals asking sarcastically:
How Many Houses Does Palin Bring to the Republican Ticket?
This unbelievably unprofessional and disgracefully partisan smear comes on the heels of repeated incidents on MSNBC that have led many to conclude that the network is merely the media arm of the Obama Campaign, or that it takes its cues from regular communiques from the moonbats at DailyKos and MoveOn. This crisis in credibility is somewhat disguised by healthy ratings this week from covering the Democratic National Convention - ratings that will decline precipitously when MSNBC's primary audience loses interest in coverage of the Republican National Convention.
I call on the leadership at the highest levels of MSNBC to immediately investigate how such an egregiously partisan and snarky editorial comment could be broadcast as "hard news" by a supposedly reputable network on such an historic occasion. I call on the leadership at the highest levels of MSNBC to track down the individuals responsible and fire them publicly, and repudiate this tactic, and give assurances that this will never happen again.
The NBC brand has a long and proud history in journalism; recently, the NBC family and America lost one of the best men ever in broadcast journalism when Tim Russert passed away. It is impossible to imagine that this disgraceful episode would have or could have occurred if Russert was still alive. It is difficult to understand how it could happen while Tom Brokaw or Brian Williams are associated with the network.
It's a low moment for MSNBC and for those of us who watch it. We can be assured that if something comparable had occurred on Fox or CNN, that Keith Olbermann and his comrades would be screaming loud and long about it - as well they should be. Of course, all of those on the Left who champion the mis-named "Fairness Doctrine" have been conspicuously silent about this incident so far.
Who will speak up about this issue, and who will do something about it? Or, is journalism in America well and truly dead?
Hard to believe that happened. I can't help but wonder whether someone just lost their job at MSNBC.
I hear that.
http://jade-log.newsvine.com/_news/2008/08/29/1802746-the-decay-of-serious-journalism-and-rachel-maddows-new-show#comments">
I'm probably not welcome here but on the off chance thought I would cite this article criticizing current journalism.
Tom, the same person who pulled the "houses" stunt could be responsible. Perhaps, in his/her own way, a stunt to influence voters.
I agree totally with you on this one Tom. Whoever was responsible for this should be immediately and publicly fired , and the president of NBC networks should issue the apology. Networks with a history like NBC's should be proud enough of their reputation to want to quickly crush something like this.
I agree wholeheartedly. Only an immediate, public termination and apology from NBC will suffice.
btw: Has Obama or DNC condemned MSNBC for the flagrantly biased, unprofessional "Breaking News / Houses" banner? Or are they too busy screaming for an investigation at the Dept. of Justice, trying to stop free speech if it's not in their favor?
Well I can't imagine you'll see the Obama campaign respond, since they didn't ask the question. But (and I'm an Obama supporter) MSNBC's crawl asking how many houses Palin brings is incendiary and without merit. The question of houses for McCain was relevant given how he's trying to paint Obama as elitest and because he once again dipped into the "I'm a POW" bag for a get out of jail free card. But putting that on his new VP pick is absurd.
I'm with you on this one, except for expecting Obama to condemn them. If you point to one time when McCain condemned Fox News for their vitriol, then I'll agree.
lol your outrage is humerous.. LOLZ
not really lolz
I would agree with yall but yall gush over fox and it's sugegstions obama is a muslim llike hat is hard core news and then one comment on MSNBC and suddenly.. people must be fired, stations must be closed..
Yeah w/e
unless you include fox.. which LEAD THE WAY to msnbc becoming all partisan
You sound like the useless partisans you are.
When did Fox report that Obama was Muslim?
Oh my GOD.
It's breathtaking how much (or little, as the case may be) you've been paying attention. The entire Obama is a Muslim smear BEGAN with Fox news when they repeated, without any investigation at all, a totally false story from Insight Magazine. It took ABC news to actually visit the school and make a mockery out of the Fox News report.
You don't remember this?
I agree totally with you on this one Tom. Whoever was responsible for this should be immediately and publicly fired , and the president of NBC networks should issue the apology.
Uh, why? The President of NBC has nothing to do with NBC News or MSNBC. You might as well ask the guy cleaning the floors to apologize.
Also, how do you "publicly" fire someone?
Apparently the president of NBC does think he has something to do with it, since he did issue a statement denouncing the action. He may not have been the one directly responsible for the action. But he is responsible for the image and integrity of his network.
Also, how do you "publicly" fire someone?
On prime time TV would have been nice but I guess that was a little excessive. There never was any mention of whether anyone was held accountable for this incident but the statement by NBC's president does help their network to maintain it's image of fair reporting.
Tom, I don't really know if that's fair to discredit him based on that statement.
Tom,
Those comments made by MSNBC moderators were unnecessary. However, I would place more credence in your umbrage if you balanced your article by decrying the very same behavior - repeatedly - at Fox. I will gladly agree that MSNBC's coverage and commentators are Democrat- leaning if you'll agree that Fox is "the mouthpiece" for conservative Republicans. Thanks, I knew we could agree!
sometimes a wrong can be decried just because its wrong
Too bad that isn't the case here.
Now excuse me, Fox has a banner up saying "Will Obama trip and fall trying to be like JFK?"**
I have to go see what they are talking about.
**actual banner
so yallrefuse to agree that foxes does simular. just as I thought.. a worthless partisan article, vacant of any point or meaning.
Hey joules look at what I wrote in 1.18
I can't speak of Fox because I don't watch it, but I will start so I can see what's there.
here's a video showing Karl Rove, Bill O'Reilly, Hannity ,Dick Morris, Pfotenhauer and finally Palin
directly slandering Hillary, Jamie Lynn Spears and her parents, etc etc etc and then flip-flopping when it comes to Palin... the Republicans should get out of politics and get into comedy...oh they already have, as laughingstocks...
Tom,
It may be amazing what someone can do with editing, but Stewart doesn't do it. All he does is show what those people have said in context. You are being deliberately misleading again.
No Tom, in the real world you are misleading and John Stewart doesn't have to resort to creative editing when anyone who isn't trying to propagate an agenda can go and see just what O'Reilly, Hannity, Morse, Rove and the rest were for before they were against it.
You want to deny that O'Reilly didn't flip out on Jamie Lynn Spear's parents when Jamie Lynn announced she was pregnant, or that Morse and Hannity didn't go into paroxysms of righteous indignation about Hillary, go right ahead, but the only person you're fooling is yourself and those people stupid enough not to go and look up the truth for themselves.
The only editing Stewart has to do is to clip the clip so that it doesn't run too long. Otherwise, the talking heads on Fox and the rest of the media just step in it on a regular basis.
You're just acting like a tool right now.
Please! You're the one who made it an issue about Stewart. Now you want to change the subject because, like it or not, you know you're making @!$%# up and you're getting called on it.
That, in my book (and most people's books who happen to like the truth) reeks of a deliberate attempt to mislead.
Tom,
With all due respect, it seems like you're running from the truth. No, the seed wasn't initially about the hypocrisy of those particular individuals, but it's clear to see when you watch the video.
Which begs the question: Did you watch the video? Because someone with your penchant for nailing down facts should not be arguing, after watching it, that Jon Stewart is a smarmy comedian with a great video editing team. That's irrelevant. The issue is the double talk by Karl Rove, Bill O'Reilly, Pfotenhauer, etc. It's undeniable.
I really don't know what to make of your comment. Do you agree or not that those featured in the clip are guilty of double talk when it comes to their support of Sarah Palin?
If you do, then I don't know what good it does to dispute Jon Stewart's video editing. If you don't, then you're not paying attention or you're not being honest.
I've seen Jon use some editing, but this time was not one of them.
Tom: A good job. Superman and Justin - I've seen the video editing - and it's just another smear campaign, like so many others lately, especially against Ms. Palin. Thanks for being so objective!
That's a lie. Why do you have to lie to make your point?
If you disagree with Stewart, just say so. But he did not have to edit anything. They said those things, and now they would like us to forget they said them.
Okay, first of all, The Daily Show is a comedy show. To say it's a smear campaign is disingenous. To break it down, what do we have? Four separate clips, each one negating the other's content. I've been pretty objective, tell me, what makes you believe it's a smear?
Tom: A good job. Superman and Justin - I've seen the video editing - and it's just another smear campaign, like so many others lately, especially against Ms. Palin. Thanks for being so objective!
My goodness. How is showing contradictory clips of Palin supporters a smear campaign? Again I ask: Do you agree or not that those featured in the clip are guilty of double talk when it comes to their support of Sarah Palin?
It's like we're in Bizarro World or something.
DT,
Thanks for the wisdom. I occasionally read Tom's articles and my comment was directed at his constant umbrage at MSNBC and other left-leaning outlets (and other Newvine contributors) for perceived and sometimes real slights. My point was that he would be considered as a more balanced writer if he would periodically compare behaviors on both sides. IMHO - there is far too much one-sided, venomous writing on this site - from both sides.
You asked for some comment on the actual article. Okay.
I don't see it as a big deal (what MSNBC said about Palin).
There is a problem among all the cable news networks as they increase in number, fighting for a share of the viewer pie that now gets split into so many pieces. (Because of the number of channels vying for attention)
So sometimes they go to extremes. Fox News is the worst.
IMHO - there is far too much one-sided, venomous writing on this site - from both sides.
Is that right? I'm sure you'll remind us when those of us of conservative bent start writing @!$%# like McCain: Is Sarah Palin Just Another Woman For You to Abuse? and Sarah Palin Posed Naked?
Seriously, Bill? You've got Political Center representing conservatives and I could spend all day digging up content of his that matches or exceeds what you've just linked to. Pretending to be moderate doesn't mean he is.
You've got This guy...
Who cares? The top seeds/articles for the last three months have been pretty heavily anti-Obama. Never-mind the comment threads, which are disgusting.
Tom - Right again. Brian, I don't know where you're at, but anti-Obama on here? I don't think so.
Tim Russert was a known, self-avowed liberal, albeit a lovable one. The guys at Fox and the other stations all called him fair, although not always balanced. He could be a hard hitter with everyone. He could grill everyone pretty evenhandedly.
Everyone respected him, everyone.
Is this satire? I t must be.. you know your only preachign to the quior, patting each others on the back.. you know ya;; can keep comign up with these faux outrage articles all you want.. we all see through the hypocracy and let me tell you.. it isnt attractive at all.. you may think your preachign from the high road but we see your just in the gutter like the rest of the filth
I can condemn msnbc but you are soo partisan you cant even entertain the thought that perhaps fox could be the same
your murderes outraged by deaths
theives outraged by stealing
liars outraged by lies
so transparent
so paltry
I wasted 30 mintues of my life here in a pile of excrement pretending to be opinion. I should stear clear of your work tom
fox on peloci 100 hours to turn american into san fransico. here is them going off on obama lets also forget about the report on him attendign a radical madress school thagt must have hid the weaposn when cnn came calling when cnn debunked their story.
this is why I say this article is worthless.. they wil never call for someoen to be fired for injecting this obvious partisan banner.
So, Fox erred in a report, and they corrected it.
WHEN? When did they ever issue a correction?
They did "correct the record".
pffftt
Co-host Brian Kilmeade noted that the Obama campaign "wanted to correct the record" and (the Obama Campaign, not Kilmeade) insisted that Obama had never attended a radical Islam school. Kilmeade added that the Clinton campaign also called and insisted they had no one researching Obama's background.
"There was a firestorm created over that so we just want to say that's the story. The Obama camp was upset so we hope they're not now," he said.
That is SO weak. Instead of a retraction or a correction, they merely noted that Obama disagreed with the report. How big of them.
JoulesBeef, #9.
Go take a shower and push the lumps through the drain grid with your thumb.
You'll be alright after a good night's sleep. LOL
Post script, when the word is underlined in red that means the software dictionary does not know that as a real word.
Slow down. Take a minute or two to do some editing.
Mouse click on that word and the smart software program will help you with a list of possible correctly spelled words. Click on a good one, my friend.
Spell check still has a few bugs though like it's not recognizing Newsvine. I actually emailed Emily about that and they are working to correct it with a newer version.
Deliciously ironic that newsvine's spellcheck doesn't recognize the word "newsvine."
As for the weird symbols and quotes, that's probably a Microsoft copy&pasted quote, and not one that came off of your keyboard. The one you can type is generic, can be used at the beginning or end of a quote, the Microsoft version is rounded and has an opening set and a closing set, and they come out looking like Cyrillic or something.
I want to throw in a quick question here about the features. When you post comments and try to highlight a quote from someone Else's comments. How do you make them appear in blue? I always just copy and paste using quote marks because I haven't figured that part out yet.
My apologies for the minor derailment here Tom, this seemed like a good opportunity to compare knowledge among viners.
If you're new, you won't currently see the "bold" "italic" "quote" and "link" buttons above the comment field. You're still stuck in what amounts to a spam filter, to make sure you're not a robot intent on spamming Newsvine. (we get those.) Comment a few times, earn some votes, seed an article or two, and you'll be out in no time.
Then, the buttons will show up. In essence, they allow you to select text and then - after selecting a button - they wrap that text in the appropriate HTML to format it when the comment is posted.
So, the "quote" button would do what you want to do, which is to put a blockquote tag around the portion you want to quote. Which means you can avoid the buttons and simply type in the HTML, but some people find the buttons easier, especially for links.
As it stands, you can't utilize HTML in your comments, yet.
Oh no I have the buttons and can do HTML. But when I've tried to use the quote button before it turned everything blue including my comment not just the part I was trying to quote. I've had them for a few weeks now just never saw any instructions for them.
When I do the block quote then do I need to separate my comments with a couple of spaces like starting a new paragraph then?
Yes.
Thank you Bill.
Tom,
I'm a bit late to the party, and for some reason, I'm not understanding what is so outrageous about the headline. I'm not being dense or facetious, but I don't get what the problem is. When I first read it, I assumed it meant 'how many households will vote for McCain because of Palin?' No?
Superman2001
They were taking a cheap shot at the joke about McCain's houses from when he said he didn't know how many he owned. There by implying the same about her.
Superman,
Timing was one issue. News vs. biased commentary, the other.
This was done during LIVE coverage of McCain naming Palin as his VP choice, and her accepting. That truly was "BREAKING NEWS". The banner "How Many Houses Does Palin Bring to the Republican Ticket?" running at any time would be crude, unprofessional, biased commentary. At that specific time, a fair and accurate "NEWS" banner would have read: "McCain names Sarah Palin as his VP Candidate."
Let's do apples to apples: It would compare to FOX running an attack banner during the live coverage of Obama naming Biden as his running mate. FOX, to it's credit, did no sniping, mean-spirited banner during the Obama/Biden event. End FOX/MSNBC comparison.
News coverage versus follow-up commentary are different entities, and should be noted as such. Doing otherwise is CREATING news, not reporting it. Representing commentary as "BREAKING NEWS" is dishonest and shameful. Houses were in no way the subject of the news event that MSNBC was covering.
Ah.
In that case, it was a very unprofessional and low thing for MSNBC to do. But to call it a smear and shameful and all that seems to be a bit much. I'm not defending it or anything, but I just don't see it as something worth getting all up in arms over.
I don't really see it as hari-kari, even though it was pretty dumb. This has been an extremely long election cycle with hundreds of ups and downs along the way, and we still have the RNC ahead, plus two more months. I doubt anyone will remember that "headline" in two weeks.
And it's kind of small in comparison with some of the headlines that have been run about Obama and Clinton over the past 8 months. Not that that makes it any better, and not that I'm defending it, but it just doesn't strike me as such a terrible thing for MSNBC to do. That's all.
Tom- about 90% of the media(both television and print) is biased for Obama. That is a well known fact. As I have said before, I can only hope and pray that on election day American's will send a clear message to the media-YOU don't elect Presidents-WE do!
David, have you ever heard of Ron Fournier who is directing the presidential campaign coverage at the Associated Press?
And one thing which REALLY needs to be said on all of these "the media is biased" threads, is that Journalists ARE NOT editors!
Sure, many journalists are liberal, and they are probably voting for Obama. But the suits upstairs, the ones who dictate which stories see the light of day or not, they are conservative. Keith is liberal, but the board of directors of GE ... I highly doubt it. Now, who do you think actually has more power to shape the news? A guy with a show, or a cabal in charge of an entire network??
I worked for a couple years as a "News Monitor" where I would watch local news coverage in 9 different cities and summarize content. It became obvious that the real culprit in bias were the lies of omission, the parts the editors cut away. And the spin was definitely not liberal.
I'll go out on a limb and guess that NBC has done some significant research into their target market & viewers. Obviously there's a niche to fill, and not only that but the viewership is of a higher quality (meaning younger and more appealing to advertisers). Fox figured they'd fill a certain niche many years ago and though you and I can argue all day long about their intent and agenda, they have filled their niche with gusto.
MSNBC and Olbermann have now edged out the competition, thus the appetite for such viewpoints is voracious. Frankly, it's a breath of fresh air.
I think that scroll was kind of lame snark, but I'm also willing to go out on a limb and say that it had been vetted by someone high up who had already been given the authority to present a very liberal view of the news. I don't think it should have been censored because it was snarky, knee-jerk and downright partisan, I think it should have been censored because it wasn't really that good. Oh, and definitely not breaking.
In fact, I think they just had this scroll prewritten for Romney, and they decided to run with it anyways. And that's what makes it worthless.
Tom, when Bill Maher says he thinks Olbermann and Matthews wanted to have sex with Obama you know things are bad.
Typical for MSNBC, Just confirms what everyone else knows, Democratic suck ups, extreme left, tabloid journalism at its best! You get what I'm saying? Anyone associated with this so called "News Organization" should be Very embarrased!
There isn't much more to be said. Thank you for speaking up, and here's hoping that something is done about it. I wonder if any other network will comment on it? Someone should. (side note) I just adore Peggy Noonan.
Heh. Tom, when GP was with us on the old New York Times boards he used to get booted about once a month. Remarkably, he's lasted this long with one incarnation here on NV but not all that surprising since his primary activity is seeding half of the New York Times each and every day.
Oh, I get it....because McCain has so many houses. Silly me at first I though it was a reference to the fact that millions of Americans have lost their homes. I should have known better than to think anybody was talking about that.
Tom, I heard about this on the radio yesterday, and have to say, NBC can no longer hide the fact that it has a partisan slant. Running an editorial opinion comment in breaking news coverage has confirmed their bias. Every news article, report, interview will now be suspect. And the infighting that has been made public shows the turmoil that this organization is going through.
An excellent article Tom.
I don't see how the question, "How Many Houses Does Palin Bring to the Republican Ticket?" Suddenly because something disgusting and insulting. That is the first question they would ask about any VP. Even if you took it as sarcasm (which I see no point in you doing) it is nothing compared to thing things that Fox uses to regularly smear Obama and Biden. Seems to me like people are seriously trying to look for any little thing they can pick at because they don't have anything positive to say for themselves or any other attacks to get people on at the moment.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz
Your right savannah pointless attacks at networks with content that isn't even offensive is much more interesting then the truth. :D (sarcasm)
Gee, bunch of one not lizzies here. Even if your percieved insults are true, Is this gonna make anything better to see NBC or her cable clone slide down the partisan slope? Do two wrongs make a right? Let's stop the madness!!!!! Now!
Got typing too fast and missed some keys. Sorry
Your answer is: True Journalism in America is DEAD and has been dead at MSNBC for a long time!! NBC....Shame on you! I have just put a Lock on the TV for all NBC channels. As far as my home is concerned..NBC can R.I.P. You have pulled your last little stunt of manipulating the NEWS. What ever happened to Non-bias reporting?? You may think you are too big to care about an e-mail or two from some of us "small town" people but I think with lots of "Other" channels to watch now (Not just the Big Three) NBC will continue to slide down the "Polls"!!!!! I for one will love to see you (and others) at the bottom! All we ask is--- tell us the NEWS as it happens..the way it happens and let us (some of us still have brains) make our own assessment. We might even have enough intelligence to do some computer work and do some checking of our own. When you can watch (or read) the news and be able to tell what political party the owners belong to............ well....need I say more??
Once again everyone is wrong. I hear nothing about the daily Obama bashing on Fox News. That does not make what they did right but keep it FAIR!!!
OK, so you aren't interested in doing the right thing. Whose measure are you using to determine fairness?
doc4600
This thread despite the way some are trying to derail it has nothing to do with Obama or FOX news or CNN or CBS or ABC etc. etc.
The problem also has nothing to do with the talk shows on any of these networks. The focus of this was the way MSNBC misused its breaking news thread in a snide partisan way that was irrelevant to any of the "breaking news" story that was actually run. If commentator A had said to commentator B I wonder how many houses she owns it would have been different. A proper breaking news tag line was what every other network ran.
Good luck Tom, hopefully you won't need it! Stay safe!
Mr Bombadil
When has Mr. Olbermanns' reports been wrong, or untrue?
Tom,
I hope the hurricane does not hit you too hard. With that said, i find most of what you write about Olbermann to be untrue and dishonest. Just as i find you defending Michelle Malkin to be untrue and dishonest.
There's one thing to be said about partisanship and another about simply lying. It's unfortunate you choose to do more of the latter.
Mr Orwell Thanks for the help.
Good Lord! Ninety-three (now 94) comments on some fourth rate sideshow issue. Aren't there enough legitimate issues in both the presidential campaign and the "Is media biased" controversy to write about?
Let's face it: MSNBC is biased in the same way Fox is biased (a la repeated using "Osama" instead of Obama). File the information away and choose your unbiased news sources accordingly -- unless, of course, you want a news source that is biased in your direction.
There is not enough bull@!$%# in this campaign!
(Gotta love the Onion)
Great way to lighten things up Roy, really funny video.
I reviewed your article and unfortunatly have to concur. This type of nonsense from MSNBC should be stopped as it is very unprofessional. Today, Saturday, a news person on MSNBC stated that Palin speech today demonstrated her as a clear "Cheerleader" of MC Cains. Perhaps I am over sensitive but I didn't take that comment as neutral.
All the Best
THE ANSWER
IS
Hrm. Between the two of them, they could almost house the entire city she was mayor of.
;)
It wasn't provable sarcasm on MSNBC's part.
Did they
place a "Breaking News" banner under the visuals asking sarcastically:
How Many Houses Does Palin Bring to the Republican Ticket?
OR, were they running a breaking news scroll all morning long, about Sarah Palin, and interjected the line about houses?
In which case, it was all part of the "breaking news" regarding Palin and was a pretty good question. You'll notice if you follow my link that the number I used, 14, is actually between 11 and 14 because Mr. Straight Talk still hasn't been able to give us an accurate number!
Now that you're backed into a corner trying to prove MSNBC's nefarious intent, suddenly you change tack and say it was an attack on prosperity. 36 hours and 135 comments into this baby and this is the first mention of it. You can't claim this is actually the central theme of your argument.
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