When journalists attack
War between Olbermann and Bill-O
When journalists attack
In case you ever wondered how small skirmishes escalate into a World War, check out Howie Kurtz's long piece today detailing how the rivalry between MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and Fox News' Bill O'Reilly has spiraled out of control to the point where Bill-O recently aired a graphic comparing the chairman of MSNBC's ultimate parent General Electric to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:
Ailes called Zucker on his cellphone last summer, clearly agitated over a slam against him by MSNBC host Keith Olbermann. According to sources familiar with the conversation, Ailes warned that if Olbermann didn't stop such attacks against Fox, he would unleash O'Reilly against NBC and would use the New York Post as well.
Both Fox and the Post are owned by Murdoch, who complained about Olbermann's conduct in separate calls to Zucker and Immelt.
The high-level appeals failed, and O'Reilly has escalated his criticism of GE in recent weeks, declaring, "If my child were killed in Iraq, I would blame the likes of Jeffrey Immelt."
Nobody comes off looking particularly good here. Part of the problem, it seems, is that the Olbermann-O-Reilly feud could have been fun, except that Bill-O doesn't want to give Olbermann the recognition or the publicity, so instead he only goes after Keith's higher-ups. On the other hand, General Electric has always been a company that needed more media scrutiny -- so maybe in the end the feud's not such a bad thing. The threat by Ailes to use the post against Olbermann and the MSNBC corporate food chain is a little alarming, but not surprising, It might give a little more ammo to folks worried about media consolidation, however.
"Do it live!"— lutton
Comment removed.- Both deeply flawed individuals. It is amazing though Olbermann told the president to 'shut the hell up' and when bin laden comes out with a tape, you don't here anything. I guess the left really thinks bush is worse than bin laden.— jeffreyg61
- Call the waaaaaaahmbulance.— E.Plebnista
- Comment removed.
- Will appeared on Olbermans show last year, where he actually described Olberman as "the best in the business"....... Very telling. No wonder journalism is in the commode.— E Plebnista
- Will appeared on Olbermans show last year, where he actually described Olberman as "the best in the business".......
Truly amazing how the Attytood representatives of the marginalized minority constantly whine about how irrelevant they find Will even as they freakin' commit everything he says/writes to memory.
The mind of a Republican sycophant is a wonder of nature.
— Talking point sleuth - "Their silence does speak volumes." How come bin Laden's still making tapes, again?— RG
- Will even as they freakin' commit everything he says/writes to memory. The mind of a Republican sycophant is a wonder of nature.Posted by Talking point sleuth....Have you noticed, TPS, that your messiah Obama is now being photographed wearing......a flag lapel pin? I guess it helps to have a very short memory when one is a lefty?— E Plebnista
- Why? He never said he wouldn't wear one again, just explained his reasoniing for why he wasn't wearing one at the time. Are you seriously still fixated by a piece of jewelry? Maybe if you focused on something else, isntead of huffing and puffing, you woulda came up with an original screen name.— RG
- Comment removed.
- Why dont you practice what you preach RG? How about a comment on wills post, like mine, relating wills adoring comments earlier last year to todays condemnation? You and TPS, two peas in a pod, attytood crossing guards.— E Plebnista
- Comment removed.
- You know the Right is now on the wrong side of issues when one of their bigger concerns is how someone accessorizes his suit. Olbermann is mad as h*ll at the President, & why shouldn't he be? Whether you want him to or not, he speaks for all of of us. Bush has been hurting all of our Rights, not just the Left Wingers.— yobill626
- Will; When Olbermann, whose ratings are about one-sixth of OReilleys, attacks OReilley, it reminds me of when you attack Christine Flowers. Green with envy is how you and Olbermann look.— justablogger
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