Keith Olbermann Suspension Criticized By Reporters, Conservative Pundits

This is a ridiculous decision by MSNBC.  Keith Olbemann’s show is their top rated broadcast.  This is what happens when Corporations take over the Media…

Zach Wolf, of ABC, tweeted: “How is giving $2400 to Raul Grijalva less journalistically sound than his liberal nightly comments? I don’t get the MSNBC v. Olberman flap.”

Dave Weigel, at Slate, offered that the lesson learned from the saga is “if you’re media and you’re going to make a political donation, make it to the RGA.”

Rich Sanchez, whose tenure with CNN ended in far more nefarious controversy, expressed sympathies for Olbermann’s treatment: “Got to work w/ Keith when I was at MSNBC,” he tweeted. “He’s a solid journalist. Hope this passes.”

For progressives, in the end, the issue became one of false equivalencies. In addition to News Corps.’s donations, there have been more than 30 instances of Fox News employees or personalities supporting Republican causes, according to Media Matters, the progressive media watchdog group. If these individuals weren’t being punished, why should Olbermann? (The invariable response, in turn, lent itself to a rabbit hole of speculation about the politics of NBC operations.)

The loftier debate is whether the notions of ethical purity is outdated in journalism. Under strict interpretation of the rules, Olbermann violated his company’s policies. And for that, his punishment is, at least, rationalized.

But the notion that what he did is rare in the industry he serves does seem far-fetched. This past September, the Center for Responsive Politics produced a study showing that “235 people who identified themselves on government documents as journalists, or as working for news organizations, who together have donated more than $469,900 to federal political candidates.” One of those individuals was Chris Hayes, who gave $250 to the campaign of his good friend, Alabama Democrat Josh Segall. Hayes was rumored on Friday to be Olbermann’s replacement host that night.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today issued the following statement on MSNBC suspending Olbermann for exercising his First Amendment rights.

“It is outrageous that General Electric/MSNBC would suspend Keith Olbermann for exercising his constitutional rights to contribute to a candidate of his choice. This is a real threat to political discourse in America and will have a chilling impact on every commentator for MSNBC.”

via Keith Olbermann Suspension Criticized By Reporters, Conservative Pundits.