Dearest Nerds,
February 27, 2016 10:39 AM Subscribe
Melissa Harris-Perry (previously) published this letter to her staff yesterday, announcing her decision not to appear as part of MSNBC's weekend election coverage, after several instances in which MSNBC bumped her weekend morning show.
Watching election coverage on all channels with notable exceptions, is a puppet show of white faces. Why? What might POC commenters say about their primary choices that MSNBC think their white audience doesn't want to hear?
I'm guessing it would probably be related to the Black Lives Matter movement, which is something most major media news outlets have distanced themselves from. I'm sure ratings and ad revenue also plays a role in these kinds of decisions. Stuff like this is why I tend to get most my news coverage via print/web.
posted by Fizz at 11:05 AM on February 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
I'm guessing it would probably be related to the Black Lives Matter movement, which is something most major media news outlets have distanced themselves from. I'm sure ratings and ad revenue also plays a role in these kinds of decisions. Stuff like this is why I tend to get most my news coverage via print/web.
posted by Fizz at 11:05 AM on February 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
MSNBC has made the marketing choice to try and peel off the bigger FOX News demo rather than oppose it. The proof is in each departure of a liberal host being replaced with another hour of Joe Scarborough. It's not surprising they squeezed out MHP next.
posted by T.D. Strange at 11:12 AM on February 27, 2016 [11 favorites]
posted by T.D. Strange at 11:12 AM on February 27, 2016 [11 favorites]
I'm guessing it would probably be related to the Black Lives Matter movement, which is something most major media news outlets have distanced themselves from.You mean that they associate any black person with the Black Lives Matter movement? I don't think that's the reason, but if it is, I think it's another way of saying that the reason is racism.
Stuff like this is why I tend to get most my news coverage via print/web.See, I think that's part of it. (Which is not to discount the racism/ sexism/ whateverism.) I think that MSNBC wanted her to bring in an audience that is not going to watch cable news no matter what, because we have other news sources that are more responsive to our interests and concerns. They wanted her to do something that couldn't be done. For instance, I think a lot of us are turning to podcasts to fill the need that cable news fills/ filled for older people.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 11:12 AM on February 27, 2016 [20 favorites]
MSNBC has made the marketing choice to try and peel off the bigger FOX News demo rather than oppose it.
This is clearly false. They are consistently and reliably left-leaning. The idea that they are trying to appeal to the Fox News demo is... I don't even.
posted by Justinian at 11:35 AM on February 27, 2016 [3 favorites]
This is clearly false. They are consistently and reliably left-leaning. The idea that they are trying to appeal to the Fox News demo is... I don't even.
posted by Justinian at 11:35 AM on February 27, 2016 [3 favorites]
(Scarborough is on in the same time slot he's always been on.)
posted by Justinian at 11:36 AM on February 27, 2016
posted by Justinian at 11:36 AM on February 27, 2016
MSNBC is "left-leaning" in the way a lot of pundits and politicians are. They're mostly OK on social issues, but don't even think about questioning them economically.
posted by downtohisturtles at 11:39 AM on February 27, 2016 [17 favorites]
posted by downtohisturtles at 11:39 AM on February 27, 2016 [17 favorites]
Apparently MSNBC is in the process of becoming less "left leaning," because they've decided that identity wasn't getting the ratings they need. They're moving towards supposedly-neutral hard news now. We'll see how that works for them.
I wonder if Rachel Maddow is next.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 11:41 AM on February 27, 2016 [8 favorites]
I wonder if Rachel Maddow is next.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 11:41 AM on February 27, 2016 [8 favorites]
This is clearly false. They are consistently and reliably left-leaning. The idea that they are trying to appeal to the Fox News demo is... I don't even.
MSNBC and the ‘Move Away From Left-Wing TV’
posted by T.D. Strange at 11:50 AM on February 27, 2016 [15 favorites]
MSNBC and the ‘Move Away From Left-Wing TV’
posted by T.D. Strange at 11:50 AM on February 27, 2016 [15 favorites]
Sure, that's from a year ago. I've seen very little over the past year to show such a big move.
The afternoons are still Matthews, Maddow, and Hayes.
posted by Justinian at 11:58 AM on February 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
The afternoons are still Matthews, Maddow, and Hayes.
posted by Justinian at 11:58 AM on February 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
From September: MSNBC Retools to Sharpen Its Focus on Hard News
From October: MSNBC’s Hard News Makeover Boosts Viewership, But Younger Demo Shrinks
From late December: Andy Lack Says MSNBC ‘Would Have Been Clobbered’ Without Hard News Makeover
This is apparently an ongoing thing.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 12:05 PM on February 27, 2016 [6 favorites]
From October: MSNBC’s Hard News Makeover Boosts Viewership, But Younger Demo Shrinks
From late December: Andy Lack Says MSNBC ‘Would Have Been Clobbered’ Without Hard News Makeover
This is apparently an ongoing thing.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 12:05 PM on February 27, 2016 [6 favorites]
5 p.m. Chuck Todd.
6 p.m. A couple guys from Bloomberg.
7 p.m. Chris (fucking) Matthews.
What were you saying about left-leaning?
posted by tommyD at 12:06 PM on February 27, 2016 [25 favorites]
6 p.m. A couple guys from Bloomberg.
7 p.m. Chris (fucking) Matthews.
What were you saying about left-leaning?
posted by tommyD at 12:06 PM on February 27, 2016 [25 favorites]
Ha, does anyone really think Chris Matthews is left-leaning? I can't decide if that's funny or sad.
posted by dialetheia at 12:29 PM on February 27, 2016 [13 favorites]
posted by dialetheia at 12:29 PM on February 27, 2016 [13 favorites]
I think that was tommyD's point.
And, yes, people do think of him as left-leaning. It's Conventional Wisdom, by which I mean pundit groupthink completely disconnected from actual reality.
posted by tobascodagama at 12:42 PM on February 27, 2016 [3 favorites]
And, yes, people do think of him as left-leaning. It's Conventional Wisdom, by which I mean pundit groupthink completely disconnected from actual reality.
posted by tobascodagama at 12:42 PM on February 27, 2016 [3 favorites]
so left leaning they're helping trump juice up his image
posted by nadawi at 12:55 PM on February 27, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by nadawi at 12:55 PM on February 27, 2016 [8 favorites]
I think that MSNBC's problems are similar to the problems that Air America had. The demographic that they're trying to attract with their politics isn't the demographic that's going to gravitate to the medium, whether it's talk radio or cable news. Fox's format and politics are a perfect match for their demographic of retired people who keep the channel on as background noise but people who might agree with Maddow aren't sitting home watching TV.
posted by octothorpe at 1:03 PM on February 27, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by octothorpe at 1:03 PM on February 27, 2016 [4 favorites]
Fired Cruz Spokesman Rick Tyler Joins MSNBC
posted by futz at 1:05 PM on February 27, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by futz at 1:05 PM on February 27, 2016 [3 favorites]
Rachel Maddow's coverage of the Sanders campaign has been very sad to watch. I don't know whether to call it left/right, but it has taken a very conventional wisdom / mass media turn.
Reporting about the latest polls isn't "hard news." Pundits talking about meta-issues like electability and likability is not "hard news." It's lazy trash for people who can't be bothered to do their jobs.
posted by 1adam12 at 1:05 PM on February 27, 2016 [22 favorites]
Reporting about the latest polls isn't "hard news." Pundits talking about meta-issues like electability and likability is not "hard news." It's lazy trash for people who can't be bothered to do their jobs.
posted by 1adam12 at 1:05 PM on February 27, 2016 [22 favorites]
I have a PhD in political science and have taught American voting and elections at some of the nation’s top universities for nearly two decades, yet I have been deemed less worthy to weigh in than relative novices and certified liars.
that's a well-smithed burn imo
posted by Sebmojo at 1:08 PM on February 27, 2016 [44 favorites]
that's a well-smithed burn imo
posted by Sebmojo at 1:08 PM on February 27, 2016 [44 favorites]
This is like the real-life unhappy version of Being Mary Jane.
posted by wuwei at 1:10 PM on February 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by wuwei at 1:10 PM on February 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
There's one sure way to raise ratings at MSNBC but there's no way they'd do it....bring back Olbermann. I realize that he's poison to work with but man, unleashing him on the Trump, Cruz, and Rudio would be must-see TV. It would definitely earn an instant spot on my DVR.
posted by Ber at 1:24 PM on February 27, 2016 [13 favorites]
posted by Ber at 1:24 PM on February 27, 2016 [13 favorites]
The lady has a good job and this tv gig was just some additonal income. No big loss. Old saying about media: if you want a free press, buy one.
That channel is owned by GE, and they are of course right wing but see an chance to go up against Fox to appeal to the left.
The problem is that each show repeats what has gone before it.
Even the ads on such cable shows are dumb in that they save money by using the same ads over and over, and, as is known in that field, there is a time when an ad used to often is just fully ignored.
Now I know that the elections will be important to our country, but the cable news devotes nearly all its time to what takes place very day with every candidate and ignores the rest of the world.
Their idea of political pundits or guests is "operatives" from the two parties, and you know in advance what will get said by a spokesman for this or that candidate.
In sum: the loss of one or other tv people is no great loss for me.
posted by Postroad at 1:26 PM on February 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
That channel is owned by GE, and they are of course right wing but see an chance to go up against Fox to appeal to the left.
The problem is that each show repeats what has gone before it.
Even the ads on such cable shows are dumb in that they save money by using the same ads over and over, and, as is known in that field, there is a time when an ad used to often is just fully ignored.
Now I know that the elections will be important to our country, but the cable news devotes nearly all its time to what takes place very day with every candidate and ignores the rest of the world.
Their idea of political pundits or guests is "operatives" from the two parties, and you know in advance what will get said by a spokesman for this or that candidate.
In sum: the loss of one or other tv people is no great loss for me.
posted by Postroad at 1:26 PM on February 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
Olbermann on ESPN was amazing. I wish his show were still on.
posted by persona au gratin at 1:31 PM on February 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by persona au gratin at 1:31 PM on February 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
there will always be reasons to push out black female voices, but i think it's a big loss.
posted by nadawi at 1:44 PM on February 27, 2016 [10 favorites]
posted by nadawi at 1:44 PM on February 27, 2016 [10 favorites]
That channel is owned by GE, and they are of course right wing but see an chance to go up against Fox to appeal to the left.
Actually Comcast now but same difference.
posted by octothorpe at 1:48 PM on February 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
Actually Comcast now but same difference.
posted by octothorpe at 1:48 PM on February 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
Huge angry-making loss. I, for one do not welcome more white male bloviators.
posted by futz at 1:50 PM on February 27, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by futz at 1:50 PM on February 27, 2016 [7 favorites]
Ha, does anyone really think Chris Matthews is left-leaning? I can't decide if that's funny or sad.
Chris Matthews is obviously left leaning. He was a speechwriter for Jimmy Carter for god's sake. He's just not a Sandersesque leftist but rather a pragmatic incrementalist like Clinton.
I realize there are people here who would argue that Clinton isn't left leaning either but at that point one has gone off one's rocker.
posted by Justinian at 2:32 PM on February 27, 2016 [5 favorites]
Chris Matthews is obviously left leaning. He was a speechwriter for Jimmy Carter for god's sake. He's just not a Sandersesque leftist but rather a pragmatic incrementalist like Clinton.
I realize there are people here who would argue that Clinton isn't left leaning either but at that point one has gone off one's rocker.
posted by Justinian at 2:32 PM on February 27, 2016 [5 favorites]
Ah, I see from the articles: MSNBC has definitely shifted back to news coverage in the early afternoon block instead of political commentary. Personally I think that's a good thing. I don't need to hear 7 hours of pundits saying basically the same thing on 7 different shows.
But the 7-11 block of Matthews, Hayes, Maddow, and O'Donnell is intact and cover to cover left-leaning commentary of various stripes. I said afternoon earlier in the thread because I'm in California so it starts at 4:00 for me, but yeah that's actually the evening block.
The actual afternoon block is definitely news coverage now, albeit still with a moderate-Democrat left leaning tint. I've got the thing on in the background almost every day while I'm doing other things. Shifting half your day to news coverage (but still tinted liberalish) while maintaining your core evening block of liberal commentators still makes you a left-leaning network.
I get the feeling the people arguing with me on this don't actually ever watch TV news? Which is cool but does somewhat limit your experience.
posted by Justinian at 2:41 PM on February 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
But the 7-11 block of Matthews, Hayes, Maddow, and O'Donnell is intact and cover to cover left-leaning commentary of various stripes. I said afternoon earlier in the thread because I'm in California so it starts at 4:00 for me, but yeah that's actually the evening block.
The actual afternoon block is definitely news coverage now, albeit still with a moderate-Democrat left leaning tint. I've got the thing on in the background almost every day while I'm doing other things. Shifting half your day to news coverage (but still tinted liberalish) while maintaining your core evening block of liberal commentators still makes you a left-leaning network.
I get the feeling the people arguing with me on this don't actually ever watch TV news? Which is cool but does somewhat limit your experience.
posted by Justinian at 2:41 PM on February 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
I watch MSNBC's evening shows occasionally but TV has never been something that I've watched alot. I'm about to get rid of cable totally so unless it's available to ChromeCast, I won't be watching at a all.
posted by octothorpe at 2:53 PM on February 27, 2016
posted by octothorpe at 2:53 PM on February 27, 2016
I watch MSNBC after work when I'm looking for current events type stuff, and maybe it's me, Justinian, but there is Chuck Todd and he seems only to talk to Republican Congressman and GOP campaign managers worried about Donald Trump. I have a hard time buying that as anything but Center Right.
And Chris Matthews is indeed a center-left Clintonista, but who cares what he is when you only want to stuff a sock in his mouth after 15 seconds. (If he didn't still have all his teeth I'd suspect he's a tweaker.)
posted by tommyD at 2:56 PM on February 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
And Chris Matthews is indeed a center-left Clintonista, but who cares what he is when you only want to stuff a sock in his mouth after 15 seconds. (If he didn't still have all his teeth I'd suspect he's a tweaker.)
posted by tommyD at 2:56 PM on February 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
Old saying about media: if you want a free press, buy one.
This is as good a time as any to shill for This Week In Blackness, an black-owned and -operated media network. MHP herself will be fine (she does have a "day job", as others have mentioned), so the best and most direct way we can make up for MSNBC silencing black voices in the media is by funding black voices in the media.
posted by tobascodagama at 3:18 PM on February 27, 2016 [10 favorites]
This is as good a time as any to shill for This Week In Blackness, an black-owned and -operated media network. MHP herself will be fine (she does have a "day job", as others have mentioned), so the best and most direct way we can make up for MSNBC silencing black voices in the media is by funding black voices in the media.
posted by tobascodagama at 3:18 PM on February 27, 2016 [10 favorites]
I realize there are people here who would argue that Clinton isn't left leaning either but at that point one has gone off one's rocker.
I would so argue. Like most Democrats she is a center-rightist. Like Obama for that matter. She doesn't advocate for any policies I can identify as leftist. She is not a strong labor supporter. She does not support nationalizing any elements of the economy for the benefit of the people. She is pretty consistently supportive of big business, high net worth, the war business, and the prison business. Despite her vaunted foreign policy expertise I have not heard any positions from her that I can identify as leftist. Her entire platform could have been dropped wholesale into Reagan's 1984 platform and excepting the lack of USSR references I'm not sure anyone would have noticed.
posted by 1adam12 at 3:35 PM on February 27, 2016 [25 favorites]
I would so argue. Like most Democrats she is a center-rightist. Like Obama for that matter. She doesn't advocate for any policies I can identify as leftist. She is not a strong labor supporter. She does not support nationalizing any elements of the economy for the benefit of the people. She is pretty consistently supportive of big business, high net worth, the war business, and the prison business. Despite her vaunted foreign policy expertise I have not heard any positions from her that I can identify as leftist. Her entire platform could have been dropped wholesale into Reagan's 1984 platform and excepting the lack of USSR references I'm not sure anyone would have noticed.
posted by 1adam12 at 3:35 PM on February 27, 2016 [25 favorites]
I realize there are people here who would argue that Clinton isn't left leaning either but at that point one has gone off one's rocker.
Some of us take a more international as well as historical view of these sorts of classifications, in which case the specific policy positions Clinton supports are mostly not left-leaning. They're mostly not right-leaning either, I'm not saying she's anywhere near Trump or Cruz; but her positions are mostly pretty solidly centrist.
posted by eviemath at 3:35 PM on February 27, 2016 [10 favorites]
Some of us take a more international as well as historical view of these sorts of classifications, in which case the specific policy positions Clinton supports are mostly not left-leaning. They're mostly not right-leaning either, I'm not saying she's anywhere near Trump or Cruz; but her positions are mostly pretty solidly centrist.
posted by eviemath at 3:35 PM on February 27, 2016 [10 favorites]
I get the feeling the people arguing with me on this don't actually ever watch TV news? Which is cool but does somewhat limit your experience.
it's not really a good faith position to argue that people only disagree with you because they aren't informed. i watch tv news and i think msnbc has gotten straight up weird/not what i'd call especially liberal with the election coverage and i think pushing mhp is another piece of evidence of that.
posted by nadawi at 3:39 PM on February 27, 2016 [17 favorites]
it's not really a good faith position to argue that people only disagree with you because they aren't informed. i watch tv news and i think msnbc has gotten straight up weird/not what i'd call especially liberal with the election coverage and i think pushing mhp is another piece of evidence of that.
posted by nadawi at 3:39 PM on February 27, 2016 [17 favorites]
Are we seriously going to make this thread into another referendum on the lefty credentials of Hillary Clinton?
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 3:45 PM on February 27, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 3:45 PM on February 27, 2016 [8 favorites]
My comment was totally, like, 90 minutes ago. That's forever.
posted by Justinian at 3:46 PM on February 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Justinian at 3:46 PM on February 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
Yeah, ixnay on "left leaning" with the exception of mildly progressive evening anchors Rachel Maddow and Chris Hayes.
Fox News has gone Trump-mad (as has MSNBC in the morning). They can't get enough of his ratings crack. But at some point the people who can't stand him are going to change the channel.
Hopefully to watching a knitting program on cable access. Kill your TV.
posted by spitbull at 3:47 PM on February 27, 2016 [3 favorites]
Fox News has gone Trump-mad (as has MSNBC in the morning). They can't get enough of his ratings crack. But at some point the people who can't stand him are going to change the channel.
Hopefully to watching a knitting program on cable access. Kill your TV.
posted by spitbull at 3:47 PM on February 27, 2016 [3 favorites]
The beauty of neoliberal capitalism is that left and right are like Coke and Pepsi. One is maybe a little sweeter. The other is better for cleaning battery terminals. Both will kill you.
posted by spitbull at 3:48 PM on February 27, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by spitbull at 3:48 PM on February 27, 2016 [7 favorites]
I'm trying to find the actual ratings for MHP's show. All I can find are claims about ratings growth, but I don't find that very interesting since ratings growth is meaningless without a baseline. You can double your viewership but if that means 6 people watch instead of 3 who cares?
I'd like to see a comparison of MHP's ratings with the other weekend show on MSNBC, UP! with Chris Kornacki.
posted by Justinian at 3:51 PM on February 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'd like to see a comparison of MHP's ratings with the other weekend show on MSNBC, UP! with Chris Kornacki.
posted by Justinian at 3:51 PM on February 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
Justinian, I think you might have made a weird Frankenstein of Chris Hayes and Steve Kornacki.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 3:55 PM on February 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 3:55 PM on February 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
I realize there are people here who would argue that Clinton isn't left leaning either
Urgh, I had a college political science professor who yelled at students for calling any modern Democrats "liberal" or "left-leaning" -- only socialists like himself counted. At some point it just becomes a pointless semantic question. There is a major distinction between two large political parties in America; it does not map cleanly to "left" and "right" in the 1980s or 1950s or the same terms in today in Europe or the situation when those terms were first used in 1791, but it's the way the terms are widely defined and used today.
posted by miyabo at 4:00 PM on February 27, 2016 [6 favorites]
Urgh, I had a college political science professor who yelled at students for calling any modern Democrats "liberal" or "left-leaning" -- only socialists like himself counted. At some point it just becomes a pointless semantic question. There is a major distinction between two large political parties in America; it does not map cleanly to "left" and "right" in the 1980s or 1950s or the same terms in today in Europe or the situation when those terms were first used in 1791, but it's the way the terms are widely defined and used today.
posted by miyabo at 4:00 PM on February 27, 2016 [6 favorites]
Did I? Or are the actually the same person.
I did.
posted by Justinian at 4:15 PM on February 27, 2016
I did.
posted by Justinian at 4:15 PM on February 27, 2016
I'm not sure why someone would be upset that their show (ON A POLITICAL NEWS CHANNEL) might be pre-empted by POLITICAL NEWS. To claim it's racism or the producers wanting to silence her voice is silly.
posted by Docrailgun at 5:23 PM on February 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Docrailgun at 5:23 PM on February 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'm not sure why someone would be upset that their show (ON A POLITICAL NEWS CHANNEL) might be pre-empted by POLITICAL NEWS.
Because a) her show was on Sunday morning, when there isn't much news, only analysis, and b) nobody else was being pre-empted except the Black woman.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:25 PM on February 27, 2016 [12 favorites]
Because a) her show was on Sunday morning, when there isn't much news, only analysis, and b) nobody else was being pre-empted except the Black woman.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:25 PM on February 27, 2016 [12 favorites]
Also, she is at least as qualified to provide analysis as the white-guy analysts, so if they want to preempt her show for analysis, they could invite her to participate in providing it.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 5:37 PM on February 27, 2016 [17 favorites]
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 5:37 PM on February 27, 2016 [17 favorites]
Damn can she write.
posted by salvia at 6:42 PM on February 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by salvia at 6:42 PM on February 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
The issue here is the ghosting: MSNBC did its experiment with Chris Hayes on weekends, then MHP, and got a small but devoted audience at a timeslot where nobody's watching cable news, and moved Hayes to a slot where he doesn't have the same capacity to do chewy topics, and ghosted MHP from her slot.
And for the sake of fuck, if you don't classify as 'hard news' the kind of programming that Hayes and MHP did with their shows, then you need to shut the fuck up about 'hard news', because what you actually mean is bullshitty twitching to whatever stimulus you introduce to the studio.
The broader issue is that American TV news is Trump-curious to a dangerous degree, as Matt Taibbi has noted, and Taibbi remembers Russia during Putin's rise. Lots of network execs who frankly like the whiff of authoritarianism because it's good television.
posted by holgate at 6:51 PM on February 27, 2016
And for the sake of fuck, if you don't classify as 'hard news' the kind of programming that Hayes and MHP did with their shows, then you need to shut the fuck up about 'hard news', because what you actually mean is bullshitty twitching to whatever stimulus you introduce to the studio.
The broader issue is that American TV news is Trump-curious to a dangerous degree, as Matt Taibbi has noted, and Taibbi remembers Russia during Putin's rise. Lots of network execs who frankly like the whiff of authoritarianism because it's good television.
posted by holgate at 6:51 PM on February 27, 2016
MSNBC to sever ties with Melissa Harris-Perry after host’s critical email
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:01 PM on February 27, 2016
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:01 PM on February 27, 2016
"“She’s a brilliant, intelligent but challenging and unpredictable personality,” one executive said."
Sigh. Well, you know how crazy those black women are...always wanting their show to air and stuff.
posted by praemunire at 7:11 PM on February 27, 2016 [14 favorites]
Sigh. Well, you know how crazy those black women are...always wanting their show to air and stuff.
posted by praemunire at 7:11 PM on February 27, 2016 [14 favorites]
I have been very disappointed in msnbc and npr this election. I expected more from them. This MPH debacle is the icing on the cake for me.
posted by futz at 7:21 PM on February 27, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by futz at 7:21 PM on February 27, 2016 [5 favorites]
From the wapo article: Specifically, the network — which typically finishes far behind Fox News and CNN in cable-news ratings — has been trying to emphasize breaking-news coverage during daytime hours while maintaining a slate of liberal hosts during prime-time hours at night.
That's all I was saying. It's a shift, sure, but it's not trolling for Fox News viewers.
posted by Justinian at 7:29 PM on February 27, 2016
That's all I was saying. It's a shift, sure, but it's not trolling for Fox News viewers.
posted by Justinian at 7:29 PM on February 27, 2016
"“She’s a brilliant, intelligent but challenging and unpredictable personality,” one executive said."
Oh, of course! I am sure that Chris Matthews et al are easy breezy walks in the park. Fuck off msnbc.
posted by futz at 7:29 PM on February 27, 2016 [6 favorites]
Oh, of course! I am sure that Chris Matthews et al are easy breezy walks in the park. Fuck off msnbc.
posted by futz at 7:29 PM on February 27, 2016 [6 favorites]
I feel like the network which airs "Lockup" shouldn't be considered left-leaning. "This criminal has just been locked into solitary confinement over a disciplinary infraction, and he's lashing out in anger" *cue scary-sounding music*
posted by teponaztli at 7:35 PM on February 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by teponaztli at 7:35 PM on February 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
"Liberal" MSNBC also likely to sideline Jose Diaz-Balart in favor of more screen time for Joe Scarborough: "Diaz-Balart’s hosting duties are also in question at the network, with one senior executive terming his chances of continuing his program beyond another month at “50-50.” Scenarios under review include extending the “Morning Joe” program into Diaz-Balart’s slot or creating a new program hosted by one of “Morning Joe’s” regular personalities."
Extending Morning Joe: reason #4080 not to trust corporate news.
posted by dialetheia at 7:54 PM on February 27, 2016 [6 favorites]
Extending Morning Joe: reason #4080 not to trust corporate news.
posted by dialetheia at 7:54 PM on February 27, 2016 [6 favorites]
"Lockup" is, politically, a really odd show. There can be no doubt that it does not directly criticize the prison-industrial complex it chronicles and does embrace some of the bankrupt moral narratives we have around incarceration in this country. On the other hand, it devotes a substantial amount of airtime to interviews with prisoners, often explicitly critical of the conditions they live under. There's a kind of stealth humanization going on there in many--though certainly not all--episodes. Despite my politics, I used to find it compelling viewing.
posted by praemunire at 7:59 PM on February 27, 2016
posted by praemunire at 7:59 PM on February 27, 2016
The broader issue is that American TV news is Trump-curious to a dangerous degree, as Matt Taibbi has noted, and Taibbi remembers Russia during Putin's rise. Lots of network execs who frankly like the whiff of authoritarianism because it's good television.
MSNBC is more than Trump curious, Joe Scarborough is openly endorsing Trump daily and visibly angling to run as Trump's VP pick.
posted by T.D. Strange at 8:54 PM on February 27, 2016 [6 favorites]
MSNBC is more than Trump curious, Joe Scarborough is openly endorsing Trump daily and visibly angling to run as Trump's VP pick.
posted by T.D. Strange at 8:54 PM on February 27, 2016 [6 favorites]
I think it says a lot about the supposed "moderates" among America's economic and cultural elite in the media that they would enable the rise of someone like Trump.
posted by eagles123 at 9:40 PM on February 27, 2016
posted by eagles123 at 9:40 PM on February 27, 2016
What We Lose If We Lose Melissa Harris-Perry.
posted by SisterHavana at 12:02 AM on February 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by SisterHavana at 12:02 AM on February 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
Disappointingly, but unsurprisingly, MSNBC is firing MHP.
posted by tobascodagama at 6:16 AM on February 28, 2016
posted by tobascodagama at 6:16 AM on February 28, 2016
Chris Matthews is obviously left leaning.
Um, Chris Matthews said on the air, on his show, in 2005, that he voted for GW Bush "at least once," following it with, "I'm not going to go any further than that." [source ]
You can call a person who voted for GW Bush a lot of things, but "obviously left-leaning" isn't one of them (though "possibly at times center-left" could work). It's easy to find more recent examples of his "obviously" centrist bias, but he's not worth the time.
posted by mediareport at 6:57 AM on February 28, 2016 [7 favorites]
Um, Chris Matthews said on the air, on his show, in 2005, that he voted for GW Bush "at least once," following it with, "I'm not going to go any further than that." [source ]
You can call a person who voted for GW Bush a lot of things, but "obviously left-leaning" isn't one of them (though "possibly at times center-left" could work). It's easy to find more recent examples of his "obviously" centrist bias, but he's not worth the time.
posted by mediareport at 6:57 AM on February 28, 2016 [7 favorites]
I saw the headline this morning for the Post article and was shocked. I had no idea they were freezing her out like that. I'm not her biggest fan, but she brought a lot to the network that the other commentators just don't have/talk about/embrace.
posted by cashman at 7:24 AM on February 28, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by cashman at 7:24 AM on February 28, 2016 [3 favorites]
Keith Olberman, Cenk Uygur, Martin Bashir, Ed Schultz and now Melissa Harris-Perry. Only one of those was replaced by a full-time liberal host with Chris Hayes. Unless you count the brief run of Ronan Farrow, also fired.
posted by T.D. Strange at 7:43 AM on February 28, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by T.D. Strange at 7:43 AM on February 28, 2016 [6 favorites]
"What I do know, however, is that if you’re a person who claims to care about having a media that’s smart, shrewd, diverse, determined, accessible, relatable, and dependable — a media with the intellectual acuity to deconstruct the news and the integrity necessary for it to be trusted — you need to care about what’s happening to her and her show. "
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 3:28 PM on February 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 3:28 PM on February 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
Harris-Perry explained herself on The View today.
posted by riruro at 1:54 PM on March 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by riruro at 1:54 PM on March 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
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posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:50 AM on February 27, 2016 [16 favorites]