One Angry Man

Is Keith Olbermann changing TV news?

In cable news, the dominant personality puts an identifying stamp on the entire organization. The stamp at MSNBC is indisputably that of Keith Olbermann. The television gossip pages occasionally report grumblings of some NBC News personalities about Olbermann's dominion at MSNBC, but most, even the traditionalists, seem happy for the airtime, and glad that Olbermann's success redounds to them. As Olbermann puts it, "A rising tide lifts all boats." Full Story »

Posted by Dan Kennedy

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Review

B.G. Rhule
2.5
by B.G. Rhule - Oct. 1, 2008

"Bolsheviks?" Now, that is truly wearing one's own bias on one's sleeve. I believe this was just a sliver of Olbermann's persona revealed, but it tells us nothing of what drives him, what his background in broadcast journalism has been, who K.O.really IS. I read this yesterday and was teribly disappointed in the lack of effort this writer employed within this story. Why tell us he has restless leg syndrome, anyway, unless you are attempting to portray how the man copes with it, has overcome the challenge it presents, or is somehow a better person for having faced this adversity. It simply rings terribly hollow. Boyer questions why KO told the President to shut up--but did not frame it in the proper context of Bush having tried to portray himself as heroic for this alleged--and false, as later proven by KO with videotape of Bush golfing beyond the date of when he stated he'd quit the game--sacrifice, which flew in the face of all sensitivity to what soldiers' families have and are going through. He said it to paint Bush as a buffoon through his own words, his arrogance and his shameful lack of personal responsibility for the political mire and human loss his fraudulent war has created. Finally, even the story title is unfair. Olbermann has occasional rants when the subject--HRC or W--has gone daft in their behavior and/or judgement, but much of the program is humorous, often depicting quirky news stories missed by MSM, or just being able to look at the camera without speaking, which brilliantly captured the ridiculousness of what his subject said or did. Olbermann has great comedic timing, a sense of what is and isn't entertainment, and a true sense of journalistic integrity for the pursuit of political justice, which often belies the inherent value of his popularity: he's a decent man who leads a Robin Hood-esque crusade against the narcisssim and greed of the unduly powerful among us. He is an Everyman's voice against corruption, injustice and the disingenuine who portend to be capable of leading us. This article did not do him justice.

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B.G.'s Rating

Overall
2.5

Poor
from 7 answers
Quality
2.3
Fairness
2.0
Information
3.0
Sourcing
2.0
Context
2.0
Popularity
3.0
Recommendation
3.0
Credibility
3.0
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