Is MSNBC becoming our Fox?

[MoonRiver]

I'm getting a smidgen of a feeling that it is. But I've been burned so many times by the media that I can't trust my gut. What do y'all think?

[vi5]

1. Nothing on our side would have Scarborough...

That wretched swine that he is.

And "our Fox" would have som unabashed proud liberals on it and not just wishy washy apologists like Matthews or guys who have to hide behind sarcasm like Olberman (who I think is great, but he's hardly a rabid dem to any of the rw'ers on Fox).

[MoonRiver]

2. Well, I did say "becoming".

Not there yet, I admit, but by God, they're the best on cable I've seen in a long time.

[zacho]

25. Scarborough

They're advertising Scarborough as the voice of the common man. I was watching and not paying any attention to it for about a month and I was unsure that he was a Republican. MSNBC is afraid like the rest of the "liberal" media to take sides.

[Kahuna]

3. Not our faux. Maybe a legitmate news outlet. Time will tell.

nt

[DaveSZ]

5. Perhaps simply a legit news outlet

I won't forgive them for spreading the lies about Iraq/Al Qaeda connection though.

[jrieth50]

36. Been legit

MSNBC has been my favorite news outlet for years, maybe that says something about which way they lean, or maybe it says they're fair. Hard to say but if they lean, it's not to far, and they definitely aren't afraid to push Scarborough.

I refused to pay Comcast for the last year and they finally sent me the offer I can't refuse - MSNBC in my living room again 9/1!

[LiberalBushFan]

4. Don't even say that...

They might believe you and then try to become more "fair and balanced."

Anyways, no, they don't lie constantly like Fox, so they're not anyone's Fox.

[Protected]

6. I think they're actually reporting the news

...which is more than I can say of CNN right now. I don't really want "our Fox," I want a decent cable TV news outlet.

[MoonRiver]

7. Good point. I didn't mean a network that lies. Just one that supports us

like Air America.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. I don't want "our" Fox.

I don't want slanted, biased news, even if it's slanted and biased my way. All I want is honest, objective reporting, which barely exists any more. Olbermann is our best hope for that, but Scabrous Scarborough still sucks.

[spooky3]

13. I agree.

[Placebo]

9. Nope.

They are still part of the massive corporate takeover of media (in their case, GE) and take their marching orders just the same!

[Shopaholic]

10. Well, the MRC is constantly on their case

(esp. Olbermann--they despise him) and Repugs on other newsgroups/boards I visit are raising hell about them so I'm guessing MSNBC must be on the right track.

[The Hair in my Nose]

11. Unfortunately it is hardly relevant

CABLE NEWS RACE
WEDS, AUG 25, 2004

FOXNEWS O'REILLY 2.0
FOXNEWS HANNTIY/COLMES 1.9
FOXNEWS GRETA 1.8
FOXNEWS BRIT HUME 1.3
FOXNEWS SHEP SMITH 1.3
CNN LARRY KING 1.1
MSNBC HARDBALL 0.6
MSNBC SCARBOROUGH 0.5
CNN AARON BROWN 0.5
CNN PAULA ZAHN 0.4
MSNBC OLBERMAN 0.3
MSNBC NORVILLE 0.2
CNBC DENNIS MILLER 0.1
CNBC MCENROE 0.0

[Paulie]

12. Hard to forgive MSNBC firing DONAHUE

Even though he had the ratings.

Cheney MSNBC!

[Placebo]

14. I thought the Donahue ratings SUCKED!

[Paulie]

15. Donahue had the best raitings on MSNBC

From the last paragraph to the below site:

CABLE NEWS RACE - MARCH 3, 2004

FOXNEWS O'REILLY 2.1
FOXNEWS HANNITY/COLMES 1.6
CNN LARRY KING 1.3
FOX NEWS SHEP SMITH 1.3
FOXNEWS GRETA 1.1
FOXNEWS BRIT HUME 1.0
CNN AARON BROWN 0.8
CNN PAULA ZAHN 0.5
MSNBC HARDBALL 0.4
MSNBC SCARBOROUGH 0.3
MSNBC NORVILLE 0.3
MSNBC OLBERMANN 0.2
CNBC DENNIS MILLER 0.1

Note: Notice that all 4 MSNBC shows are getting an 0.4 rating or less, yet the Phil Donahue show was cancelled when it was getting an 0.5 rating, and the ratings for Donahue were increasing. That proves the media cancels liberal shows even when they are getting better ratings. The Donahue show was the #1 rated show on MSBC yet it was cancelled. Dennis Miller (Republican) does an 0.1, tell me how in the hell that lame ass show stays on the air ?
see: http://www.oreilly-sucks.com/politics/cablenewsratings.htm

[Radical Activist]

24. They tried to make his show more conservative

by forcing on more conservative guests than liberal ones. Jeff Cohen talks about it in Outfoxed. MSGOP is still a voicebox for corporate america.

[canuckybee]

16. I voted maybe

but now I am sitting here watching them flash the headline " BUSH PULLS AHEAD".....and yet, when Kerry was up, it was a dead heat.

[arwalden]

17. Yes no maybe I don't know can you repeat the question?

[BootinUp]

18. I'm startin to watch D. Norville

She's done two good shows in a row, she doesn't show her partisanship as far as I can tell. Of course I change the channel before Scareborough comes on. :)

[soleft]

19. I read on another thread that there's a new guy in charge who may be

fairly progressive. I can't remember his name unfortunately

[maine_raptor]

23. Rick Caplin is the name I think nt

[soleft]

33. Here's a theory

I know the GE connection makes it seem fairly obvious that they would be all for perpectual war, but remember that article on From the Wilderness where they threw out this theory that a group of CEO's were behind the Niger forgery because they want Bush out - the list included Poppy Bush himself - because basically Bush II is bad for business and tanking the economy.

Maybe Jack Welsh - or rather his successors - that Bush is bad for America and ultimately that means bad for them.

So they bring in a progressive to run the news and give him free reign. They have to keep Scarborough on board they same way Fox makes a feeble effort with Colmes.

[maine_raptor]

34. Not quite the way I look at it, but

could be something along those lines. There has definitely been a sea change over there in the last few weeks. Seems to have started when Kaplan (sp?) was brought on board.

[oasis]

20. Pat Buchannan has reverted back to his dirty old repuke ways .

[Feanorcurufinwe]

21. All I want is a news network with journalistic standards.

I don't think MSNBC is becoming our Fox and I wouldn't want it to.

'Other'

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

22. I voted "other". It may be that they see a window where Democrats and

other non right wingers HUNGER for coverage that is not heavily biased towards Bushco. In that window they can get viewers and make a profit.

Whether any of this lasts or leads to an institutional shift there or anywhere else remains to be seen.

[blondeatlast]

26. They are becoming objective. Works for me. nt

[NightOwwl]

27. MSNBC is the only channel I can watch for more than 1 hour

without throwing things at the TV...so maybe it is moving towards the left (or at least showing alternative viewpoints).

[adamrsilva]

28. Well, I'll say this

there the only major news network I will even think about watching.

[DeepModem Mom]

29. FEEDBACK: Richard Kaplan, MSNBC, [e-mail]

[Guava Jelly]

30. The Msnbc will slip back to the dark side if they think they can get

Better Ratings.
I wouldnt call MsNbc our FOX first of all being compared to that orwellian station is an ansult.After all they fired Phil and hired Savage so they got some splainen to do
Maybe they have a smart person calling the shots.
however I have gave them more of my viewing hours lately basically They been more down to earth and are Asking the right questions.
And not giving the swift boat liars for bush a free ride.

[Killarney]

31. Let them know they're on the right track

They are the ONLY cable news I will watch right now and as CNN's ratings are plummetting MSNBC is picking up. We need to let them know that there's a market out there for people who want fair news, not RNC shilling (CNN/FOX).

[GalleryGod]

32. I Think it would be a Great & Courageous Tack to make!

Why Not?
Could they do worse!
They could do simual-casts (like Imus) with some of the Air America Gang...for starters.

Why not carve out The Left and be proud!

Why? Cause they're chicken-shit wimps who have (fanfare,please!)

TWO kids in Prep school and a huge mortgage on the Mini-Mansion:puke:

[jonnyblitz]

35. MSNBC is almost as bad as FOX to me.

just because a few of the pundits are questioning the SBV's this week doesn't make it all of a sudden a bastion of progressivism.

[The Ref]

44. Heck, even BILL O'REILLY

ripped the swifties a new one.

[WilliamPitt]

37. Yeah, General Electric is on our side. Right.

And justice might fly out my butt.

[Neecy]

38. maybe

I just want unbiased news, period. So far, MSNBC has been the least offensive of the bunch - surely a thousand times better than CNN. Other than "Common Man Joe" they don't have anyone along the horrific lines of Crowley, Woodruff, Blitzer or Novak, and for that reason alone I've permanently switched off CNN.

Doesn't Microsoft co-own MSNBC? I wonder if that has any effect on the (war profiteering) General Electric factor?

[West Coast Democrat]

39. Of course not!

A couple of their shows have been decent...but are they a Liberal/Democratic leaning network? No way!

[Reciprocity]

40. Maybe yes, maybe no. Only time will tell.

I'm a news junkie. I have been faithful to CNN since day one. I feel betrayed by them because of their coverage or lack there of during the DNC. Thats why I switched to MSNBC. So it is a lack of options for me watching them and NOT because of biased reporting .

[ibegurpard]

41. Why would we want a FAUX?

I just want journalism that is willing to question the government line about a buildup to war and won't give allegations about extramarital affairs the time of day.

[MoonRiver]

43. What I meant was:

(Is) MSNBC to FAUX
as
The Al Franken show is to Rush Limbaugh

(Also, to clarify, I was just asking the question. I know that MSNBC is far from being the same as Al Franken!)

Sorry for all the confusion. I certainly don't want any Democratic leaning station to operate exactly like scum FAUX.

[TheDonkey]

42. Cause Pat Robertson is def. on EVERY show MSRNC has

as a political analyst. The asshole should be in jail. not spewing his hate filled lies.

Tweety and Scarshantytown are crap. Tweety lately has been getting better but he still says comments that are incredibly anti-Kerry and ridiculous.

[AntiCoup2K4]

45. If they fired Joe "dead intern" Scarborough, I might believe it.

And those other 2 old farts Kudcow and Kramer or whatever their names are. They can keep Pat Buchanan in the interest of "balance" because at least he's not a neocon.