John Avlon, CNN: Olbermann and the dangers of partisan media

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Olbermann and the dangers of partisan media
By John P. Avlon, CNN Contributor
November 7, 2010 1:52 p.m. EST



http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/11/07/avlon.olbermann/index.html?hpt=C2

(CNN) -- Keith Olbermann's suspension for making political contributions to three Democratic candidates is just the latest example of the problems that come with the rise of partisan media.

In the fallout, other MSNBC personalities were also found to have given to Democratic candidates, while Media Matters uncovered the fact that more than 30 Fox News hosts and contributors had donated to conservative candidates.

Whole news networks are being transformed into little more than on-air advocates for political parties. The idea of objectivity is now increasingly dismissed as a myth rather than honored as an ideal toward which the news industry should strive.

Americans are self-segregating themselves into separate political realities -- responding to the proliferation of information by consuming news that confirms their political prejudices. Loyal viewers see opinion-anchors like Olbermann or Glenn Beck as the only "truth-tellers" in town, while dismissing the rest of the media as cowardly or biased. We are devolving back to the era when newspapers were owned and operated by political parties.

[Skittles]

1. proving Jon Stewarts rally point

yup

[ixion]

9. yep

indeed.

[Skittles]

11. I'm kind of out of the loop on this issue but

had Keith explained why he did something so stupid? I mean, that is fox news reporter territory.

[ixion]

21. I haven't heard anything specific, and I agree with you that it was stupid

I'm of the old school J-School that says journalists need to remain objective.

[sabrina 1]

18. Except that he was wrong. And so is this article.

Rupert Murdoch brought his media Empire to this country and began a network that for all intents and purposes became the Bush/Cheney channel. Every lie, every deception was lauded and promoted and then, CNN (laughable to see them trying to take the high road here) MSNBC et al, began to mimic them, INSTEAD OF CHALLENGING the lies.

If you can, show me one CNN or MSNBC news reporter who did actual investigative journalism to counter what everyone knew were lies coming from the Bush WH?? Back when they were drumming up support for their wars?

CNN should stfu or apologize for their infuriatingly partisan coverage at a most crucial time in our history.

So, finally, someone, Keith Olbermann, managed to get on the air and START QUESTIONING Fox. CNN sure didn't do it, did they? No, they HIRED Glenn Beck to try to be more partisan than FOX. They fired Aaron Brown and cut back on Christiane Amanpour's time as she said, she was prevented from covering real news.

I am sick of these phonies with no ethics coming forward now thinking we forget that all of them joined Fox in the march to war without question. And it was not until Keith Olbermann came along and started doing that, that people began to get some real facts.

Their hypocrisy is stunning. And this is more propaganda to try to diminish the value of getting facts.

If facts are partisan, than let's have more 'partisanship'. Because all we got from CNN et al and still do, is sucking up to the PTB with very little in the way of real news.

They make me ill frankly, and they take us for fools who have no ability to see what is happening and when they are participating in the smear game.

Can't believe people here are so willing to go along with it all. No wonder our media is in the state it is in.

[Tutankhamun]

25. Well said, Sabrina.

It's curious that all of a sudden, now that a progressive voice is emerging, there's a call for "objectivity."

It's also very telling that we're now being fed this false equivalency lie that Faux/RW=MSNBC/LW. As if Olbermann is simply some craven mirror image of Glenn Beck.

If CNN, or the author of this piece really wanted objectivity, the truth would be important. Accuracy would be the clarion call.

Instead, truth is discredited and accuracy discounted by claiming that which is correct is simply a giant left wing straw man akin to the right's Murdoch Deception Machine.

[Skittles]

26. two more who don't get it

[tsuki]

2. This from the network that breitbarted Gov. Dr. Dean. A lot of

credibility they have.

[pacalo]

3. Get real. The writer doesn't seem to realize that it's only the right-wing moguls

who are buying up all the tv networks, newspapers, magazines, & radio stations. Is there only one left-wing media owner that anyone would be able to name? Just one?

[Zoeisright]

4. What a bunch of bullshit. Olbermann reveals the LIES of the right. Period.

BlecKKK (sic) and Faux news LIE. Period.

[pacalo]

6. Another sickening part: The writer said Fox "News" media warriors welcomes

outright liberal advocates because they justify their ideological views.

Our character make-up despises they exist at all; who appreciates lies & propaganda? There's NO embracing of their twisted-up views AT ALL on this side.

[YankeeLeft7x]

5. CNN Sucks too by the way!!!

How are CNN's Ratings these days?

Gotta give to CNN--Booted Larry King after all these years....

CNN Needs to bring back Ted Turner....CNN is awful.

CNN has no room to criticize any network.....FOX "News" of all networks kicks CNN's ass every damn day.....

CNN needs to worry about it's own lame ass progarmming.

[pacalo]

7. I wish Ted Turner & George Soros would get together to buy CNN.

[YankeeLeft7x]

8. CNN is "Not Partisan" My Ass!!!

CNN just brings on it's favorite surrogates to the network's partisan nonsense for them. And the way the questions are asked and structured of these favored partisan hacks is a good way to measure it's own partisan views.

Last week on one show, in discussing the Democratic Party and Obama, Larry King had NO LIBERAL or DEMOCRAT on his show but had four people discussing issues. The closest to a Democrat on that segment was a Libertarian and Independent along with two Republican hacks.

So, take that crap of CNN being "non-partisan" and shove it where the sun don't shine!!!

[regnaD kciN]

15. And recall that CNN was the first network to give Glenn Beck a national show...

:puke:

[YankeeLeft7x]

10. Kathleen Parker & Eliot Spitzer?

CNN is owe so "non-partisan," okay?

Gimme a break and pass the vomit bag already!!!

Parker/Spitzer are partisans.....Excuse me? Yes

[Duke Newcombe]

12. Dear Mr. Avalon: Fuck you, sir.

Fuck your "false equivalency" arguments. Fuck your being "asleep at the switch" with this article while for years Faux Noise has become a putative propaganda organ of the RNC. Fuck you for your pursuit of "balance for balance's sake". For fuck's sake, use your brain, man!!!

[niyad]

13. other msnbc personalities gave to dems? name them, please.

last I looked, idiot morning joe is a repuke, and donates to repukes.

[regnaD kciN]

16. I think this guy is stupid enough to think Buchanan and JoeBlow are Democrats...

...as well as the candidates to whom they donated. :crazy:

[verges]

14. INtentionally ignoring that

Repubs at MSNBC gave to Repubs.

[Waiting For Everyman]

17. I'd rather have accuracy than objectivity.

Objectivity is impossible and a myth, and unnecessary, anyway.

If all reported what's accurate and in an accurate context, we'd have no problem.

It's easy to criticize, but the fact is, on the mass networks aside from public tv it's mostly Olbermann & associates who give much background on stories or do any investigative work. CNN is a joke on that (and so is its objectivity). And American media is seriously lacking in depth.

With the public so uninformed as it is now, you'd think the few who actually help in that regard would be valued a bit more (not by us, but those like this writer).

Quibbling about this kind of non-issue like KO's donations (and "partisanship"), doesn't move the ball down the field. It's especially ridiculous while we're being deluged by "Citizens United" corporate money on the scale that it is now. And Fux is quite a different thing from MSNBC, so is RW radio. Period. To say otherwise is simply absurd on its face.

Maybe the writer should focus on a problem that matters, instead of looking for one that doesn't.

[CmonMan]

19. Fairness Doctrine. nt

[Chakab]

20. John Avlon is completely full of shit and

one of the worst peddlers of false equivalencies in the mainstream media. He's so dedicated to lecturing everyone from his perch in the so-called center that he's constantly creating his own bizarre reality. Before anyone reads or listens to his commentary on the Olbermann situation, you should take a look at the cover of Avlon's most recent book:

[MinM]

27. Thank you for putting it into context.

Combined with the post below.

[Bluenorthwest]

22. This is not an opinion, it is a tactic.

This 'writer' is positioning CNN as 'the center' by pointing to the competition as if they represented the extremes, and also as if they represent a lack of ethics. This is done to attempt to define his position as being the balanced, ethical, and correct position, his company as the norm, the others as the 'other'.
This is the basic tactic of the centrist, in politics large and small, national or office level. Also, the writing is stinking. He says 'Americans self-segregating themselves' which is redundant to the point of absurdity.

[Hoosier]

23. exactly!

it's about positioning his product (CNN and his book) in the mind of the public / consumers

and this is article is written by a professional? at a major news organization with editors?
pathetic...

[YankeeLeft7x]

24. How are CNN's Ratings These Days????

CNN continues to fire and hire hosts like one changes their underwear....

CNN is so awful these days. Pathetic network....

[MinM]

28. The perils of false equivalencies and self-proclaimed centrism

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/09/19/stewart/index.html