Ep. 34: What the Hell is Wrong with MSNBC?
Added 2018-04-18 16:45:03 +0000 UTCMSNBC is by far the most influential mainstream media outlet on the American Left. It sets the tone and defines the boundary for what is acceptable discourse among American liberals. But major issues the Left is generally thought to care about - imperial war, worker strikes, Palestine, climate change - are almost entirely absent from coverage, as the network increasingly looks like a 24-hour Trump-Russia infomercial.
What is the point of having a liberal cable news network when it ignores so many major issues on the Left and pushes a narrative that, in the aggregate, does little beyond selling more weapons systems and inflaming US-Russia proxy wars in Syria and Ukraine? How did MSNBC get this way? What are the corporate forces making it so terrible, and is there hope for a more thoughtful, politically relevant network?
We are joined, anonymously, by a former MSNBC employee.
Show Notes
Rachel Maddow Sees a Russia Connection Lurking Behind Every Corner
Aaron Maté | April 12, 2017 | The Intercept
Why Are the Times, the Post, and MSNBC on a Conservative Hiring Spree?
Will Oremus | May 9, 2017 | Slate
Why Are Progressives Cheering Cable News’ Parade of Hawks and Liars?
Jeff Cohen | March 26, 2018 | FAIR
Journalist Speaks Truth to Employer, Demoted from "Contributor" to "Palestinian"
Nima Shirazi | July 23, 2014 | Wide Asleep in America
AMAZEBALLS: Rachel Maddow's Ignorance on Iran
Nima Shirazi | June 13, 2013 | Wide Asleep in America
A Day In The Hype: In NBC Newspeak, 'Perception is Reality' & Propaganda is Truth
Nima Shirazi | February 16, 2012 | Wide Asleep in America
The Invisible Dead and "The Last Word": Lawrence O'Donnell 'Rewrites' the Occupation of Afghanistan
Nima Shirazi | August 9, 2011 | Wide Asleep in America
References
'The Revolution Begins Here': MSNBC's First Broadcast, July 1996
Megan Garber | July 16, 2012 | The Atlantic
Cenk Uygur | July 20, 2011 | The Young Turks
Ronan Farrow Daily | July 21, 2014 | MSNBC
Rula Jebreal discusses the Gaza 'media war'
All In with Chris Hayes | July 22, 2014 | MSNBC
Why Is a Nice Network Like MSNBC Silencing Protest Over Pro-Israeli Coverage?
Leslie Savan | July 24, 2014 | The Nation
Transcript can be read here.
Comments
What about people that don't come asking what the hell is wrong? You make a good argument already. One angle could be who they hire/fire or have on.. Another is "fundamentals" of who owns it, decides what is on.. Plenty of articles on these things, but it can be hard to see the bigger picture and show it is not cherry picking, i am not sure where to start..
Jasper
2018-04-20 23:44:51 +0000 UTCHayes' "behind the curtain" bit was soooo patronizing. "Gaza, infrastructure spending, sports coverage, or funny internet cat videos..."
sensorsweep
2018-04-20 05:46:48 +0000 UTCwell, thanks citations needed squad. umm i actually did think you were “criticizing liberal media for being ... liberal.” despite any galaxybrains response I enjoyed the episode very much thank you.
Emma & Brian
2018-04-19 07:51:33 +0000 UTCI think ViceNews on HBO weekdays is surprisingly excellent. I wonder who else watches it, but I wish more did.
Marc Mayerson
2018-04-18 20:55:20 +0000 UTC“MSNBC is by far the most influential mainstream media outlet on the American Left.“
2018-04-18 20:54:11 +0000 UTCwhen did we call liberals leftists?
Citations Needed
2018-04-18 17:23:17 +0000 UTCLiberals are not leftists. Liberals are not even leftwing social democrats (e.g., Bernie Sanders). Liberalism is the default operational and ideological apparatus of capitalism. After the Hillary v Bernie & Blairites v Corbynites battles of the last few years, how can anyone confuse liberals & leftists or even reformist leftwing social democrats?
SJ
2018-04-18 16:57:50 +0000 UTC
