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

[tham4945]

What is the deal with Chris Mathews snapping at Olbermann?

[Opus007]

I wondered about that too. I think they were being told to break and Chris wanted to continue his point about women voters and Keith gave Rachel Maddow and Michelle Bernard credit so Chris thought Keith stepped on his moment. Whatever- it is bound to happen. It is nothing compared to the Scarborough. Maddow flap or just this morning Scarboroug­h/Shuster. dust up.

[tham4945]

It seems like MSNBC is starting to implode.

[Humeaudenparker]

When Brokaw was NBC new anchor, he toed the corporate line on camera, but gave candid interviews to magazines like Mother Jones and hung out with ardent Lefties like Robert Redford on his own time.

I prefer Olbermann's approach.

[Opus007]

It has been reported that Brokaw admits that he will tow the corporate line to keep the paycheck. How can you really be effective with that kind of insecurity?

[repugnicansfearme]

And, what is up with Rachel Maddow? Has she stopped taking the meds? She as embarrassing as a blatantly biased pundit. Only, it has to be her way only. Get a grip, she acts like she is 12.

[john pa]

The smartest and sharpest 12-year old I've seen.

[NTO08]

She is way too biased, and her radio show was very childish..­.I stopped listening to her and Air America long ago when they became Obamaradio­...their bias was ridiculous­...I of course will now support Obama, but I don't want to listen to 24/7 campaign commercials for ANY candidate, one I like or don't like.

[JeremyO]

What, there are comentators disguised as reporters? If you couldn't figure this out on your own you have a lot of self improvement to do.

[FaceYourFears]

I thought Brokaw was in retirement.

[Vanban]

Brokaw is back as a voice of reason. I used to watch Matthews and especially Olbermann daily. Loved them. Then the race for president. I sadly watched as Matthews blatant disrespect for women began to become very clear. I began to see things in him from a much different angle. I really hated to stop watching him but just kept getting very angry with each program. I had written MSNBC telling them they should give David Shuster his own program prior to David's rant's that mirrored Matthews "I'm God" verbage. I can't handle listening to him now. All I had left was Keith. When I realized he'd become just as one sided as my most irritating, unbelievable, barf bag of a "commentator" - "Bill O" I have now turned him off as well. You see I have switched to CNN and regular NBC for what I believe is as close to unbiased reporting that I can currently find. I do go to HuffPost but I also read Drudge to keep everyting in perspective. Why do you think Brokaw is on Meet the Press? He's the closest thing NBC has to a "real unbiased reporter" and not "God".

[NTO08]

Keith is as much a windbag as Bill O. The two of them are so full of themselves that it is no wonder they despise one another...­I am not in personalities presenting the news...it'­s not about them.

[Prism]

You go, Brokaw! Finally, an adult emerges in the NBC news "family"! The last fair and balanced reporter in America. We will rue the day journalistic integrity vanishes in favor of the rabid, partisan rantings of Olbermann, Matthews et al. They are as dangerous as they are corrupt.

[laire]

Prism,

Watch meet the press from last Sunday then tell me how respectfull or adult Brokaw is. Nanacy pelosi had to tell him the surge has not successed in its goal and he was very disrespectful toward her about offshore oil drilling and many other issues. At one point in time Brokaw was a real reporter but do people really believe his on the beat for information on the Bush Adm and their crimes etc.

[Prism]

Pelosi has been a completely ineffectual cipher as Speaker. You would do well to call for her ouster so our party can get down to business for a change. Stop being an apologist for this idiot.

[NTO08]

Oh please...N­ancy has been the worst speaker since Newt...she has done nothing to curb the ruinous actions of the Bush Admin. I have no sympathy for her at all...

[MadamRoma]

Keith Olberman and Chris Mathews are both low bred idioits. I would not waste my time watching those sum suckers.

[LAB10]

Going too far must be having the conviction to report the truth.

[FaceYourFears]

Thank you

[tenilla]

Brokaw was one of Tim Russert's BFF. With all due respect to the late Tim Russert, he did
the republic no favors. He was complicit in pushing this war down our throats -- never mind
that 4,000 mothers' sons as adored as his son have died for no reason. He wore a "W" pin during the 2000 campaign. He wanted the Obama/Clinton primary to go on until this convention -- which would have ensured a Democratic defeat.

Today Luke Russert said that his father looked upon campaigns as Superbowls. Fine.
But no Superbowl has ever impacted whether this country will even survive another four
years.

I am tired of Brokaw. Matthews gets on my nerves at times, but he has a decent heart. Keith
Olbermann is arrogant, but he, Bill Moyers, Bill Maher (sometimes), and less than a handful
of others are the only ones who even try to tell us the truth.

[Anastasia]

I agree.

Tom Brokaw was wondering aloud whether Obama was ready to lead on national security issues, implying that while he may not be, John McCain is. It's classic conventional wisdom that has little to do with reality, as McCain not only backed the Iraq war, but seems perfectly willing to bomb Iran, an act that would further destabilize the ME and perhaps, plunge us into another war we can't win but can't get out of.

Matthews is like everyone's brother who makes pithy, sometimes embarrassing comments at the dinner table, but whom everyone loves because he's all heart. He has a lot of political moxie and a refreshing way of expressing himself in a tourettes-like way, unedited and honest.

[editorjuno]

Olbermann and Matthews are commentators, not reporters. I don't recall watching an entire Brokaw newscast even once over the two decades he was overpaid for reading a teleprompter, but the British have an accurate term for what we call a "network news anchor" -- over there, they're just "newsreade­rs." Let's not pretend that Brokaw is Murrow or Cronkite -- he didn't even stack up very well against Jennings and Rather imo.

[KimIslesboro]

Tom Brokaw is as old and washed up and out of touch as John McCain! Brokaw needs to go back to his ranch and retire. It is painful watching him on Meet the Press he is so past his prime. He never asks the most obvious follow-up questions! Chris and Keith are GREAT and they and Rachel are the future of MSNBC. They provide the only news fit to watch. David Gregory is lacking as a host on MTP but his ratings on MTP looked good the other day because Brokaw is so bad. I miss Tim and his wit and insight!

[InfiniteShibumi]

I think Tom Brokaw has gone too far in: 1. inappropriate overusage of the word gravitas; 2. trying to appear as the standarbearer for gravitas; 3. overusage of gravel-in-­molasses-i­n-the-dead­-of-winter vocal articulation (!)

I used to love Meet the Press. But I cannot--CA­NNOT--bear Brokaw's voice. Will NBC please find someone else who is not so enamored of his own voice?

[FaceYourFears]

LOL

[lissak]

Brokaw has a little trouble forming his L's.

[ibsteve2u]

I used to like Tom Brokaw.

And then he went on this tear wherein everything he did was designed to point out the inadequacies of every other American in comparison to the members of "the Greatest Generation".

Be different, if he ever compared the trustworthiness and motivations of this Administration to those of the Administration that lead "the Greatest Generation" to victory.

But I daresay that would upset all of America, to fully understand the depths to which our Presidency has fallen.

[Anastasia]

Thank you for calling that GG thing out. While they did do a lot of great and inspiring things, when they came home from WWII, they mucked a lot of stuff up. Many of them forgot their idealism and became part of the problem, instead of part of the solution.

Brokaw has a tendency (as do many if not all of the MSM) to set up up straw dogs and define every issue in terms of black and white, or if you will, in a binary way. And with Brokaw, it's always the "heartland" that matters, regardless of how contrary to progress, those values might be.

[readytsf]

Brokaw's crazy. He actually wants journalists to be impartial??? I think they should all get tingles up their legs about candidates­..........­.

[cfreedom]

Used to think rabid Republicans were the ugliest people on earth till i got a load of you lefty loonies. Nonstop vile attacks on the likes of Tom Brokaw. The guy served as all of America's voice for two decades and he was exceptional and in a league far beyond where the amateurishly partisan Olbermann plays his petty games.

[billya]

I wouldn't know . I listened to Rather and before him Walter. Tom who is and always be overated

[timinhi]

cfreedom--
We live in a society filled to the brim with dimwits. If Brokaw had made a comment that Obama is the incarnation of Christ, or that all conservatives and Republicans are devil worshippers, 99% of the comments here on HuffPo would be to the effect that he's the most brilliant journalist to ever don a lapel mic. In other words, as long as a "newsman" agrees with me wholehardedly, he must be wonderful and obviously the most objective person around, but if he disagrees . . . It wasn't long ago that Brokaw was getting the same kind of adulation and lovefest treatment that Russert did when he passed. Now with one word against Olbermann (I can't believe any HuffPo reader in his right mind would defend Matthews) he may be thrown out with the bathwater. These intensely partisan "news commentator" "info-tainment" shows--whether right or left--are a symptom of how politically sick our society is, just like talk radio is.

[gakabani]

how far is to far? It is simplistic to state such a claim when in reality Brokaw has done little to enhance the reputation of the networks. What about Fox, have they gone to far?