Jacob1983

Have you guys read the quote that Keith Olbermann said about FOX News? I know that Olbermann hates FOX News, Bush, and his administration but he really went overboard on this claim. He says that FOX News is worse than Al Qaeda. He also says that FOX News hurts society more than the KKK. I understand that Olbermann has freedom of speech and can voice his opinion. Saying that a news channel is worse than a white supremacist group and a terrorist group is a little extreme and insane to me. I really hope some people take interest in these quotes that Mr. Olbermann has said because in the days of Imus, Washington, and Kramer, the man should know better. If Imus, Washington, and Kramer were scrutinized and criticized for their offensive comments then I believe that Keith should be held to the same standard. He shouldn't get a free pass since he's a liberal and a Bush hater. What kind of person says that an American news channel is worse than terrorists? TV channels don't kill people or blow up buildings. Terrorists do.

Here is the quote

"Al Qaeda really hurt us, but not as much as Rupert Murdoch has hurt us, particularly in the case of Fox News. Fox News is worse than Al Qaeda -- worse for our society. It's as dangerous as the Ku Klux Klan ever was."


Digg - Keith Olbermann: "Fox News Worse than Al Qaeda"

The quotes come from an interview in an upcoming issue of Playboy. I didn't post the link cause I figured it would be inappropriate since Playboy is a porn magazine.

migamoo

I'm sure there are news articles surrounding Olbermann and this quote if you want to link to any of them instead.

Dana_Lana

More dangerous than the KKK and Al Qaeda?

Yes, because Fox News murdered and lynched people because of their skin color and religion.

How open-minded of him.

ceilirose

Is it any worse than the crap that comes out of Limbaugh, Coulter, Malkin and those crazies?

I don't know. Until I read the article in context I can't say. I don't think it's a great thing that corporations like FOX own so much of the media and I include Time Warner in that as well.

I do know that Fox (O'Reilly especially) have a running feud with KO so a lot of it could just be posturing for publicity. I'm sure that FOX will reply.

elisheva

Sounds like part of the general petty closed-mindedness about the right that IMO some streams of the left suffer from. Not that I think Fox actually is "fair and balanced," but it sounds like this guy (who I admittedly know very little about) is one of those guys who think they're so cool and liberal and smart by braying obnoxiously about how stupid the right and conservative Americans are. That's not intelligence.

ceilirose

The same could be said for the right as well. Some of their commentators come off holier than thou and always insist they are on the right side - no pun intended. There's a lack of knowledge on both sides of the political spectrum concerning each other.

Fox News does hold a special level of disdain among the left though but it's not entirely undeserved. Doesn't anyone remember the President of Fox News comparing Osama to Obama a few months back? Or incorrectly reporting that Obama attended a madras school in Malaysia while growing up there? Nothing funny about comparing a Democratic Presidential candidate to a terrorist. So far I've never seen an apology either. Unless KO is pressured by his network I think it will be a stand off.

elisheva

Oh, yeah, definitely. It comes out in slightly different ways on both sides but it definitely isn't just a problem of the left. It's very frustrating when you're trying to get some kind of balanced view of a situation.

Jacob1983

Some anchors and hosts on FOX News do bash the left and liberals but not to the extent that Olbermann did to FOX News. Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity say some crazy stupid things but I've never heard them say that CNN or MSNBC is worse than a terrorist organization.

Last time I checked, there isn't a monopoly in the news business. If FOX News wants to tilt toward the right then they have the right just like CNN and MSNBC have the right to tilt toward the left.

Celirose, what Olbermann said is worse than the crazies (Limbaugh, Malkin, and Coulter). Besides, Olbermann is taken seriously a lot more than those 3 crazy people.

To say that a news channel is worse than a terrorist organization and a white supremacist group is crazy.

I do think that Olbermann will get a free pass on the matter. He probably won't even get a talk from his bosses on MSNBC. They will probably get him a pat on the back and say "good job".

Here's a link to the interview.
Playboy.com - Playboy Magazine - The Playboy Interview - Keith Olbermann

You would have to think that Olbermann would lose some credibility as a journalist for doing an interview with a porn magazine.

Olbermann comes off as one of those people that believes that everyone likes him and thinks he's hilarious when in reality, it's the complete opposite.

Besides, I don't really think there that are many serious credible people on the news these days. Most of the people on CNN, Headline News, MSNBC, and FOX News are like cartoon characters. LOL

Indian Summer

Hmm. While I definitely think the comment is uncalled for and wrong, I also think it's being taken out of context. I don't think he meant worse as in... lives cost. I think he was referring to the amount of fear the organization causes, and if that's the case, he does have a point. Al Qaeda and the KKK are bad enough without having a media source shouting out propaganda at anyone who will listen and heightening tensions. Of course, FOX isn't the only station guilty of this.

ceilirose

Media Matters - O'Reilly on "assassins who work for Media Matters and Move On"

O'Reilly calls liberal groups who oppose him "assassins." My personal favorite part is when he says they don't have groups on the right with the same vitriol.

Media Matters - After suggesting Vince Foster was murdered, Hannity praised caller who accused Clinton of multiple rapes

Hannity is still talking about a coverup in the Vince Foster suicide and that Bill Clinton raped women.

Great journalism.

Of course they can - they're a private corporation. Likewise I have a right to say that they are full of it.

Come on - the Right has made Limbaugh a mulitmillionaire and Coulter's books are No #1 bestsellers. Don't they both live in gated communities in Florida in mansions? Sure no one listens to them. No one takes them seriously. The income that allows them to live like they do comes from other sources. Reality check - the right has made these crazies rich.

What was the context? I'm on a slow connection tonight and not about to download the digital version of Playboy.

As compared to who? Bill "Loofah Falafel" O'Reilly? Did you ever read the transcript of what he said to his female subordinate? Talk about losing credibility.

Replace Olbermann with O'Reilly and I totally agree.

I agree.

*Ledi*

In a way, I agree with him in the sense that Fox news never helps to calm fear - it usually just makes them worse. That's what Al Qaeda does, it makes people act out of fear and that's never a good thing.

elisheva

So...sensationalist news reporting is morally equivalent to (or worse than) terrorism? Sorry, I know you don't mean that, but that's how it sounds.

*Ledi*

Well, since you know I don't mean that, then there's no reason for me to try and explain my post because I was clearly talking about fear only.

elisheva

I think it's a very blind statement and it shows that Olbermann is just spewing hot air and spite.

Jacob1983

In this day and age, there's not really any national news that is purely unbiased.

Just because a person is a conservative or Republican does not always make them a fan of the likes of Hannity, O'Reilly, Limbaugh, or Coulter. I would aay that those personalities do more harm than good for Republicans and conservatives. Honestly, I can't really stand Limbaugh or Coulter. They kinda come off like everything is always the liberals' or Democrats' fault.
I only listen to O'Reilly because I think he's amusing and funny.

I still believe that Olbermann has an unhealthy somewhat homoerotic obsession with Limbaugh, O'Reilly, and Bush. I mean if you have ever watched Olbermann, he has a segment of his show where he lists the 3 worst people in the world of the day. Limbaugh and O'Reilly are routinely put on that list.
I'm curious to know what Olbermann will whine and complain about once Bush is done being president. The man will definately have to find some new material.


I just wonder how a credible serious news network like MSNBC feels about one of their top guys doing an interview with Playboy. And Keith needs to make up his mind about what he wants to do. Is he going to do sports or journalism? You can't always have it both ways, Keith.