MSNBC Infighting Boils Over

MSNBC problems seem to be everywhere, with a truckload of stories, infighting caught on tape, and bad ratings. Here is a collection of links that chronicle the implosion at MSNBC during the Democratic National Convention.

The Infighting
Round 1: Joe Scarborough Vs. Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews On McCain's Gains In The Polls Round 2: MSNBC Round 2: Joe Scarborough Vs. David Shuster
Round 3: MSNBC Drama Pervades Convention Coverage: Olbermann vs. Matthews, Attempts To Get Guests Banned For Round 3
Round 4: Keith Olbermann Caught Saying About Mike Murphy: "Let's Wrap Him Up"

The Reactions

MSNBC Journalist: "The Situation At Our Network Is About To Blow Up"

Connie Chung On MSNBC Infighting: "Grow Up!"

"Daily Show" Mocks MSNBC Infighting: "It's Lord Of The Flies On The NBC Roof!"

"Nobody Can Believe How Much Keith Olbermann Is Getting Away With"

And, Most Importantly, The Ratings

MSNBC In Distant Third In The Ratings

Comments

[tavote08]

This has been a long and quite unusual election cycle. I think cooler heads will prevail soon enough. things like this tend to happen when you are sleep deprived and have to spend soooo much time in the company of some that you may not normally interact with.

I miss Tim Russert and really thought someone would at least try to immulate his skills and style, maybe attempt some fact based reporting and some holding of feet tot he fire... NOT

I don't really care if they actually do hate each other maybe the competition will force them to up their games. As far as I'm concern Keith is worth all of his ego for keeping it really and Rachel is an asset that they need to capitalize on. The rest of them really aren't worth the paper they use for reporting their IDEA of news.

[Indieguy]

Mika is a bubble headed blond. She asks the stupidest questions and is not up to MSNBC standards. Mika should get the sack.

[Beowoof]

Many of us sat powerless as the major networks were complicit with the government in sacrificing our soldiers and the Iraqi people to Moloch. Fox has their travesty of a news outlet along with CNN, ABC, and CBS, but MSNBC has become to blatant in their disregard for objectivity. Good for them! The bringers of hate and unfairness wont let up for a second. I'm sure many at MSNBC who love the pretend game that got us into this mess would love to continue like the others and get rid of Olbermann, but lets wait till after the election since it only balances "CENTRISTS LIKE MIKE MURPHY" you know----the centrist who worked on Ollie North's campaign.

[LibRS]

i've got my pocorn and i'm just waiting to see that beautiful mushroom cloud when they do implode.

[All57States]

MSNBC is not a real network.

[larmarch5]

It's NPR, airAmerica radio and Lehrer/Ifill on PBS for my news, oh and HuffPo et.al.

Wolfy Blitzer gives me the creeps. Smurfball Tinglelegs drools, ugh. Olberman is O'Reilly's funny twin, but hardly unbiased.

I also like Rachel Maddow and would like her to be an anchor -- wherever she goes, I'll follow.

[Pronto]

There's a reason why MSNBC's convention coverage ratings were so low: the "coverage" is dominated by two left-wing loud-mouths with over the top egos who dislike each other. Joe Scarborough is the only "balance" on that network and he's proven that he's too thin-skinned for the task. Fox News has Liberals like Alan Colmes, Maura Liason, Juan Williams, Geraldo and Lanny Davis among others who have respect for their colleagues and are respected themselves. A good debate of ideas, not egos. Loud mouthed Liberals = low ratings.

[tuttlemsm]

MSNBC may be third in the ratings, but it was the third in the game. It's also the fastest growing of the three. MSNBC's trajectory is upward and Fox's is downward. Sometimes that's more important than the single snapshat of any specific place in time.

[wilhelmR]

Joe: OUT!, Keith: great BUT too ambitious, he should cool down. Chris: FUN! Norah: FUN an NICE! .....I laugh with these fellows.

[PineyWoods]

If you look at both the programming and who delivers it, CNN is a more useful network, however you'd like to interpret that, than MSNBC. I stopped watching it regularly before all of this came out, and I'll continue to ignore it. Maybe deeply spirited progressives feel like they have to defend MSNBC on G.P., just as Far Righters are wedded to Fox, but with the exception of the buffoonish Lou Dobbs, CNN is just fine with me.

[zull2]

MSNBC is a whole lot less creepy than CNN and FOX's weirdly synchronized opinions. On NO station will you "just get the news", but at least with NBC, you get more than one opinion. On FOX and CNN, everyone is handed a sheet of talking points which manufactures their opinion of every event, they manipulate the news coverage to only air what covers their ratings demographic and marketing agenda. Even if you're getting egos and drama, you're probably getting something more realistic on MSNBC than what you're getting on any other station...and by mocking it, you're supporting the FOX News and CNN gameplan's false notion of reliability.

[dukajoe]

I think they need to fire their technical team. It a massively frustrating effect when you have so many delay-feed issues, cut in audio, and frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if "get a shovel" was a result of that, and then keith trying to save face. The entire temperament of that network I think results from the professionalism of their presentation.

[belikejeanvaljean]

I like MSNBC, but I noticed that their audio quality wasn't very good and I wound up watching the major speeches on CNN, whose audio had a much richer sound.

[ScapeGoat]

I switched to c-span. msnbc had too much hype, fake controversy and talk, not enough convention. I have come to really dislike Brokow who has proven that he is a bag of wind.

[fignozzle]

i chose c-span instead of the drama on msnbc as well.
keith has sadly turned into an ugly primadonna and it is a shame. i thought they were going to really make it ratings-wise.
i will watch maddows show.

if keith could get over himself, he could be a leader there.
russert sure left a mighty big void.

[vallon]

This is what happens when Liberal viewpoints are expressed on air. Morning Joe is a bully and a joke. Keith might have an ego (gosh!!), but he is the only guy on TV, other than John at the Daily Show, who rips Bush/Cheney/McCain for their lies and the damage they've done to our country. It's sad that there have been more attacks on Olbermann, by his colleagues and others, then there've been for G.W. during his entire presidency.

[TheMastadon]

Yeah, and lets just be honest for a half second and compare keith to Limbaugh or Hannity... I find it refreshing that Lib's are finally growing some teeth and fighting back in kind. The repigs dont' mind as long as they're the only bully on the playground.

[belikejeanvaljean]

It is obvious Keith has a liberal bias, but he presents his stories in such an intelligent and witty way, that Limbaugh and Hannity aren't even in the same league. Keith's mercurial, but I think he has earned the right to be.

[TrooAmerican]

You got it.
I wish MSNBC would take the Comedy channel's entire Daily show staff and give them an hour in primetime 6 days a week.

[fignozzle]

that would be cool!

[BrickSykes]

Sadly this is yet another case where the Federal Government will be forced to get into the fray to sort out the users and abusers of the Public Airways! Present day programmers have just gone Too Far is assuming "Conscience of the Nation" status! MSM ownership has consciously manipulated modern political coverage in order to shape the national conversation, all due to the blatant polarization of the airways! The FCC will ultimately deconstruct the awful cabal that now allows single ownership of hundreds of stations, all to the detriment of those who pay for the services!

Good riddance to MSNBC, Faux Snooze, et al, and take Losers like Cavuto and Hume, and O'Reilly with you.

Brick