Matt Taibbi - Olbermann Suspension is Lunacy

[nashville_brook]

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/matt-taibbi/blogs/TaibbiData_May2010/231499/83512


By Matt Taibbi

Olbermann Suspension is Lunacy

Just quickly: I just found out about the suspension of Keith Olbermann for making political contributions. NBC apparently has some policy prohibiting journalists from donating to candidates, so they suspended him indefinitely without pay.

I went online and read the news and found the inevitable commentary by ostensible experts on journalistic ethics, who are all lining up to whale on Olbermann. One quote I found in this Bloomberg piece:

"Journalists who work for a news organization have an ethical responsibility to honor their guidelines and standards,” said Bob Steele who teaches journalism ethics at Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida. “If NBC and MSNBC spelled out those guidelines clearly and Olbermann violated those guidelines, then he should pay the price."

He should pay the price? Is Bob Steele kidding? What the hell is wrong with people?

We had a whole generation of journalists who sat by and did nothing while, for instance, George Bush led us into an idiotic war on a lie, plus thousands more who spent day after day collecting checks by covering Britney's hair and Tiger's text messages and other stupidities while the economy blew up and two bloody wars went on mostly unexamined... and it's Keith Olbermann who should "pay the price" for being unethical? Because, and let me get this straight, he donated money, privately, to politicians?

This is absurd even by GE's standards. There is no reason, not even a theoretical one, why any journalist should be prevented from having political opinions and participating in election campaigns in his spare time. The policy would be ridiculous even if we were talking about an evening news anchor -- because the only "ethical" question here is the issue of NBC wanting to preserve the appearance of impartiality and being unable to do so, because political contributions happen to be public record and impossible to hide from viewers.

Again, that would be true even if we were talking about Brian Williams or Tom Brokaw, someone from whom viewers expect a certain level of impartiality. But what Olbermann does is advocacy journalism and it's not exactly a secret. NBC punishing Olbermann for donating to Democratic candidates is like Hugh Hefner fining the Playmate of the Year for showing ankle. It's completely and utterly retarded.

These periodic spaz attacks the people in our business have over obscure and usually completely made-up ethical controversies -- often over this whole "objectivity" issue, which provides a seemingly endless source of false piety for some of the more obnoxious journo-ethicists -- are really irritating. I'm biased, obviously, because I'm a guest on the show, but this is beyond stupid. And by the way, has anyone checked the donation lists for CNBC anchors? I'm guessing a few of those have shelled out to the Rs. What's the deal, GE?

[Salviati]

1. I'm with Keith!

[Parker CA]

2. "...is like Hugh Hefner fining the Playmate of the Year for showing ankle." Nailed it!

[nashville_brook]

3. brilliant!

[Canuckistanian]

4. K&R

If Matt Taibbi smells BS, so do I.

Bookmarking for later..

[Little Star]

5. You tell it Matt!

[jillan]

6. I am in love with this guy! He is brilliant and adorable!

Too bad I'm practically old enough to be his mother ;)

[nashville_brook]

10. and, a fantastic writer to boot! smart is sexy!

[kelly1mm]

7. Does anyone know what Matt's position was on Juan Williams?

Especially this line would apply in that case as well:

"These periodic spaz attacks the people in our business have over obscure and usually completely made-up ethical controversies -- often over this whole "objectivity" issue, which provides a seemingly endless source of false piety for some of the more obnoxious journo-ethicists -- are really irritating."

[glitch]

8. Not even close. nt

[kelly1mm]

9. How so? Juan was fired suposedly for violating a rule that many others

on NPR had done without consequence - specifically giving an opinion on a controversial topic, that supposedly called into question his objectivity. Apparently, Keith violated a rule that supposedly called into question his objectivity. Matt is saying that the periodic freakouts by media management over objectivity are outlandish. Seems to be at least close enough to dicuss?

[sabrina 1]

12. No, Juan violated the terms of his contract.

Keith supposedly was required to tell his boss if he planned to donate money to a politician, however the policy was 'if there was a conflict of interest'. How can there be a conflict of interest when everyone knew he was a Democrat? It's not as if he was pretending to be impartial. As far as what was in his contract, that hasn't been revealed and no one has said he violated it so far.

The clause in Juan's contract was clear. And he had apparently been warned before.

Not to mention that exposing oneself as a bigot is a bit different than exercising your right as a citizen to donate to a political campaign.

[fascisthunter]

16. lol.... not even close to comparison

wow

[DonCoquixote]

11. Then Fox needs to fire the following people

Newt Gingrinch, Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, who are earning THEIR PAYCHECKS, and using Fox as a free political advertiser!

[nashville_brook]

17. eggsactly right.

[ipaint]

13. The corporations must be obeyed default reaction that kicks on

with most americans in situations like this is delusional.

Taibbi is spot on as usual. :thumbsup:

[PerpetuallyDazed]

14. Classic authoritarian thinking...

“If NBC and MSNBC spelled out those guidelines clearly and Olbermann violated those guidelines, then he should pay the price." -- Selective application of "the rules", strict adherence to an illogical policy.

[fascisthunter]

15. EXACTLY.... what a bunch of bullshit

[tblue37]

18. In the comment section of one article I read, a poster said,

"The policy was manipulated to create an offense."

In other words, NBC wanted a reason to go after Olbermann and maybe fire him, so they deliberately stretched the policy as far as they possibly could to justify suspending him.

[chill_wind]

19. Yes-- we've got this perp we want to book. . Now all we have to do is find a crime.

eom