MSNBC's Identity Crisis

Keith Olbermann's suspension highlights the trouble with Fox "News" and MSNBC: they pretend to be news organizations but really sell political shock-jock commentary.

Keith Olbermann used to be a hell of a journalist.  Alongside his best friend Dan Patrick, he put SportsCenter and ESPN on the map.  But Mr. Olbermann’s days as a reporter have long since passed, not because he lacks the requisite skills, but because MSNBC pays him well to be a controversial, partisan talking head.  All of which makes MSNBC’s decision to suspend him indefinitely confusing.  Olbermann gets paid big bucks to be liberal -- yet when it turns out he isn’t just putting on a big act, he gets suspended?

Networks like Fox and MSNBC are not news networks.  They talk about news issues, but they do not do much original reporting.  Keith Olbermann is not Brian Williams.  It’s hypocrisy for MSNBC to suspend a broadcaster for putting his salary (which MSNBC pays him) where his mouth (which MSNBC pays him to use to promote liberal causes) is. The network’s feigned shock that their liberal shock jock would donate money to liberal candidates isn’t very convincing.

If the executives at Fox “News” and MSNBC want to tailor their commentary to the voters on their respective sides of the political divide, that’s fine.  But don’t attach your “Fair and Balanced” label to Glenn Beck, and don’t publically embarrass your most compelling on-air personality for not playing along with the fiction that he is a straight newsman.

The real act of public disservice is not the commentary, but the refusal to call it such.  Keith Olbermann isn’t guilty of this crime.  Those that suspended him are.

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