Though one can agree that the Olbermann-O’Reilly sniping was getting out of hand – and that there are far more important matters facing the country – the larger message is that the Left’s enthusiasm at having a few news shows reflecting a liberal outlook survives only at the forbearance of GE executives.
There is, after all, a big difference between Murdoch’s News Corporation’s longstanding commitment to a right-wing perspective on Fox ...
Full Story »
Parry presents an important opinion on corporate censorship of news, along with the longer history of MSNBC as it searched for ratings dollars.
The emergence of the Olbermann-Maddow-Schultz lineup on MSNBC also may have the unintended consequence of lulling American liberals into complacency over the need to build independent media that will fight for truth and rational discourse without fear of corporate pressures.
censorship can be a disease that may seem harmless at first, even reasonable. But the infection can quickly spread, eating away at the quality and credibility of journalism. Also, once the first compromises are accepted, other more important ones may follow, especially if corporate executives fear that telling some uncomfortable truths might inflict bottom-line damage. For those reasons, corporate journalism will never be a substitute for truly independent journalism that operates without fear or favor.
