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

[Chris]

It is funny how the comments on this site would be notihgn but praise for Tom if he had said the coverage on fox was too far to the right.

[mairs]

Well of course. The few progressive voices are being called on the carpet while FOX has been doing its thing for years now.

[tdpubs]

I haven't listened to good ol' Tom for years. I've just started to listen to him on Meet the Press and unfortunately, he's no objective observer. The man talked down to Rep. Nancy Pelosi and added his snide comments at the end of her answers. I'm not that big a fan of Ms. Pelosi but Tom needs to know his place and get back in the kitchen. He's trying too hard to please somebody high up the food chain.

[Chris]

Hey look this week Matthews is a huffnpuff fav.

[jeaton]

I liked Tom better when he was doing the 11 o'clock on KNBC in L.A. These days, he's part of the problem, not the solution.

[connorin]

At the very least, most of you are now actually referring to KO as a commentator...even though he and the network refuse to do so...supposedly it is a news show, Kieth is supposedly a journalist, and he is supposedly unbiased/nonpartisan

[TJ1776]

Does anyone actually consider Olbermann a journalist? Just because he RIPPED off Murrow's played-out closing doesn't make him a journalist. Matt Drudge described it best as a "farce."

Murrow's fame was earned long before the McCarthy era. Murrow's "special" reporting on McCarthy came well into Joe's demise, it did not bring it on.

Just because Olbermann has access to a thesaurus doesn't make him brilliant.

[unity08]

I do consider KO as a commentator, just as I would say Shaaawn Han nity is. The difference is that KO doesnt make stuff up and repeat lie after lie.
The hatred that is spewed from SH mouth every night is putrid. He promotes Carsi's sick book but doesnt ever mention how Carsi also believes 9-11 was an inside job, and has accused Mc Cain as being mobbed up. So while both have a definiate bias, only one shows integrity.

[mairs]

Who ever said he was nonpartisan? Where is that? Of course he is biased, and it's toward cutting the bs.

[ScandalousCandice]

Brokaw is certainly one to talk after his disastrous interview with B-Rock on Meet The Press.

[mnash]

Might be because he is a hillary supporter. Olbermann and Matthews went for Hillary.

[CoulterIsASuccubus]

Apparently Mr. Brokaw has not seen Sean Hannity.

[derekw007]

Edward R. Murrow:
"Last week, Senator McCarthy appeared on this program to correct any errors he might have thought we made in our report of March 9th. Since he made no reference to any statements of fact that we made, we must conclude that he found no errors of fact. He proved again that anyone who exposes him, anyone who does not share his hysterical disregard for decency and human dignity and the rights guaranteed by the Constitution, must be either a Communist or a fellow traveler."

Tom Brokaw:
"Now Ed, that whole "hysterical regard" statement is unfair and I believe you went too far."

Note to Tom: Perhaps if you hadn't spent your LIFE "reporting" as if the person who says the sky is "green" is just as newsworthy as the person who says the sky is "blue" , you wouldn't be so quick to judge other who have the balls to do what you did not. Perhaps it irks you that KO amd CM don't care about "access" - they'd rather state the truth as they see it (through a reporters eyes) rather than simply say "Here's Blue Sky Guy and Green Sky Guy - you be the judge who's telling the truth"

But at least you got to sit in the Oval Office and toss softballs at the Leader of the Free World.

[geha714]

Obviously, Mr.Brokaw didn't get the memo. MSNBC is different now and they are not trying to be like him.

I wonder, where's Cronkite? He's 91 but I want to know his take on all this.

[mmelodee]

Brokaw is old school. He has absolutely no clue how media has involved in the last 2-3 years. And, besides, Chris and Keith are garnering HUGE ratings. Clearly, people are turning to them for a smarter alternative to the clowns at Fox News and even CNN (ahem, Wolf Blitzer, Larry King) for that matter.

[tdpubs]

I'm just glad that Chris got the memo that he no longer had to kiss the Commander in Chimp's a$$ to keep his job. He's finally back to being a hard-baller.

[BLinCincinnati]

Brokaw is a joke and biased himself.

If he's going to be bashing Olbermann and Matthews, where are the rebukes of Joe Scarborough? What about Tucker Carlson? Pat Buchanon? Oh that's right... the f'ing media is so limp spined they are too afraid of actually telling the truth because they are scared of the right wing attacking them as not being "fair". So their answer is to be overly critical of Dems to appease the Right wing.

[NorVaGal]

You are so right, BLin. Brokaw has made many biased comments himself, mostly anti-Obama, especially during the opening of the Dem convention. He simply has a problem with Matthews (sometimes) and Olbermann (consistently) calling out the lies spread by the Clinton and GOP slime machines against Obama. He has no room to criticize anyone. He is just as much a part of the problem as 99% of the other corporate media.

[flatus]

Well, Tom, if it aint "shoehorning" then what should it be called, exactly?

[SuburbanMalcontent]

The real problem is that Brokaw and his generation are from the old way of thinking. When it was just the 3 big networks covering news they could better control the flow, and filter out much of the nonsense. But with the advent of cable news (particularly Fox) and websites/blogs there is no longer any editorial control of what people are exposed to, especially getting facts straight. Olbermann/Matthews are just a reaction to the years and years of right-wing bullsh*t that's been shoved down the publics throat. Right or wrong, it's just the way it is. What I don't understand is, where the hell was Brokaw for the past 8 years to criticize the conservative windbags? Why is it only when liberal anger is shown that the critics come out? While technology is great and the web has been a phenomenal source of unfiltered information, I still can't help but yearn for the old days of big network news. Things were so much better when TV journalists had only a few hours a day to cover, and exercised restraint and double checked facts before sending information to the public at large. Now it's just a race to get the story first, no matter what is actually true or not. I so wish we still had the great Peter Jennings with us. Nobody was better than him.

[hapiguy]

The Clinton Team has left the station, big big train,,to carry those Egos!!! And Brokaw,,,,mumbles is one very lucky man,,timing is everything Tom,,,Montana is calling....
P.S. I am 71 Years of age,,and have watched many trains pull out!!!!!!!!!!

[acharles]

Brokaw is out of touch. Fox News has changed the rules. If the left has no voice there is no balance.

[connorin]

The left has every voice BUT fox

[BigLib]

Watching Chrissy and the Olberdouche gush over Barry was embarrassing. Like two twelve year old girls arguing over which Jonas Brother they would marry.

[txgal44]

Yeah sure. If Hillary was the one being gushed over, then that would be ok by you, right? And who are the Jonas Brother? LOL!

[SuburbanMalcontent]

I still don't understand what you Clinton folks are so angry about. It's not Obama's fault that Bill and Hillary let their overconfidence get the best of them. In order to win the game you gotta make sure you know the system inside and out. They didn't. They surrounded themselves with sychophantic, "yes-man" consultants, instead of people who could get the job done. They also misread the electorate big time, and were nearly schizophrenic in their messaging and direction. That's what lost them the nomination. Not the media. Not sexism. Not the "race card." And not Barack Obama's supporters. I bet you could search for years and still wouldn't find a single Obama supporter who voted for him because they were against a woman. The same can not be said for Clinton supporters. Many of you supported her solely because she was a woman, and used vague talking points about "experience" to convince yourselves it was the right choice. And I bet you'd also find an extremely large amount of her supporters who only supported her because the other choice was a "black guy." That's why the "he's-a-muslim" smear has so much traction. It gives people who are uncomfortable with his skin color an excuse to not support him without having to say it has to do with race. So, seriously, cut out the childish bullsh*t.

[SuburbanMalcontent]

I'd just like to add that something. You supported a candidate who lost. Yes, that sucks. But you gotta move on. Believe me, I know. This is the first time I've ever had a candidate I supported actually win the nom. But I never in the past would have voted for the other Party as some twisted form of punishment. After all, aren't you really just punishing yourselves? It's not like Clinton would win the nod in 4 years. Like it or not, she (and her PUMA's) will be blamed if Obama loses. That's the story the media is dying to tell, whether it's true or not. And that's what will become the truth when all is said and done. Just like Kerry and the Swift Boating, and Gore and his many "lies."

[connorin]

You don't think the whole thrill up the leg thing is embarassing?

[Cooper1608]

Mmmmmm. Sounds to me like you have a man crush on Brokaw. He spits and stammers when he talks. He needs to retire.

[NorVaGal]

What irony! Have you read your own post, BigLib? Talk about the namecalling of a twelve year old! Cat fight-- Meow!!!!!!