New York Times, MSNBC Team Up For Special Primary Edition

The New York Times and MSNBC are teaming up to deliver a special series of cable shows hosted by John Harwood and featuring several Times staffers, the first of which premiered today.

Details are vague, but the New York Times memo explaining the program appears below (via New York Observer), as well as the video of Harwood introducing the program. Note how he brands the New York Times "the place for politics in print," an extension of MSNBC's "the place for politics" slogan:

The New York Times Special Primary Edition, a new NYT/MSNBC political program hosted by John Harwood debuts today at 2 p.m. Guests include Adam Nagourney, Pat Healy, Jeff Zeleny, Gail Collins and other Times reporters

This is the first in a series of special programs featuring Times journalists which MSNBC hopes to broadcast throughout the rest of the political season. Segments will also run on NYTimes.com.

Watch:

From MSNBC, 5/5

Comments

[wish4change]

I'm delighted MSNBC is trying to lean more towards the middle by giving John Harwood his own show. We will learn very quickly the direction of the show by the guests booked on it. Because of the bias for Obama by the network in general, if the bias keeps up with the newer shows like John's, viewers like me will be gone in a heartbeat.

I boycott Matthews, Olberman and Joe & Mika (and Shuster & Andria Mitchell whenever they are on a program) because of their bias against my candidate. They wouldn't giver her credit for anything even if their life depended upon it. They have no creditability, in my mind.

David Gregory's show was interesting in the beginning but I'm starting to tire of it also. Not because of the format but because of the guests (shrill Rachel Maddow, slurpy Eugene Robinson and that yucky Ed Schultz guy ..all Obama lovers). I personally would like to see more female guests and less black and white male guests .... the balance is off but it seems the networks are afraid to rock the boat. Aren't females the majority in this nation????? Oh that"s right, I forgot, they aren"t to be taken seriously.

[golfrr]

I agree David show is stupid! I don't understand how he can say let's play along like this is some game that has a correct answer. I can stand the fact that he pick a good topic and ask the talkling heads to respond than moves on to the next (???) I feel a good debate requires 2 sides and you can see that his guest want to do that but he shut them down and go to commercial or the next topic. I think he need to go back to the WH and report on GWB!!!!!!

[littlepuffycloud]

oh great...just what we need; another so-called election show.
Are there any junkies remaining out there that can stand to keep watching the minute by minute polls of Podunk Pennsylvania or Indiana?

[falcao]

Stopped watching MSNBC weeks ago. Unbearable.

CNN also off my radar screen for an even longer period of time.

These outlets offer nothing of substance. Same old guys saying the same old things on an endless stupid loop.

[THISTLE]

I also stopped watching MSNBC weeks ago - you are correct it is "unbearable."
It is a telethon, an infocommercial for St. Obama, the slobbering attack dog Matthews
with the equally disgusting Olbermann who is on his knees to St. Obama.

The New York Times being associated with this group in anyway is outrageous,
no wonder Frank Rich was attacking Hillary Clinton in such a vile and transparent manner,
he was auditioning for MSNBC - where he has been making appearances in the last
few months. Rich has lost all of his credibility, this election has turned into a Reality
show, what a commentary that is on this country.

[OrganicGeorge]

Great, more middle aged white guys, in the upper 2% income bracket, telling us what we should think

Maybe the reason newspapers and broadcast news is dying is the lack of diversity, not just trotting out the occasional woman or minority but educated people who are not inside the news bubble.

Managing editors are rich white guys so we get rich white guy news.

Long live blogs

[MacTheBlogger]

After scanning the posts on this thread, it's clear that there is some confusion between "news" and "commentary/opinion".

"News anchors", whether you like the way they do their job or not, would include "newspeople" like Brian Williams, Katie Couric, Charlie Gibson, Wolf Blitzer. Their task is to present news in an unbiased way, without opinion. Again, whether they do is quite open to debate.

"Commentary/Opinion" would include "pundits" like Matthews, Maddow, Olbermann, Carlson, Joe, Buchanan, O'Reilly, Rush, and about 3,000 others who are paid to provide their biased opinions. Biased opinions are fine, great, interesting, helpful -- but not meant to be fair and/or balanced.

If your argument is that the line has become blurred between "journalism" and opinion, I could not agree more. But complaining that people like O'Reilly or Joe or Andrea Mitchell are not voicing your opinion makes no sense. Not everyone is going to agree with your opinion when expressing theirs. And an opinion is not "The Truth", regardless of what the wild-eyed ideologues say. It's just their opinion. Nothing more.

[zanngra]

I wonder if John Harwood had to sign a contract to bring up Rev. Wright as much as possible before they would alow him to do a show. Last night on Hardball Chris Matthews, who has a form of tourettes syndrome that causes him to blurt out the truth once and awhile, admitted they are still talking about Rev. Wright because their ratings are up. A few weeks ago he said he wondered if the media was trying to imply that this race was close even though it was all but over. YA THINK? I'm sure the higher ups told him to knock off that kind of talk. When Tom Brokaw retired so did their ethics.

[longislandlol]

Olbermann is the King of all- but John Harwood has style, intelligence, fairness, good looks, etc.. let's give him a shot at becomong MSNBC's Prince!

[pdsldl]

We get what we deserve. We keep watching these poor excuses for journalists owned by corporate media. I watch Countdown because it is a commentary show and Olbermann actually lets his guests speak, they don't yell back and forth, there is some humor, and even when I don't agree with him I can see his point. I also watch cable on primary night flipping between CNN and MSNBC to avoid the pundit round tables. As far as the rest, bith network and cable news is not news, but some producers idea of how to be entertaining and get ratings. Journalists have sold out to being showbiz personalities and abandoned their ethical journalistic standards. Until we stop watching the news and their ratings bottom out and demand that they actually investigate stories and present facts instead of slanted opinions by pundits it is never going to change.

[Maddy08]

I also have stopped watching Morning "Arrogant & Inane" Joe; the very biased Andrea Mitchell; out to destroy anyone they don't like Fox News; clearly biased CNN; ABC; and have eliminated most cable news except Countdown. I also agree with a blogger that Chuck Todd, who I used to enjoy watching because of his honesty, has made a 360 degree turn towards becoming just like his fellow reporters.

Joe made a comment last night that I thought showed just how moronic he really is. He predicted that Clinton would win both NC and Indiana and this will teach Obama that he can't campaign "like a Harvard professor." Hey Joe, Obama has more intelligence in his little toe that you'll ever have.

It occurred to me that after this campaign is over and a nominee is chosen, their overall ratings will dramatically decline. It also seems to be that while the cable news stations have been engaged in unfair and biased reporting - that it's going to come back and bite them in the rear after this is all over.

The only true cable news show that has been consistent, fair, and unbiased is Countdown.

[nolalily]

There's a quote by Jonathan Swift that goes something like, "You may know when a genius is among us as the dunces are all in confederacy against him." That is definately paraphrased, but you get the idea.

[truthbrigade]

I agree with your comment on Joe Goober. Two further questions / comments here: 1) How "it's going to come back and bite them in the rear after this is all over"?; in which way exactly?. 2) Just for clarification: if one makes a 360 degree turn, one ends-up in the same dierction, not opposite!!.

[MacTheBlogger]

...

"The only true cable news show that has been consistent, fair, and unbiased is Countdown."

Well, that may be the most incredible post I've ever seen. Countdown is commentary, it's not a "news show". The host of the show has blogged for DailyKos. Insults and name-calling come standard. Frequent contributor Rachel Maddow (with whom the host agrees virtually 100% of the time) is on Air America. The only guests on the show agree with the host, who never interviews a right-winger. Ever.

Countdown certainly has its place, but I can only imagine how far off to the left someone must be to consider it an unbiased news program.

Absolutely freaking amazing.

.

[THISTLE]

How can you say "Countdown" is fair - when the only guests he has on - are the same ones
over and over again - who AGREE with him. I used to think Keith was the most honest
and intelligent guy on the air, now he is just another on his knees flack/hack for
St. Obama.

[maribelle1963]

I am a card-carrying "leftie", I watch Countdown everynight, and even I agree it is EXTREMELY biased.

That's why I watch it; you get that lip-smacking liberal bias that has all but disappeared in the conservative takeover of the news.

FWIW, I always watch what passes for more even-handed shows first (Like Newshour with Jim Lehrer) to try to get the "straight" story first before I indulge in watching Keith take on the asshats with his wit and venom.

[Prolix]

I stopped watching MSNBC when Tweety got his beak in a bunch and while the polling numbers were plainly display on the screen actually said and I kid you not an actual quote here, "Sen. Obama is way out front on this issue with 37% of respondents favorable and Sen. Clinton is way behind at 34%. The people have spoken."

The margin of error was 4% and the poll was over a week old. If only someone had had some Chinese lead-laced corn the bird population would have had a significant uptick in their gene pool.

I vote for putting Tweety in a sound proofed cage encircled with mirrors so that he can see himself in all his preening glory and chirp as loudly as he wants to cover the sound of his bird brain rattling about in his grotesquely huge head. It will be masterbatorial heaven for him until molting season at which time he will promptly commit peckicide.

[KOisGod]

I'd like a show that does full blown conspiricy theories; everything from who killed JFK, did 911, the illuminati, the secret string pullers behind unfolding world events, shadow governments, Nostradamas predictions, 2012 end of world stuff, Atlantis

YOU NAME IT

Maybe MSNBC would do it, the prison shows have had their run -

[ObamaOhio08]

That's a great idea! My neighbor, who dated someone based on the fact that he believed in the Illuminati stuff, would LOVE IT.

I think there should be a show that keeps the MSM honest done by the few media watchdogs out there. Someone needs to put the MSM's feet to the fire. They get away with too much BS. If it wasn't for MSM's blindly following GWB's line in 2002, the Iraq war might never have happened.

[drzoon]

it actually wasn't all that bad.

at least it was more of a nuts and bolts show. not like that freaking HORRIBLE show the Gregory does now. that thing just rots from the head!

[ResidentChimp]

They must think two losers makes a winner.

[plainsman]

That's what the Bushes thought too.

[pkohan]

Is it called "Anonymous Sources?" "March to War: Iran?" "Administration Mouthpiece?" "Specious Claims?" All of the above?

[zigzag1]

At least Chris Matthews left the Catholic church when he learned of the mass numbers of little boys being buggered by priests and covered up by bishops and cardinals so they could be moved on to fresh victims. Didn't he?

[drzoon]

no

[Bedingo]

Good News! But why only the primaries? Now that the war in Iran seems certain, NYT can't handle the job all by itself. Michael Gordon, of course, can do a lot, but still - Judy Miller is not there (although it is to be hope that Michael is in regular contact with Judy). Anyway, back to the primaries. Those are not going to have much of an effect in the case of war, so maybe NYT and MSNBC should refocus on the Mission That Will Be Accomplished.

[TheAdviceWeAllNeed]

I have slowly deleted MSNBC from my DVR. It started with Morning Joe, MSNBC News featuring Mika and her sleazy boyfriend Joe Sscarborough, My next deletion was Race to the White House, and slowly moving onto Hardball, especially in light of this particular comment by Chris Matthews, that Wright Story brings Racism, oh I mean Ratings; I still hold onto Countdown. I skirt around other channels; CNN now in the morning, Larry King seems to be pretty balance and sometimes Anderson Cooper, occasionally the Verdict only if Dan Abrams is not on one of his Propaganda Rampages.

It"s so sad of what a replica of FOX News MSNBC has become.

[THISTLE]

FOX News has actually been much much fairer in their coverage than MSNBC - that's a fact.
I am astonished that I could ever said that, but it is a FACT. They have been much much
fairer to Hillary Clinton. MSNBC is an infocommercial for St. Obama, they attack Hillary non-stop,
with LIES - total LIES non-stop. They say anything, because no one calls them on it - when they
aren't running these hacks like Matthews and Olbemann, they are running PRISON shows -
that should tell you everything you need to know about this pathetic cable outlet.
Yesterday, it was reported that MSNBC - was at the very bottom in cable show ratings -
NUMBER 33 - they are nearly "cable access" in their ratings. Just where they deserve to be -
since they are BOTTOM-FEEDERS.

[teapartydude]

Pat Buchanan makes me puke as well.

[zigzag1]

Buchanan sleeps under Tweety's desk

[nurseattorney]

I agree, I cannot even look at Scarborough's face without wanting to throw a shoe at the TV, so he is permanently off, and if he shows up on another show, I click off that, too. Chuck Todd used to really seem to be up on numbers and enjoy his job. Not anymore-I think he was nailed because he was the first TV personality who really explained in a concise and understandable way that Hillary COULD NOT WIN the nomination. No way to spin that, and they shut him up. You never hear him repeating that anymore, no more of his magic map and columns of figures. On MSNBC, its always a "horse race" now. No one mentions that Hillary is already the loser.

For me, its C-Span in the morning unless its some really boring petty bureaucrat. Olberman in the evening.

[nancytheragingliberal]

Nurse Attorney, I'm with you and I will be happy to throw the other show at "Morning Blow." He loves to hear the sound of his own voice, and yet.......MSNBC puts him on routinely on David Gregory's new show. I guess they want David to go down in flames. I press "mute" anytime ol' right-wing, Joe opens his mouth on Gregory's show, plus he is off my T.V. from 6 to 9 a.m. I miss the I-Man.

[Testtubebaby]

I didn't write this... did I? lol

(I couldn't have said it better)

[momofsix]

I agree with you and have been doing the same thing.

[busybeez]

Same. No more MSNBC except Olbermann. Stopped watching CNN because they are adding Bush staff members--not a good sign. Never watch Fox. Thinking about trying out CBS just to spite ABC. Boycotting ABC completely since the "debate." Mostly I get my news from the internet now.

[hydenorhare]

The NYT + MSNBC.
The only surprise here is why this marriage hasn't happened before now.
"Reporting from Venezuela tonight is our chief South American correspondent Hugo Chavez."

[iPolitics]

Chris Matthews: "Our ratings show that our viewer want coverage of Wright."

Yes. And in a college classroom or at a corporate office the majority people would rather sit around and talk about gossip than learn or work hard. That's where the responsible professor or boss steps in and does the right thing focusing on the task at hand.

The gutless, race-baiting media needs to do the same. Cover the issue that matter in this critical election. If you care about ratings most you're a corporate prostitute. That's what MSNBC, CNN, and Faux News have become for $$$. Nice job with lots of young people finally involved in politics: knee-cap the guy who inspired them.

[trthskr]

My guess is that Chris Matthews is basing that comment as much on the negative feedback they are receiving from viewers who find the Rev.Wright sideshow abhorrent, as they are on Nielsen ratings. Controversy is good for ratings. Even pissed off viewers are statistics who can be sold to advertisers. Turn them off, don't email them, don't watch. Or we can contact their sponsors and collectively express our displeasure.

How about a website where we can mass email sponsors and say enough is enough? Even the NYT is second guessing itself for not covering more of the Wright controversy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/opinion/04pubed.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

Having said that I like John Harwood, he is smart and relatively neutral ( unless Joe Scarborough is hovering around somewhere). But Contessa Brewer is all bubble and no squeak, or is all squeak and no bubble...

Ok, busted - watched the show in the hopes that at least one daytime MSNBC offering might prove watchable and Wright free. John, I know you are new to the anchor position but ditch Contessa, you two go together like a horse and cabbage...

[momofsix]

And yet the new NYT poll out today showed most voters thought there was to much coverage of Wright.