I was enthralled by the media's fascination with Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson during the Don Imus Racial "incident" concerning the Rutgers woman's basketball players.
It is not the time to revisit the issue, but rather to note the turmoil that the event created in the "news of the day."
Although this indirectly concerns Ann Coulter (the journalistic equivalent of Paris Hilton) who has established a career of unchallenged vitriol, it is more directly about MSNBC, NBC News, and Chris Mathews.
It is difficult for me to understand the reasons that this purportedly high integrity news organization would book Coulter for a full hour on Hardball, but alas this would delve into their journalistic prerogatives.
MSNBC allowed Ms. Coulter to appear for the hour after she lovingly suggested that she wished that John Edwards had been killed by terrorists.
During the program with Mathews, Elizabeth Edwards telephoned the show to ask Ann Coulter to "stop the personal attacks,"
"It debases political dialogue...It drives people away from the process. We can't have a debate about issues if you're using this kind of language."
Coulter responded with a laugh and charged that Edwards was calling on her to stop speaking altogether. She questioned why Elizabeth Edwards was making a phone call on behalf of her husband, and she criticized John Edwards for "stealing doctors' money" during his successful career as a trial lawyer. "I don't think I need to be told to stop writing by Elizabeth Edwards, thank you," Coulter said.
I would have hoped that even though he had organized the event that Mathews would have asked Coulter to leave. But alas, what do I know about journalism, free speech, and integrity having worked a Motion Picture studios all these years.
My purpose here is not to comment on the horrid words of Coulter, but rather to comment on MSNBC, Mathews and staff, and most of all, that paragon of virtue Steve Capus, the President of NBC News.
Here are some of the Carpus comments following "the Imus debacle."
NBC News President Steve Capus said in an internal e-mail Wednesday. "I've had countless conversations, e-mail exchanges and phone calls with people throughout this company. I've heard you loud and clear. Therefore, we are announcing tonight that MSNBC will no longer simulcast the Imus radio program. My primary concern has been and always will be the integrity of this division. We are the guardians of the good name of NBC News -- each and every one of us. There has been a trust placed in us. We must honor and respect this trust. That, in short, is why we have taken this action."
I expect that I am a raging Liberal who has defended Imus AND his stupid racist remarks, but how can you compare what Imus did in the context of his show with the crazy stuff said by Coulter and TOLERATED by Mathews, MSNBC, and NBC News?
There once was a time long ago that NBC News had a good name and did good things for America. That time went away a long time ago.
Bring back "the Reverends."
Norman Horowitz
A broad-based senior executive with almost 50 years of diverse media experience, he has been actively involved in all aspects of the telecommunications industry from the early days of worldwide television through the development of cable, satellite, internet, as well as other forms of digital delivery, (wireless, game platforms etc).
It is not the time to revisit the issue, but rather to note the turmoil that the event created in the "news of the day."
Although this indirectly concerns Ann Coulter (the journalistic equivalent of Paris Hilton) who has established a career of unchallenged vitriol, it is more directly about MSNBC, NBC News, and Chris Mathews.
It is difficult for me to understand the reasons that this purportedly high integrity news organization would book Coulter for a full hour on Hardball, but alas this would delve into their journalistic prerogatives.
MSNBC allowed Ms. Coulter to appear for the hour after she lovingly suggested that she wished that John Edwards had been killed by terrorists.
During the program with Mathews, Elizabeth Edwards telephoned the show to ask Ann Coulter to "stop the personal attacks,"
"It debases political dialogue...It drives people away from the process. We can't have a debate about issues if you're using this kind of language."
Coulter responded with a laugh and charged that Edwards was calling on her to stop speaking altogether. She questioned why Elizabeth Edwards was making a phone call on behalf of her husband, and she criticized John Edwards for "stealing doctors' money" during his successful career as a trial lawyer. "I don't think I need to be told to stop writing by Elizabeth Edwards, thank you," Coulter said.
I would have hoped that even though he had organized the event that Mathews would have asked Coulter to leave. But alas, what do I know about journalism, free speech, and integrity having worked a Motion Picture studios all these years.
My purpose here is not to comment on the horrid words of Coulter, but rather to comment on MSNBC, Mathews and staff, and most of all, that paragon of virtue Steve Capus, the President of NBC News.
Here are some of the Carpus comments following "the Imus debacle."
NBC News President Steve Capus said in an internal e-mail Wednesday. "I've had countless conversations, e-mail exchanges and phone calls with people throughout this company. I've heard you loud and clear. Therefore, we are announcing tonight that MSNBC will no longer simulcast the Imus radio program. My primary concern has been and always will be the integrity of this division. We are the guardians of the good name of NBC News -- each and every one of us. There has been a trust placed in us. We must honor and respect this trust. That, in short, is why we have taken this action."
I expect that I am a raging Liberal who has defended Imus AND his stupid racist remarks, but how can you compare what Imus did in the context of his show with the crazy stuff said by Coulter and TOLERATED by Mathews, MSNBC, and NBC News?
There once was a time long ago that NBC News had a good name and did good things for America. That time went away a long time ago.
Bring back "the Reverends."
Norman Horowitz
A broad-based senior executive with almost 50 years of diverse media experience, he has been actively involved in all aspects of the telecommunications industry from the early days of worldwide television through the development of cable, satellite, internet, as well as other forms of digital delivery, (wireless, game platforms etc).
