On Thu, May 12, 2011 at 9:13 AM, Kevin M. <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Thu, May 12, 2011 at 8:43 AM, Mark J. <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > On May 12, 10:27 am, "Kevin M." <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Richard Lewis is a nice guy. Very funny. Has no business on a news > >> program, but he is nice and funny. The other listed names I have very > >> little interest in seeing. When seeking a balanced approach to > >> broadcasting, Michael Moore is not the name I'd be promoting, but > >> that's just me. > > > > I know what you're getting at, but if I interpret Olbermann correctly, > > "Countdown" in its present form isn't "The Current TV Evening News > > with Keith Olbermann." It's "Keith Olbermann: News and Comment." > > He's doing what Paul Harvey did on radio for decades and a whole bunch > > of commentators, including Ed Murrow and Lowell Thomas, did in 15- > > minute increments in the dnner hour on the radio networks until late > > in the 60s--a program of news interlaced with commentary. > > I'll concede all of your points on the condition Olbermann doesn't > claim (as he has done in the past) that Countdown is a nonbiased > factual news broadcast. > > On Thu, May 12, 2011 at 8:56 AM, Melissa P <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > Lewis and Moore are both entertainers. While most viewers recognize that > > Lewis is an actor and comedian, what the general public doesn't > understand > > that when it comes to news and public policy, Moore's credibility as an > > expert on those subjects is probably just about equal to that of Lewis. > > That's a horrible thing to say about Richard Lewis. > I guess he said a lot of things about Countdown over the years. What I recall most is him saying that Countdown contained both a straight news cast portion and a commentary portion. There were times when that was even true, though Mark's description of what KO does is more accurate. Adding Markos is a very nice touch - his is just the kind of voice that does not get heard on network or even cable news, and this is the kind of absence that makes a mockery of claims that MSNBC and Countdown were somehow the liberal equivalent of Fox News. Conservative equivalents of Markos are heard up and down the dial (and constantly on FN). I don't know that Moore has ever advertised himself as a neutral or objective voice - but I think the claims about his lack of credibility or competence are overblown. He is not a journalist, and his documentaries have to be taken for what they are, which is sustained pieces of advocacy for his position. They leave out important pieces of counter evidence, exaggerate claims, and create a faux sense of reality (e.g. many of his filmed confrontations that are presented as spontaneous are carefully planned and staged). I agree that if KO has Moore function as an associate anchor at the news desk, reporting on the events of the day, it will be suspect. But he is a credible and persuasive advocate for his POV, and it is a POV that does not get a lot of exposure in the media. -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
