Kissing and making up…then screwing America

Filed in National by on August 1, 2009

It’s a pleasure to see corporate media giants having civil discourse behind the scenes. I can’t think of anything I would rather read about.  I mean, who wouldn’t want confirmation that News/Media executives from competing companies get together to talk strategy and cease attacking one another for the betterment of both bottom lines.

I watch the 6:30 world news pretty regularly and it always strikes me as amazing that all three major networks air the exact same stories in almost the exact same order night after night after night.

The reconciliation — not acknowledged by the parties until now — showcased how a personal and commercial battle between two men could create real consequences for their parent corporations. A G.E. shareholders’ meeting, for instance, was overrun by critics of MSNBC (and one of Mr. O’Reilly’s producers) last April.The reconciliation — not acknowledged by the parties until now — showcased how a personal and commercial battle between two men could create real consequences for their parent corporations. A G.E. shareholders’ meeting, for instance, was overrun by critics of MSNBC (and one of Mr. O’Reilly’s producers) last April.

Such a relief. Who wants to see Olbermann night after night point out the lies and half truths of a guy that wants to insert falafal into a woman’s privates and insists that a rape victim shouldn’t dress provacatively.

But, beyond this attempt to bury the hatchet at a childish feud is the bigger picture which I alluded to at the opening. Media exec’s colluding because both products were being impacted.

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Comments (6)

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  1. I was sick of the feud. I got tired of hearing Olbermann pretend to be O’Reilly. It was getting ridiculous. I’m not surprised that the bosses stepped in because either man seemed incapable of stopping on their own.

  2. ‘Bulo agrees with UI. Every night on ‘Worst Persons’. Throwing ratings data back and forth.

    One of the rare times where KO lost his audience.

    Besides, Colbert does it so much better by playing an O’Reilly wannabe. It’s not as if anybody who cares needs Olbermann to point out what a phony O’Reilly is.

  3. Frieda Berryhill says:

    Corporate ownership and therefore control of media broadcasts is a distinctly American phenomenon. We don’t like it. Yet State Ownership and State control of programs would certainly be rejected here
    The “handshake” by the corporations can only be a benefit to their stock holders
    Yes, as long as Olberman keeps up his attacks on O’Reilly both networks gain.
    Knowing it is all superficial, we enjoy it just the same.
    Sad but true. Any answers ?

  4. I’m not sure we all gained. It got tiresome. Did any of Olbermann’s attacks cause a change in behavior to O’Reilly? I don’t think so. It’s not like Olbermann is the only one out there talking about what O’Reilly is doing – Media Matters is a great organization for that. I think the feud had devolved into a big ego trip for both men. I think Olbermann gets extremely indulgent when he uses his platform to talk about who’s attacking him. It’s boring and repetitive.

  5. cassandra_m says:

    The Liberal Media agreeing to stop criticizing FOX Noise? How can that be? /sarcasm

    Another bit of proof that the media isn’t especially liberal.

  6. Not Brian says:

    Reminds me of a quote from my favorite media critic…

    [The “liberal media”] love to be denounced from the right, and the right loves to denounce them, because that makes them look like courageous defenders of freedom and independence while, in fact, they are imposing all of the presuppositions of the propaganda system.

    Noam Chomsky

    And I’ll throw this one in too just cause I like it…

    A dictator would admire the uniformity and obedience of the U.S. media.

    Noam Chomsky