CNN reported that Keith Olbermann of MSNBC donated money to three democratic candidates in the last election. Olbermann confirmed the report and defended his actions in a statement he released to Politico. It was confirmed by the National Board of Elections that he gave the maximum individual amount allowed to each of the three. To whom he gave it is irrelevant for my discussion.
This is not only expressly prohibited as a matter of policy from his employer, NBC, it's pretty damn stupid. Let's face it, Olbermann throws a lot of proverbial bricks. It's his job and it pays him very handsomely. Well, he's about to find out that he lives in a pretty glass house!
Olbermann is caught in that very grey area between journalist and pundit. Today, these are the people who are most successful in television "news", particularly on cable. The list begins with the likes of Glen Beck, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, and so on. And it's not restricted to just conservatives like the ones I just mentioned. Keith Olbermann and Rachael Maddow are just two of the many, more liberal cable news/opinion oriented show hosts. Their jobs are take a strong POV and, based on information reflecting their point of view, state their case and tape their programs.
Not all of them claim to be journalists (like Glen Beck) but many do, or at least want to be seen as one. Many of them, like O'Reilly and Olbermann, came with hard news backgrounds. I think that it's safe to say most people see them as such. I would think that, certainly, Olbermann would like to be seen as one. Therefore, he should behave like one.
Within this blog, I offer my opinion. It's one of the main reasons I created it: to voice strong feelings and opinions. However, because I see myself not only as an archivist of sorts, but as a journalist as well, I do my utmost to seperate that which is opinion from that which is factual. I do this not only on the blog but in my personal life as well.
Within the blog, I will never DIRECTLY/OFFICIALLY endorse a political candidate. I am registered as an Independent voter, so I have no political party affiliations. I have never, and will never (at least as long as I consider myself to be a journalist) donate to a political party. I won't even sign petitions that are political in nature.
It's not easy, especially when one wants (and NEEDS) to be involved. Even though we are journalists, in our own lives we realize that we must be involved in the process too. We are in this together. But we must practice diligence to make sure we find a happy medium; one where we are involved in a private, personal level while, at the same time, maintaining the proper checks and balances of our profession.
One also has to keep in mind that Olbermann just recently ripped News Corp (Fox) a new one for donating $million to Republican causes (and rightly so, I might add!!). So, I say Keith, shame on you, a sharp guy like you should have known better.
photo: C LoBuono
Olbermann and his ilk are neither journliasts nor pundits...they are entertainers (some more entertaining than others). Becuase they use politics as their backdrop does not make them journalists.
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And some are more entertaining than others. But you are right on Newsboy!!
ReplyDeleteAlso, let's continue our conversations here rather than FB. This way others may contribute. And that'd be cool!
'd like to hear his side of the story. I find it especially intriguing to hear his donations went to Grijalva and Giffords here in Arizona. Only yesterday did they declare Giffords the winner and both races got national attention very unexpectedly in the last month. The surge of national monies in their opponent's campaign was evident here in Tucson. It was obscene! If contributions can be made cloaked in secrecy (Koch Brothers), perhaps Keith should be allowed to do it in the light of day.
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