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Glenn Greenwald criticizes the NYT writer for ignoring what he thinks is the significance of the story.

The agreement of the corporate CEOs to cease criticizing each other was motivated by the belief that such criticism was hurting the unrelated corporate interests of GE and News Corp

A Greenwald reader wrote:

The sad truth is that what Olbermann and O’Reilly were doing in this particular instance was one of the rare examples of good journalism on these types of shows. Olbermann was holding O’Reilly’s feet to the fire about his repeated falsehoods and embarrassing positions. In turn, O’Reilly was giving the public accurate and disturbing information about General Electric, including extensive technology dealings with Iran.

How about that Liberal Corporate media, huh? Doesn’t that give you all kinds of confidence that the boardroom keeps its hands off the editing and reporting of news?

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  1. Yes, corporate control of media is bad. It’s also inevitable.

    <

    p>But Olbermann — and I like Olbermannm, when he’s on point — has always been a corporate strategy. MSNBC decided there was a political audience that hated Fox and didn’t trust CNN, so they built a show for us. Naturally, the corporation seeks to control its creation.

    • of these two knuckleheads; I think they’re pretty much one and the same – just at opposite ends of the spectrum.  The hatchet job Olbermann did on Hillary during the campaign cured me of any sympathy for him, his ratings, or his news station.  I don’t watch it.  At all.  Ever since the campaign.  Yes, I do hold a grudge.  And O’Reilly is just the flip side of the same coin.  So now they’ve been ordered to play “nice-nice.”  It makes no difference to me at all.  

  2. This story talks about how he has dropped in viewership from last year.

    <

    p>O’Reilly should just continue to ignore him by never mentioning his name while Keith will suffer from another embarrassing hand-slap and probably pop a vein from holding in his never-ending attacks on O’Reilly.

    <

    p>O’Reilly beats Olbermann (who is such a boob) in every age group but especially the coveted 25-54

    <

    p>Cable News Ratings for Friday, July 31, 2009

    <

    p>PM – P2+ (25-54) (35-64)
    The O’Reilly Factor- 2,524,000 viewers (544,000) (1,085,000)
    Campbell Brown- 765,000 viewers (191,000) (327,000)
    Countdown w/ K. Olbermann- 765,000 viewers (244,000) (406,000)
    CNBC Reports- a scratch w/ 119,000 viewers (59,000) (75,000)
    Nancy Grace – 612,000 viewers (169,000) (280,000)

    <

    p>THis is only one day’s numbers but these are typical. O’Reilly kicks ass but at least he’s beating Nancy Grace đŸ™‚

    <

    p>In general MSNBC loses on every level…

    <

    p>Cable News Ratings for Friday, July 31, 2009

    <

    p>P2+ Total Day
    FNC – 1,116,000 viewers
    CNN – 558,000 viewers
    MSNBC -343,000 viewers
    CNBC – 198,000 viewers
    HLN – 273,000 viewers

    <

    p>P2+ Prime Time
    FNC – 1,995,000viewers
    CNN- 763,000 viewers
    MSNBC -562,000 viewers
    CNBC – 160,000 viewers
    HLN – 392,000 viewers

    <

    p>Cable News Ratings for Thursday, July 30, 2009

    <

    p>P2+ Total Day
    FNC – 1,287,000 viewers
    CNN – 624,000 viewers
    MSNBC -374,000 viewers
    CNBC – 194,000 viewers
    HLN – 287,000 viewers

    <

    p>P2+ Prime Time
    FNC – 2,660,000viewers
    CNN- 1,184,000 viewers
    MSNBC -855,000 viewers
    CNBC – 151,000 viewers
    HLN – 479,000 viewers

      • were very passionate about reading our books. Since this is not Bill O’Reilly’s “NO SPIN ZONE” you can spin away at these numbers but Keith Olbermann and every other MSNBC show is getting “”eaten alive” by FOX in every demographic.

        <

        p>I’m even shocked that the Morning Fox shows are winning since I personally watch Joe Scarborough because he has more “alternative” view guests than FOX. But even in the morning MSNBC is getting clobbered.

        <

        p>Morning programs (6:00AM-9:00AM) P2+ (25-54) (35-64)
        FOX & Friends- 812,000 viewers (236,000) (534,000)
        American Morning- 422,000 viewers (166,000) (262,000)
        Morning Joe-332,000 viewers (122,000) (208,000)
        Squawk Box- 142,000 viewers (a scratch w/ 39,000) (69,000)
        Morning Express w/ Meade- 214,000 viewers (121,000) (156,000)

        <

        p>But please don’t let this stop your spinning…

            • There are a bunch of typical troll maneuvers on display:

              • Gloating. Gloating is very difficult not to respond to, but don’t. It’s empty of content.
              • Point missing. Some thoughtful contributors miss the point; someone doing troll posts doesn’t care about the point and always misses it. That garners more attention: you are tempted to explain and then explain again.
              • Calling people out by name. This particularly is designed to gain attention.
              • Making the same point over and over again.
              • Intentional use of reckless and inflammatory rhetoric.

              There are a number of reasons not to fall into troll wars.

              <

              p>A big reason to resist troll feeding is that it crowds out thoughtful conservative and centrist contributors. One can learn something arguing with Gary, JoeTS, and Old Scratch, and occasionally Bostonshepherd and Seascraper. Those guys know something. They can read. They usually want to debate.

              <

              p>Feeding attention to someone who just wants attention is a waste of time and energy. Ultimately, it degrades the community.

          • Search for “Olberman” in comments.  Mr. D post variants on this response whenever Keith’s name is mentioned.  It’s almost pavlovian.  

            <

            p>The nun schtick is also a frequent regurgitation.

            • in a diary about Olbermann in which the ratings of both Olbermann and O’Reilly are discussed?

              <

              p>As for the Corporate Censorship… I personally would want this battle between KO and BO to end since it gets boring. However (showing my bias) I believe KO’s criticism of BO has to do with his ideology and reporting while BO is critical about GE’s support of business which he believes is NOT in the best interests of our country.

              <

              p>Although it is kind of scary to think the leaders of various news outlets can collude kibitz this way.

            • So what. I’m sure there are plenty of bloggers here who have a hit list including players like George Bush, Dick Cheney, Mitt Romney… and any discussions may in fact invoke a pavlovian response. I’m not alone having this trait, just a different target subject.

  3. Also a must read, I think.

    <

    p>

    For years, Establishment media voices like Charlie Rose (yes, the same Charlie Rose who the Times story says played a direct role in the corporate parents’ intervention at MSNBC and Fox) have insisted that it’s a black-helicopter-style conspiracy theory to assert that corporate parent companies pressure/impact/limit the newsrooms they control.

    But, of course, the evidence has become overwhelming in the last 15 years.

    • but I would have tried to stay closer to the truth in this line…

      <

      p>

      And yet the real story is the heavy-handed intervention by the CEO of General Electric effectively forcing MSNBC’s news team off a crucially important set of stories – namely, Fox News’ politicization/Republicanization of media.

      <

      p>and included MSNBC’s politicization/Democratization of media.

  4. to say about GE’s muzzling Olbermann.

    The most striking aspect of this episode is that GE isn’t even bothering any longer to deny the fact that they exert control over MSNBC’s journalism.  They’ve brazenly dispensed with the long-held fiction of the sanctity of journalistic independence from interference by the corporate parents that own America’s largest news organizations.  

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