Sep 29th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
The Maddow Era
Rachel Maddow’s show turns out to be quite the success for MSNBC.
I wonder how an Obama White House will deal with MSNBC’s flirtations with establishing itself as the progressive-friendly cable network. An incumbent administration has a lot of ability to reward particular reporters, hosts, and networks with access, scoops, and choice interviews. In principles, a White House inclined to think and act strategically about the media could do a lot to push MSNBC to transform in that direction while simultaneously bolstering the news credibility of Maddow and Keith Olbermann.
52 Responses to “The Maddow Era”
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September 29th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
c’mon matt…no cable news operation would ever be that transparently cynical.
September 29th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Yes, let’s talk about ways which an Obama administration could help itself in the short-term while in the long term furthering the harms already done to the American people, in this case to voters’ ability to be informed about the actions of government.
September 29th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
It seems to me that if it’s wrong for Fox to trumpet from the right, it would be wrong for MSNBC to trumpet from the left.
September 29th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Heh.
Even an Obama White House needs a media that speaks truth to power, and that includes addressing things — FISA, torture, Iraq — that might be prone to slippage.
Frankly, I think there’s room for a post-election Maddow and Olbermann to push in a different direction, i.e. better news coverage in general.
If anything, expect Fox News to make the bigger leap. Murdoch’s number-one priority is the bottom line.
September 29th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
It seems to me that if it’s wrong for Fox to trumpet from the right, it would be wrong for MSNBC to trumpet from the left.
That’s very impartial of you.
By the way, do you feel that the “left” viewpoint (as put forth by Maddow and Olberman) has any intrinsic basis in reality, or do you consider it just as false and misleading as what’s on Fox News?
September 29th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
seriously…
one of the biggest fears i have (politically speaking) is a democratic president and a democratic congress. i couldn’t bring myself to vote for mccain…but if i had my way the republicans would take over congress. failing that, it is essential for the media to do it’s job in a way that it has absolutely failed to do for the last eight years. commentators like olbermann and maddow…and yes they are commentators not journalists…have their place. but should obama win his toes need to be held to the fire by the journalists because a democratic congress won’t do it.
September 29th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
I don’t think you can equate Maddow’s liberal advocacy with Fox News’ conservative advocacy- for one thing, Fox is really practicing Republican advocacy, rather than arguing for any particular conservative agenda. I think we will see Maddow criticizing Dems from the left much more often than you see Fox criticizing the GOP from the right (she ripped them for opening up off-shore drilling for example). You could look at GOP talking points and predict Fox’s coverage that day- I don’t think you would see the same thing on a Maddow-ified MSNBC.
The problem isn’t having a news network with a point of view- it’s having a news network that pushes a certain point of view that is completely contradictory to facts or reality.
September 29th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Does Fox News provide the model? Even though that channel launched in ‘96, I think its ratings really began to take off after the Bush administration began and soared during the beginnings of the war. Clearly, there has been some message coordination between the White House and Fox News. It also provides a friendly outlet for administration officials.
I don’t think I see that happening at MSNBC. For starters, it’s not as ideological. MSNBC chased the conservative commentator thing when they thought that would be profitable. Now they’re giving liberalism a bit of a try. Let’s keep in mind that aside from Olbermann & Maddow, there aren’t really any liberals at the network. And Olbermann is more of a rabid anti-Bush moderate.
I don’t think MSNBC is so much progressive-friendly as Maddow’s show is. Quite frankly, the mainstream media is never all that receptive to the true progressive end of the political spectrum, regardless of who is in office. If Maddow is seen as financially successful (albeit by cable news standards), then maybe things will change.
September 29th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
okay, i have to say it: olbermann has news crediblity? people on our side keep telling me that he’s great, but i can’t see it. his righteous and snarkiness and big-voiced sermons makes him seem, to me, like a lefty stephen colbert character. i’m not sure how he gets in teh same sentence as maddow
September 29th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Well, I would hope Maddow and Olbermann would — I mean, will (gotta be positive!) — hold Obama’s feet to the fire from the left as necessary. And I have no doubt it will be necessary (though obviously a vast improvement over the current administration).
September 29th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Maddow’s great, and of course, if Obama is president, his administration would be wise to curry her favor and keep her show relevant. But trying to turn MSNBC into a lefty-Fox News is a horrible idea: it would never be as popular as Fox News, given that cable news viewers skew older and thus more conservative, so it will never have the kind of influence that Fox News had on narrative frames. It’ll quickly become even more of a lightning rod of Republican derision than it already is, and should the political tides turn, as they inevitably will one day, it will quickly be abandoned (because the Metamucil-swigging cable news set will never give it comparable ratings to Fox).
I think a much better alternative would be for CNN and yes, even Fox to try to hire a smart in-house liberal of their own. It’d be much better to spread out the strong liberal voices across the media than to try to cluster them all in one place.
September 29th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Eeek, I wanted to vomit. The last thing we need is another Fox.
I almost went off about Matt’s being ideologically aligned with this idea not making such a thing justified.
Then I realized that whole last paragraph could be very low-key satire.
I honestly cannot tell. Congratulations, you magnificent bastard.
September 29th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Yeah, there’s a great idea: an “offical” network for the White House. I wonder what Matt would think were McCain to win, and he were to do what Matt suggests.
September 29th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
james…he would probaly call it fox news.
September 29th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
I hope this is satire. We need independent journalists challenging the White House, not a left-wing FOX.
And am I the only liberal on the internet who thinks Olbermann’s a gigantic douchebag? I’m glad someone on TV is speaking up about the Bush administration, but I just want to punch him in the teeth every time he opens his smug, outraged mouth. He’s like a journalism LARPer, dressed up like Edward R. Murrow.
September 29th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
p.s. Maddow’s pretty cool, though.
September 29th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
And am I the only liberal on the internet who thinks Olbermann’s a gigantic douchebag?
===
Nope. I don’t want to punch him, and I’m happy he was willing to pioneer the idea of a left-leaning political show (apparently a bizarre notion for cable TV execs). But his never-ending font of self-righteous outrage wears me out. I’m good for about two minutes of rant, then I find him tiresome.
September 29th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
I expect that in an Obama administration, the Fox News White House team will get desks next to Joe Lieberman’s office.
In West Virginia.
September 29th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Maddow and Olbermann will occasionally have to oppose a Democratic White House on principle, or at least to maintain their street cred.
If Obama makes overt gestures to MSNBC, they risk diluting their own brand and MSNBC’s.
The best thing they can do, believe it or not, is try not to suck too much. Then only Fox will be mad, and we’ll all know everything’s right with the world.
If anything, Obama should culture a relationship with independent talk hosts. THAT would be different, and would keep both left and right camps on their toes.
September 29th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
I can’t remember if I saw it here or at Ezra Klein’s site, but everyone should check out that Youtube clip of some comedian doing Olberman’s schtick wrt Subway.
Like him or hate him, it’s hilarious.
September 29th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Keith isn’t a journalist, or even an interesting pundit. He’s like a really dumb version of Glenn Greenwald.
September 29th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Maddow is a great host, and I support the rise of progressive voices on television. I do not support using said voices as propaganda spinning machines.
No amount of inside scoop morphs someone into a journalist with gravitas, it transforms the progressive voices into hacks or arms of the white house press secretary. The job of a true journalist is to undermine an administration, irrespective of ideology. By shinning bright lights that leave less dark corners for shady dealings. IMHO.
September 29th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
It seems to me that if it’s wrong for Fox to trumpet from the right, it would be wrong for MSNBC to trumpet from the left.
You could be right. Let me get a good hard look at such a thing, and then I’ll tell you what I think.
September 29th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
I for one, would simply like to affirm the sentiment that Olberman is a gigantic douchebag.
September 29th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
i do watch msnbc but you’ve got to know as a viewer that you’re only getting liberal bs and not much else. it’s fun to watch republicans try to answer for their bs in the same stunned fashion dems used to on fox news. news wise they’re really both worthless. but so is cnn…so there’s that. the idea of using any arm of the media as an administration is patently disgusting whether it’s a liberal/conservative/etc etc…but if matt wants us thinking about progess i mean what else can we do.
douche.
September 29th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
I look forward to my 16 mos. old daughter being a teen with Rachel Maddow as her Murrow,Cronkite, Chancellor. She already smiles and claps at Rachel ( granted she has screamed and run out of the room at Rachels “uncle Pat”.
September 29th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
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September 29th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Good god. Now I remember why I stopped reading you for a while. Yes, let’s turn Keith Olbermann into a lefty version of Sean Hannity. Great idea. Although I’m afraid it might be too late. I like KO and Maddow’s show, but let’s please not encourage MSNBC to do the exact same thing that FOX has been doing for the past decade. Geezus.
September 29th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
After thinking about this more, I’ve become convinced that Matt is joking. This is meant to be ironic or something, because we all know that actually proposing this type of thing is pretty disgusting.
September 29th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Okay, yes, Matt is most definitely joking around.
September 29th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
I do think that the Maddow & Olberman are pushing viewpoints with an “intrinsic basis in reality”. I also think that whenever the White House (any White House) begins to reward “particular reporters, hosts, and networks with access, scoops, and choice interviews” that objective & “intrinsic basis in reality” gets eroded. Thus my original thesis: “if it’s wrong for Fox to trumpet from the right, it would be wrong for MSNBC to trumpet from the left”.
September 29th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
I’m 60% certain Matt was joking, but in any event I am 100% certain Obama isn’t going to play access games.
September 29th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Olbermann has turned into a pompous blowhard. Maddow is bright, quick, respectful of everyone, very likable.
And why does Rachel say she has a face for radio? She’s a very attractive woman.
September 29th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
I’m a progressive, but Olbermann is counterproductive. Rewarding him for his loyalty is the same thing that the Bush folks have done with Fox News. I’m not trying to use my powers of prediction here, but ideally, an Obama administration would avoid making someone so biased their media puppy dog.
September 30th, 2008 at 1:21 am
That would be WONDERFUL!!
September 30th, 2008 at 1:27 am
Seriously, “Special Comment” can suck it.
September 30th, 2008 at 9:43 am
It’s interesting that Republican guests have been boycotting her show. I wonder how long that can last?
I watch her show most nights, but I wish her tone would change as it comes across as more cheerleading than reporting.
September 30th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
I suppose she’s better than Joe Scarborough but her “humor” is a frumpy, “left” version of Glenn Beck. Ill-timed winks, mock exclamations of surprise, warmed-over sarcasm. And, that wardrobe – ai yi yi. She must’ve raided the Ruth Buzzi “Laugh-In” spinster purse-whacker bin at a thrift shop.
September 30th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
“Yes, let’s turn Keith Olbermann into a lefty version of Sean Hannity. Great idea.”
Maybe I’m alone here, but when I look into Hannity’s eyes I don’t see a whole lot of smart looking back at me. One part Olberman and one part stroke and maybe – just maybe – you can distill out a Hannity. (And yes, I do not fear Fox: the best way to find a pile of shit is to follow the flies.)
The beauty of Keith and Rachel is that they are smart. Very smart, in fact. This, incidentally, is why Palin is terrifying. We’ve had 8 years of dumb already and look where we are. Not just dumb, but celebratory dumb. Fox would need a mountain of Genko to touch MSNBC.
As for Obama trying to railroad Rachel and Keith come next year – that will be a blast to watch since even a guy as smart as O won’t have an easy time with either. Both of them show insight, wit and do not shrink from fearless attacks on Republican stupidity and the celebration of plain dumb that has now morphed into the McCain campaign given his pale star from the North.
Go Rachel!
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