Rachel Maddow "A Chirpy Gay Liberal": Financial Times

Financial Times:

In fact, I think they are correct that the media currently tilt leftward in the US, but not for the obvious reason. It says less about the bias of "liberal elite" journalists and more about a breakdown of the established media order, from The New York Times to Mr Drudge.

Mr Drudge's dominance has been undermined by competition. His sensibility infuriated so many people that left-leaning sites such as the Daily Kos sprung up to challenge him. Lately, his thunder has been stolen by the Huffington Post, an unlikely blend of leftwing blogging, reporting and aggregation founded by Arianna Huffington, the media gadfly.

The Huffington Post has leapt past the Drudge Report in traffic, attracting 4.5m unique users in September, compared with 2.1m for Drudge and 2.4m for Politico, a political news site. While Mr Drudge picks out stories that could hurt Mr Obama, the Huffington Post does the opposite, highlighting anything that makes Mr McCain look bad.

This shift leftwards online has been matched on cable television, where Fox News, the rightwing news channel, has increasingly faced its mirror image at MSNBC. The latter's leftish talk-show hosts, Keith Olbermann and now Rachel Maddow, a chirpy gay liberal, dish out scorn about Republicans in opposition to Bill O'Reilly and others at Fox.

The effect is not just to balance out Mr Drudge and Mr O'Reilly but to place old-school media objectivity, as practised by US newspapers, under pressure. Obama-supporting blogs have ridiculed stories in outlets such as The New York Times and The Washington Post that fail to dismiss distortions by Mr McCain.

Read the whole story: Financial Times

Comments

[larmarch5]

From the FT:
"John Gapper is associate editor and chief business commentator of the Financial Times. He writes a weekly column, appearing on Thursdays on the comment page, about business trends and strategy. He also contributes leaders and other articles.

He has worked for the FT since 1987, covering labour relations, banking and the media. In 1991-92, he was a Harkness fellow of the Commonwealth Fund of New York, and studied US education and training at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is co-author, with Nicholas Denton, of All That Glitters, an account of the collapse of Barings in 1995."

From Wikipedia:
"A graduate of Castro Valley High School in Castro Valley, California, Maddow obtained a degree in public policy from Stanford University in 1994.[2] At graduation she was awarded the prestigious John Gardner Fellowship. She then received a Rhodes Scholarship in 1995 and used it to obtain a D.Phil. in political science from Lincoln College, Oxford University.[3] Maddow was the first openly gay American to win a Rhodes scholarship.[4]"

So, you tell me who "chirpy" here. Some jerks just have to define women in their own terms.

[Jason404]

You have misunderstood this article due to cultural differences.

[jyoungsa]

Seven posts defending the honor of the UK... Methinks the gentleman doth protest too much.

[raresilk]

maddow is more qualified and highly credentialed than 99% of the right wingers who sling garbage at her. it's the short sight of their right wing bias that because she is "gay," they take that to mean she has no achievements, and was promoted to her position because of being "gay." none of the people on fox news have anything to rival her accomplishments.

[RJPasadena]

Please....Rachel Maddow is a genius! faux news can only appeal to the knucle draggers who needs to be spoon fed lies pretending to be real news.

[MarkBoston]

you betcha she is !! You GO GIRL !!!!!!

[KarateKid]

What a jerk. Look at the ratings, fool.

[Gary Bushwell]

Really?!? Is this most important issue you folks have to complain about? A newspaper article that accurately describes Rachel's demeanor, sexual orientation, and political leaning? Okay everybody, on the count of three, remove the sticks from your butts. One. Two. Three. Doesn't that feel better?

If this is the level of discourse I have to look forward to once Obama wins, I'd almost prefer another Bush term - at least the complaints would be about more pressing matters. Get a life people.

[Jason404]

Thank you for understanding.

It is quite amusing to point out that there is a right-wing idiot journalist that writes in UK rags called Gary Bushell.

[brodiesgirl]

If you had a life you'd be on Hannity's site, living it up with your closetted friends - Happy trails troller

[GrainOSand]

There is no Left and Right in considerations of wrong and right. Consider starvation, food has no political affiliation -- extrapolate from there.

Maddow and Olbermann provide food for those rendered hungry by the vultures of AM radio talk and Fox News over the last decade. As for the internet component of societal evolution, that is part of the natural progression of an evolving society -- a society evolving both technologically and intellectually.

George Bush taught profound lessons to America and the world. If we as citizens come away from that lesson less informed, less motivated, less knowledgeable about that which promotes decline, pain, and insanity, then shame on us, we deserve the dunce cap. Instead, what I am seeing is that intelligence reigns supreme in America though it is sometimes slow in its response. The Huffington Post, the Daily Kos, MoveOn.Org, and others exemplify not the empire striking back but intelligence striking at the heart of hypocrisy, duplicity, corruption, greed, malfeasance in execution of duty, contempt for morality, fear, and division through distortion and lies. That is not a “Leftist approach”, but a “Correctly Intelligent approach”, to the threat that is demagoguery or observed rumblings of movement towards fascism and totalitarianism. There can be nothing but sincere regard for those who sound the alarm for justice and fairness whether they are incorporated or not.

The GOP is the Party of Me-ism.

The rest of us are left to construct allegiances that promote and define the concept of We-ism.

[MarkBoston]

wow , how beautifully expressed !!

[GrainOSand]

It matches the beauty in all of us and when I am able to reflect that in words I am thankful for that is a difficult task.

Nomaste, or sincere thanks for you being you and hope that all is well.

[CanuckDemGirl]

Rachel has proven herself more than capable of holding her own in the competitive political news game. She is highly intelligent, prepared, open minded and completely addictive, I don't feel that my news day is complete without her unique and straightforward analysis of current events. Rock on Rachel! Maddow and Olbermann RULE!

[tempting]

Please contact the MSM and tell them how you feel about Rachel and speak your mind of the gay-bashing and hate!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=111

[misty1]

This woman has worked hard to build her career and a few hateful words could tear it
down. So she is gay and your point is? Here is what I think Rachel does her job well.
I have been watching her since her first show and I will continue to watch her. Gay
straight it does not matter to me she holds my attention at 9:00. Rachel can go
toe to toe with anyone and your comments are un-wanted. First get a life and live
yours and let Rachel live hers. Hey Rachel I can not wait for your Obama
interview. RACHEL MADDOW THE BEST PERSON IN THE WORLD.

Go Rachel

[Jason404]

Americans - it is not offensive to call a gay person gay in the UK! Please understand this.

[Jason404]

and Liberal and Chirpy are not seen in any way as offensive adjectives either.

The misunderstanding of this article by Americans here is really bothering me, and only shows that the US is quite behind in the acceptance of gays, and the way that being called a liberal is in some way disparaging there. Weird.

[MM5]

This place is insanely politically correct...and everyone is just waiting around to be offended. It is quite suffocating.

[jyoungsa]

If it's not meant as an insult, why is calling attention to her orientation even necessary? Why didn't the Financial Times say "a chirpy white liberal" or "a chirpy liberal Rhodes Scholar"? Reason: Because it wouldn't have supported the pejorative tone of the article. The point is clearly to suggest that liberals are compromising the objectivity of the American press. (Note that no personal observations are made about Matt Drudge or Bill O'Reilly, while Arianna H. on the other hand is described as a gadfly.)

So... sorry, not buying it.

[Kellyser]

I'm sorry Mr. Gapper but you neglected to include your personal sexual preferance. Since you must feel that it has some import please include it in future bylines.

[kahkahkahkatie]

I don't think the description was meant to be insulting, but the word "chirpy" was a poor choice and the phrase "gay liberal" just reads as awkward. I think if anything this exposes Gapper's inferior writing more than anything about Rachel Maddow. (I sent Gapper an email telling him so and he responded lightning-fast, misspelling "pejorative" in the process.)

[Jason404]

Chirpy is not offensive at all, and the terms gay and liberal are not seen as the same in the UK. They are completely unoffensive adjectives. We even have a party called the Liberal Democrats, who i vote for.

I guess the US has some catching up to do with this issue.

[kahkahkahkatie]

Ugh, enough with the Americans-­are-lesser thing! And I never stated or implied that I thought it was meant to be offensive. I said that I think Gapper is a poor writer. Jeeeeez.

[DogTown]

Rachel is a smart woman
and a great broadcaster!

[sillyseason]

I try to watch Rachel everyday. Why? Because she makes you think. I could care less whether she's gay or straight. She's a good person.

[Jason404]

Why is making a comment like that even necessary?

While calling a gay person gay in the UK is totally normal behaviour, saying something like what you just did would only be expected by an elderly person, who grew up in a less tolerant time.

[SUIGENEROUSLA]

The reporter's email is [e-mail] -- let him know what you think.

[Jason404]

Some of you Americans do not understand that this is not offensive in any way here in the UK.

I cannot understand why this has been so taken offensively by a lot of posters here.

I suppose the way HP has made the headline has confused with people who have either not read the article properly, or is unfamiliar with the way we speak here in the UK.

[kahkahkahkatie]

Why isn't Olbermann described as "straight"? Because it has nothing to do with his program, his journalism? Okay, well then what does Maddow's sexuality have to do with her program and her journalism? I've watched her show almost every night since it's been on and I haven't seen her sexuality brought up. So why point it out? Or maybe I just can't understand because I'm an American!

[Jason404]

Look, I am from London, where the FT is published, and this description was in no way meant to be offensive. I do not know why some people here think it is. I do not know why Huffington Post has made the headline in such a way to make you think it was.

[Veronica]

I think overall the English have much thicker skins (and more progressive social views, at least among the younger generation)...my grandmother is from London.

I mean, we're talking about a country in which Charles and Camilla's wedding was given the headline "BORING OLD GITS TO WED" by a major paper, and as far as I can tell, no one batted an eyelash, except perhaps Charles and Camilla!

[Jason404]

haha. I missed that one

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2005/feb/11/pressandpublishing

[nana4g]

Point made, London. But,
how is her sexual orientation germaine to her ability to do her job?
Is this information about her something with which to evaluate her performance? If so, then, we need it included in everyone's critique.
I could care less what her sexuality is. She is pretty, smart, very gay and happy in her presentation and spot on with her coverage.
I bet her Mom is very proud of her.

[Jason404]

But there are no sensitivities to reporting her sexual reporting from a UK perspective. It is, in fact, relevant information.

[inluvwkeitholbermann]

(sigh) i can only hope for the day that labels won't matter.....

until then....two can play that game

joe_the_sk­in_head_wh­o's_not_ev­en_a_real_­plumber
sarah_the_­l!ar_and_f­raud_who_a­bused_her_­power
john_the_s­enile_hypo­crite_phil­anderer_pa­ndering_r@­ce_baiting­_L0SER!!!!­!