Tom Brokaw: Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann Have "Gone Too Far"

Tom Brokaw said Sunday at a panel in Denver that MSNBC hosts Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann have "gone too far" in their campaign reporting.

At the discussion, sponsored by the Joan Shorenstein Center on Press, Politics, and Public Policy, Brokaw chided his colleagues:

"I think Keith has gone too far. I think Chris has gone too far," the veteran NBC newsman said at a forum sponsored by Harvard's Shorenstein press center. But Brokaw said that they are "commentators" and "not the only voices" on MSNBC and that viewers could sort it out.

In June, Brokaw slammed the press drumbeat for Hillary Clinton's exit from the Democratic primary, calling it "inappropriate" and "commentary disguised as reporting." Also in June, Brokaw scolded Olbermann on air for suggesting that Clinton was attempting to "shoehorn" her way into the press coverage, saying, "I think that's unfair, Keith."

Comments

[purplefishies]

All i gotta say is that Keith at least welcomes feedback on the site dailykos and and takes the time to be introspective enough to improve his standards after listening to criticism ( look for the Fisa debate and criticism from the left ).

He sets a new high standard in this respect and he appreciates the importance of calling a spade a spade in the case of Hillary already having lost the primary as early as April.

[KarenJW]

Keith is the best thing that has happened to MSNBC! Rachel Maddow is on the money, and Chris Matthews is fair. Those other clowns, Mika Brzenzski, Tom Brokaw and Joe-Jack*ss Scarborough should be sent straight to the nearest CIRCUS!

[ebanks84]

Olbermann and Matthews need to stick together to get rid of the others for sure. We have their back and they won't lose us as viewers. Brokaw and the other one needs to leave. We don't like them and don't want them. Leave already! And leave our guys alone!

[ClaraBeau]

This from a man who said "Soon we will own this Country" when referring to Iraq during Shock and Awe. He said this while ensconced on a set safely in Kuwait, sharing musings with some retired Army General sitting next to him, while thousands of people were being slaughtered.

Brokaw has no credibility. He represents the worst type of journalism. He has some nerve even pretending to be a journalist. Where does he get off criticizing any one else for expressing their opinions.

He certainly didn't edit his war mongering viewpoint during Shock and Awe.

[ebanks84]

Brokaw is a new world order neocon just like the repubs. He likes to keep stuff going and doesn't like Keith and Chris because they tend to speak their minds.

[KarenJW]

But whose mind do we expect Brokaw to speak??????? He certainly can't claim one of his own...the old, brainwashed freak!

[Nimshi]

The Clintons thought very fast; they figured Hillary couldn’t win, no, not after those string of loses; and they figured they had nothing to lose by bloodying Obama up. And that’s what Hillary did. And she did it in many ways: Obama not fit to be C-i-C; Obama has only a 2004 speech etc etc; and then the sexism charge; and then the Hillary-tr­eated-with­-disrespec­t charge. Brokaw appears to have fallen for it; many others have too. The game plan is for Hillary for 2012; they know it, & they’re hoping it. And Olbermann was for Clinton before he was for Obama. Same for Matthews.

[ebanks84]

You got it.

[piper1233]

excellent deductions

[Swerinjer]

when he's right he's right. nobody serious denies the fact that hillary was treated with unprecedented disrespect by the news media.

[DerekRC]

Unprecedented???

Have you seen how the press treats Republican­s.... any republican.

You dimwits are like sheep.

[grp]

Exactly. Thank you.

[piper1233]

Any dis-repect she recieved, she earned 10 fold for the dis-respect she dispenced to others.

[KarenJW]

What planet did you just fly in from? Hillary Clinton was the one who maligned Barack Obama and made a mockery of the truth and the Democratic party in the Democratic primaries. She demonstrated that because she is white, she felt entitled to the nomination, just as these deceitful Re"thugs" are doing now!

[Grada3784]

Soaodish II

I wonder who's playing Montana Morehead and who's America's sweetheart? And will we find out that Joe Scarborough is the love child of Pat Buchanan and Chris Matthews?

[ChicagoDMT]

Brokaw is worried that all his dinner party invitations will dry up if he is seen as promoting journalism.

[gfm975]

Olberman is in love with Olberman and has convinced himself he is smarter than the average bear. He let his Obama bias show all too often during the primaries, but Brokaw isn't exactly someone who should be chiding Olberman and Matthews about bias... the dinosaur known as Ton Brokaw has let his puppy love for McSame show just as often. In fact, it's hard to find any cable or mainstream commentators that don't. Journalism today is not what it was even 10 years ago.... it's the pits!

[raskolnikov72]

good for keith ... if the rethugs can get their bidding done on faux ... so be it for a more progressive position on MSNBC ...

[grp]

Get real. Fox is the only objective news org - they simply are not promoting the liberal agenda and you can't stand it. KO and CM wouldn't know objectivity if they saw it.

[piper1233]

I love Olbermann. That having been said, I love your post.

[stillonline]

Last week on "This Week" Tom Brokow wanted to go on a tirade about McCain's HOME at the Hanoi Hilton. He has been using that defense since he carpetbagged his way into Congress last century. Chuck Todd nicely stopped the tirade and actually did some reporting of facts. Brokow is long past his prime.

The other night, Brokow said that Obama "seemed to have sprung from an Aladdin's lamp four years ago." Great. He just pronounced that Obama is a secret Muslim. He just fed that nasty rumor and made it legitimate.

Thank you Chris Matthew's for telling the unvarnished truth and fighting the slime. Thank you Chuck Todd for going back to the facts each time the spin machine gets fired up. Thank you Keith Olberman for giving a shovel to Joe. We could smell it from here. And thank God for Rachel Maddow.

And to the executives at NBC and MSNBC:
At some point, someone needs to be the grown up. Please, some things are more important than the horserace or the ratings. Like maybe the fate of the nation. You live here too.

[mm29464]

did brokaw really say the aladdin remark?? wow. i hadn't heard it.

i have never ever like brokaw. he is so sanctimonious and mush-mouthed and has always struck me as someone too cozy and eager-to-please around the famous and powerful. he seems more concerned about increasing his christmas card list and dinner party invitations than real hard-hitting news. anyone that is more concerned about politeness than real hard-hitting news has a problem in my book; he is more concerned about protecting his friends (or potential friends) than being a watchdog for the american public. it seems to me that country club-type republicans have always exploited this type of social-climbing attitude to their advantage. that they have used the social inferiority anxiety of those who were raised working-class and middle-class and want to belong to their uppercrust world as a way to have them diverted from asking the hard questions because "that wouldn't be polite". "we are all gentlemen here" b.s. while they do the most horrendous things with the cover that they were "raised right" because of who their parents and grandparents and so on were. so patently un-american it is revolting yet true. journalists should not be buddies with politicians.

[ebanks84]

Brokaw makes me sick. I wish they would get rid of him.

[ebanks84]

YES, Thank all of you for doing a great job at keeping the slimers in check.

[PACRAT]

I warned Olbermann months ago to not spend too much time with Matthews - they are both male chauvinists and when they are together they get really bad. Neither can stand a strong woman and strong is just a simple adjective that describes Hillary.

They both dumped on Hillary and duriing the campaign became obnoxious and turned their simplistic observations into "facts" as they saw them - and they are mainly responsible for Hillary's loss! Well, not really, because Obama had a lot to do with that but he did it honorably.

These two together are like adolescents! Each should be fined $5,000 and forbidden to ever work together again.

[gossamer]

"neither can stand a strong woman"?!?!? SERIOUSLY? What the heck do you call Rachel Maddow? You know, the woman who Keith has on repeatedly, who Keith OBVIOUSLY likes and respects and admires and FEATURES at every chance. Sorry, but that comment makes it seem like you're not paying attention.

[gossamer]

"they are mainly responsible for Hillary's loss" Just wondering, have you ever heard of Mark Penn?

[KarenJW]

Or Hillary Clinton!

[tjdevil96]

Actually, Olbermann seemed to balance much of the reporting on Hillary. He just was adamant about the tactics she was using in those final days of the primary. His commentary was valuable during the primaries.

[KarenJW]

That's right!

[MorpheusXNYC]

There's a difference between objective reporting of the facts and the situation as it is in reality and an unrealistic attempting at creating an artificial balance in reporting where none exists in real life.

Keith and Chris call it like they see it. When Hillary had no mathematical chance or path to the nomination, Tim Russert, Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews and Chuck Todd all saw it for what it was and said so.

NOT addressing reality by creating some artificial narrative whereby the continued campaign made sense is NOT showing journalistic objectivity - it's burying your head in the sand and creating a false image of reality to foster the APPEARANCE of objectivity.

I think that Chris and Keith are realists and have seen what this administration has done to this country and are not pretending that they have no idea what the outcome of the actions of this president and his policies are on the future of the country.

Brokaw comes from the old school, gentlemen's agreement style days of new coverage, which doesn't take into account a political party so corrupt and so totally in control of the press that they manipulate it to create false narratives and disseminate propaganda and lies effortlessly.

He's not understanding that the stakes are too high to play the impartial observer and that there's no answer to Fox News, short of MSNBC, which is not an actual liberal channel. He needs to pump his brakes and let Keith and Chris do their

[libbygirl]

The Right has Fox. What's wrong with the Left having some media on our side? The stations that I can watch without getting high blood pressure is dwindling.

[NorCalKeithFan]

Let's put the focus on media reform. Cnn is swinging over to corp news tactics...­..too bad. Keith Olbermann and Rachael Maddow have a sense of humour and honestly that reflects being present. Chris matthews is very likable and at this time when pressures to keep up appearances we need to look at the issues and allow the honest reporting of a new way to look at the issues with Olbermann and Maddow. I truly believe we need media reform and FAUX (FOX) news needs to be shut down!!!!

[grp]

"Shut down" opposing ideas? I thought freedom of speech was one of our most precious liberties? I don't agree with or like KO and CM - but they have a right to their ideas. Lack of interest in what they have to say will "shut them down".

[truegreen]

Joe Scarborough and Pat Bucnan needs to go. Brokaw...i don't know about

[DocWylie]

Sounds to me like the last gasp of the petty officer of an irrelevent sinking ship.