F911, AAR, energized Dems... | MSNBC breaking left? (a little media essay)

[nostamj]

A lot of us have been watching a seachange in MSNBC's reporting. Especially recent Hardball and Countdown shows.

We've also been experiencing the steady Foxification of CNN. Especially in any political coverage, the unabashed bias of Crowley, Woodruff, Blitzer, et al, is barely, it at all, disguised.

Amazingly, during Kerry's speech to the VFW, CNN's showed quotes of Bush's speech in a split-screen and had AEI pundit Bill Schneider ready to do an instant critique.

And, of course, that pushes Fox to sink to ever lower levels of petty, pedantic propaganda and faux outrage. The giddiness there is utterly ghoulish.

With the Olympics on it's impossible to monitor their 24/7 coverage right now, but, even if it's only for the almighty dollar, it seems that MSNBC is willing to test the liberal waters and see if they can catch some of the buzz generated by F911, AAR, an obviously energized and focused democratic base, a tepid, repetitive and often embarrassing performance from the bushco team, and, it should be factored, an immediate response to positive, aggressive liberal/dem appearances are guaranteed due to the internet.

Now add to that, once again, Foxification of CNN. The market share for koolaid addicts, already thin, is being spread even thinner.

If there are some smart people at MSNBC, they'll know that new programming, especially at a national level, will receive intense interest. And the shows will be discussed, dissected, celebrated and flamed all over the internet.

Positive or negative the buzz WILL bring a larger share.

I know they still have Scarbourous and other cretins. I don't think we can expect them to do a 180 in a week.

But, I think they've figured out that a newly defined and viable market that can make a film like F911 into a phenomenon; that can support something like AAR and make it into a expanding success; that can make the stream of anti-Bush books into to litany of best-sellers; that can make even modest productions like OUTFOXED and UNCOVERED into underground hits.

They know that surveys have shown that a key demographic considers THE DAILY SHOW to be their primary source of news.

Then know that every Kerry or Edwards appearance an successful, genuine, populist event while they know that the Bush or Cheney events are repetitive, dishonest, stage-managed propaganda.

They know now that the market is huge, growing and committed.

Tonight, Hardball will received hundreds, if not thousands, of emails praising Chris Matthews for his relentless skinning and gutting of Swift Boat Liar Thurlow. He then gave the floor to Max Cleland and allowed Max to eloquently and passionately speak the truth. And then, tart little cherry on top, he eviscerated featherweight pun-dette Michelle Malkin like a cat messing with a cockroach.

MSNBC must know there's ONE market that is not being tapped by a cable news station. There's a market for a station where we can expect to see RW ranters exposed for their distortions.

(Wasn't it sweet to see Malkin utterly nonplussed when her tactics were flung back in her supercilious face, leaving her a hapless, sputtering cretin. Hope she had a big old cry in the greenroom.)

Even if they did it only for the money, it's the smart thing to do. Bush is a loser.

MSNBC, GO FOR IT! If you build it, we will come.

[NMDemDist2]

1. here here! you'd think they'd know this. The web polls are usually

very liberal/Dem in the answers.

Find a niche and fill it, isn't that the first rule of business?

[nostamj]

2. I think they're figuring it out

and DAMN, forgot to include Jon Stewart... back to edit!

[Red_Viking]

3. Great message

Although I eschew most programs like these, it's encouraging to read about the sudden spinal discovery of folks like Matthews and Olberman. The Right had to piss off Tweety by including him in their smarmy campaign video, implicating him in their latest lie about Kerry. Whatever it takes, you know! I'm glad he's pissed. He's so much more human.

I really enjoyed reading your analysis. These media types are, after all, corporate toadies driven my the almighty dollar. If there's a profit in it, a la F9/11, perhaps they'll have more shows like the one today.

Too mad I missed the mini-fascist being eviscerated today. She richly deserved it! :P

I checked out your store too. Love the tee shirts!!!

Keep up the good work.

:dem:

RV

[nostamj]

11. thank you

for your feedback on the post and the store!

I think that Matthews has figured out that re-reading the Rove fax=of=the=day is really stale by the time he comes on. And he probably knows that bush is really stale toast at this point.

and, you can bet he has an ego and a deluge of positive emails, obviously not written with an e-crayon, will boost it.

we'll see. i'll take it a night at a time.

[mzmolly]

4. You are just a rockin today N!

Send a version of this to MSNBC! :hi:

[Vickers]

5. Excellent post! Send emails to MSNBC and Chris Matthews

I did right after he annihilated Malkin...that was BEAUTIFUL!

We ain't as loud as the RW sometimes, but we can at least generate the same volume of email and phone calls (BUT POSITIVE!).

[nostamj]

12. I've already written to Hardball and Matthews

and I will probably edit the OP into something to send to MSNBC tomorrow. (pretty much written-out at this point)

thanks.

[Downtown Hound]

6. Good analysis

MSNBC tried to be the next Fox when they hired Michael Weiner (Savage), and they failed miserably. They lag far behind CNN and Fox. They might be trying a new approach. If they did, I would certainly be willing to give cable news another try.

[newsguyatl]

7. msnbc would be very wise

to go to the left -- there's a growing audience there thirsty for a change, and they could really benefit in the ratings...

right now, they're a distant third behind cnn and fox news -- they really have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

[nostamj]

9. maybe I should ask them for a JOB?

I could be 'the cluephone'

but, my sense is that there's testing the water. and with night's like tonight, they're going to get a BIG response from the left when there's programming like this.

I also suspect they're seeing increased viewship on their REPEATS because of internet discussion of the shows initial airings.

if there really isn't anybody there who CAN'T see this, they SHOULD hire me. I'll tell them exactly what to put on to get numbers and press!

[newsguyatl]

13. well, i keep up with ratings, to a small extent

and i can tell ya that hardball's ratings have been on the rise.

as well, i believe he and his producers are really pushing his show's blog as way of connecting the two to get higher ratings... it's a very smart thing to do, and i believe the genius behind it is trippi.

i've tried to convince some at a certain, ahem, other network that you can't beat fox at their own game, so try and go the other way... but nope, they won't have it -- so if msnbc's smart, THEY'LL do it. and it'll pay off for them.

((now don't get me wrong, i'm not saying be a liberal fox -- that's not the case... i'm just saying, have more liberal shows, be FAIR in your coverage, and don't succumb to the "republican noise machine"... sounds fair enough eh? thing is we're so stooped in rightwing media right now, that a FAIR network, if it were to come along, would seem like a liberal oasis. so someone, at SOME point, is going to realize there's a HUGE audience out there to tap into for this, and it'll pay off BIG time for them))

[nostamj]

14. isn't it SAD though...

that a FAIR network would be considered a liberal oasis?

how far we have come to come to this?

p.s. always appreciate your 'insider' perspective and glad you are seeing the market potential as well...

[newsguyatl]

16. isn't it SAD though...

that a FAIR network would be considered a liberal oasis?

absolutely it is. but that's the political climate we live in as well... think about it, calling someone a "liberal" in politics is almost the equivolent of calling someone a "child molester" or something. while calling someone a "conservative" is a trait to strut and brag about. ANY liberal opinions and views are no longer even in the horizon of mainstream anymore...

but here's what keeps hope alive for me. i think of the pendulum. i think of physics... you can only pull so hard to one side, before the force is too much, and it comes swinging back.

so backlash -- it's coming. dean's movement was the preface of it.

kerry's win will be the first chapter.

[nostamj]

17. the pendulum

I think that was what I was saying in the OP.

F911, AAR, etc. and certainly Dean's energizing candidacy.

those were the pedulum swinging back (even if the corporate media was reluctant to report honestly.)

[Protected]

8. MSNBC has got nothing to lose...

I figure everybody with left-leaning views must be pissed off at CNN by now. I'm certainly looking for a new cable news channel to watch, though I'm still a bit skeptical about MSNBC overall. Olbermann's show is great, but Tweety is so bipolar that I'm hesitant to watch his show.

[lapfog_1]

10. So as long as you are going to send it to MSNBC

no longer MSGOP, then might I add that they hire Lou Dobbs as
their business / economics guy.

[Tamyrlin79]

27. I agree

Lou Dobbs is one of the few things worth watching on CNN... and *occasionally* Aaron Brown. Lou has improved a lot, too.

[nostamj]

15. ANOTHER example

right now, they are showing Greenwald and three subjects from UNCOVERED (expose of Iraq Invasion) with no RW screamer for 'balance'...

[Cha]

18. Great essay, nostamj!

Everything you said makes so much sense..the Liberal tv market has gone begging and since msnbc is in 3rd place anyway..I even heard they might close the doors..this would be a chance to pull them out of the cellar and inadvertantly help the country out, too.

cnn sure isn't going to come around. They like zell have hitched their star to a busted wagon.

[nostamj]

19. thanks, and I agree on CNN

they HAVE broken right already and I see no signs of intellectual life there anymore. even Dobbs is getting lame.

the market is MSNBC's to claim.

[0007]

25. Lou Dobbs is one sneaky repuke.

He had a chance tonight to tear into John O'Neill and gave him a pass.

[nostamj]

26. he was unprepared for O'Neill

didn't know the details and O'Neill buried him in bullshit.

Lou may well be a repuke, but, he's a republican disgusted with much of his party these days.

[nostamj]

20. good god!

even Scarborough doesn't seem to be buying Turlow's BS....

this is amazing. i know three goals is a hattrick, what's FOUR?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

21. Donahue is rolling over in his grave....

[nostamj]

22. he's not DEAD

is he?????????????

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

23. For all intents and purposes.

At that time MSNBC demanded equal time not only for the guests but for the host as well, so forgive me if I hold my opinion of the "new" MSNBC in abeyance. While Phil had his peccadilloes, his show was one of few that explored politics in more than a cursory way.

I hope you're right with your thesis but what is their share? 1.0? If they grow fat on an invigorated left? 2.0? The war isn't for individual networks anymore it's for control of the echo chamber.

(Have I said how much I appreciate those 'toons, lately?)

[nostamj]

24. "my opinion of the "new" MSNBC in abeyance"

no argument. it is not a done deal. but, tonight's programming was VERY tellling. and, based just on DU, they are getting a positive response for it.

it won't be overnight. wait and see, email, fax, write, call your support and see what happens....

[Tamyrlin79]

28. It's not a done deal...

But the fact that they snatched up Joe Trippi so fast after he left the Dean Campaign and then put Ron Reagan on TV was a CLEAR signal to me that there is definitely something going on over at MSNBC... Then CNBC puts on Dean himself on as an substitute anchor on one of their shows... Add this tonight, and the MSGOP label certainly seems less justifiable.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

29. Hope you and 'stamj are right.

Cynicism has it's drawbacks.

[TheDonkey]

31. Even CNN weeks ago had some liberal days

I'll wait and see how well MSRNC does in the long run. I won't forget the shameful coverage of our convention by all of them.

[AmerDem]

30. credit for MSNBC change is given to Rick Kaplan,

He use to run CNN in there good years. Kaplan is also known as an admirer of Bill Clinton. Last I heard, since Kaplan has taken over MSNBC ( which wasn't all that long ago )they have reported their first profits since they started! You will have dig deep for more info, i'm getting ready to hit the hay!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4285362/

[nostamj]

37. interesting... had not heard of Kaplan before

thanks for the link! (finally got to it this AM)

[DeepModem Mom]

32. MSNBC FEEDBACK: [e-mail]; to leave viewer comments...

Phone: [phone]

Also:
Fax: [phone]
Address: 1 MSNBC Plz., Secaucus, NJ 07094

[Guaranteed]

33. Tell them to get rid of Joe Scarborough, too...

who is guilty by association in this disgusting political ploy. He's been talking about this every night, probably pushing it more than anybody on TV who doesn't work for Fox.

[nostamj]

34. I can't stand Joe but

even he was more even-handed last night. somebody put something in MSNBC's water supply yesterday?

[gasperc]

35. I like Norville and Olberman, and I don't care what anyone says

especially Olberman's countdown and I think Norville has been getting stellar guests and been very good in her questioning

and she's hooooooottt
sorry, couldn't help it

[nostamj]

36. I've become a fan of Countdown but

confess that I've seen Norville very rarely.

her show last night was very good, so I'll check it more often.

the real key will be to see if the 24/7 news coverage moves left to counter the relentless whoring of CNN/Fox...

[DU GrovelBot]

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[nostamj]

39. OMG

I've been grovelbotted! what an honor!!