MSNBC Chief Goes from Scorning Patriotic Coverage to Hyping It

Media Research Center ^ | April 17, 2003 | Brent Baker

[Mr. Mulliner]

MSNBC Chief Goes from Scorning Patriotic
Coverage to Hyping It

     In a remarkable transformation, upon figuring out that appearing patriotic helps in the ratings, MSNBC chief Erik Sorenson has gone from disdaining pro-American patriotic programming to championing it.

     In November of 2001, Sorenson grumbled that if you make “any misstep...you can get into trouble with these guys and have the Patriotism Police hunt you down." In a New York Times story he ridiculed those concerned about the tone of post-9/11 coverage: “These are hard jobs. Just getting the facts straight is monumentally difficult. We don't want to have to wonder if we are saluting properly. Was I supposed to use the three-fingered salute today?"
     Jump ahead to Wednesday's New York Times this week and reporter Jim Rutenberg noted, the MRC's Rich Noyes observed, how MSNBC now “has patriotic flourishes throughout the day,” including “the regular screen presence of an American flag” and “an 'America's Bravest' studio wall shows snapshots of men and women serving in Iraq.” Sorenson acknowledged that he's realized that “after Sept. 11 the country wants more optimism and benefit of the doubt.”

     Excerpts of the two New York Times stories:

     -- November 7, 2001 story on coverage of the war on terrorism:

....Much of the criticism comes from a group of conservative media voices and outlets, including Rush Limbaugh's radio talk show, The New York Post's editorial page, The Drudge Report and some commentators on the Fox News Channel. Much of the information for their critiques has been assembled by a conservative media watchdog organization called the Media Research Center, which hires full-time monitors to watch the network newscasts.

These outlets have kept tabs on the media for some time and were on the opposite side of the White House for the Clinton presidency.

How their criticism will affect coverage of the war is an open question. But news executives at CNN, ABC and MSNBC said they were conscious of the criticism while making their day-to-day decisions about coverage.

“Any misstep and you can get into trouble with these guys and have the Patriotism Police hunt you down," said Erik Sorenson, president of MSNBC. "These are hard jobs. Just getting the facts straight is monumentally difficult. We don't want to have to wonder if we are saluting properly. Was I supposed to use the three-fingered salute today?"...

     -- April 16, 2003, “Cable's War Coverage Suggests a New 'Fox Effect' on Television,” by Jim Rutenberg:

....MSNBC has patriotic flourishes throughout the day. Along with the regular screen presence of an American flag, Mr. Bush's portrait is featured on MSNBC's main set and an "America's Bravest" studio wall shows snapshots of men and women serving in Iraq.

Neal Shapiro, the NBC News president, said MSNBC hired Mr. Scarborough and Mr. Savage to add political equilibrium to its lineup of hosts. Before the war, Mr. Shapiro said, all of them -- Chris Matthews, Phil Donahue, Bill Press and Pat Buchanan -- opposed the war. Mr. Donahue's program was canceled in February.

"If you have a range of opinion that leaves out a whole part of the country," Mr. Shapiro said, "you're unintentionally sending a message that 'you are not welcome here.' "

Erik Sorenson, MSNBC's president, said it was trying to differentiate its report from what he called a mainstream style of automatic questioning of the government.

"After Sept. 11 the country wants more optimism and benefit of the doubt," Mr. Sorenson said. "It's about being positive as opposed to being negative. If it ends up negative, so be it. But a big criticism of the mainstream press is that the beginning point is negative: 'On Day 2, we're in a quagmire.' "

MSNBC's programming moves were welcomed by L. Brent Bozell III, founder of the Media Research Center, a conservative media analysis group. "What Fox is doing, and frankly what MSNBC is also declaring by its product, is that one can be unabashedly patriotic and be a good news journalist at the same
time," Mr. Bozell said.

     END of Excerpt

     That story is online at www.nytimes.com.

[Mr. Mulliner]

It's amazing just how far some news organizations have to fall before they finally figure out that anti-American liberalism just doesn't fly if people have a choice. CNN hasn't figure it out yet.

[Mr. Mulliner]

index

[MEG33]

Competition is a wonderful thing!

[rhombus]

I noticed this too while watching the war -- in fact MSNBC even put together some clips with Bush quotes that would make great campaign ads.

[Mr. Mulliner]

I think MSNBC was on the verge of extinction before the war. They had the biggest bump in viewership because of the war, up over 500% compared with around a 300% increase for CNN and Fox.

I'm sure it just bugs the heck out of their management to implement these changes, but they do seem to have figured out what they need to do to save themselves from going under.

[Semi Civil Servant]

I turned on the tube the other day and it was set to MSNBC. The reporting was so positive that it took me a minute to realize I wasn't watching FOX. Maybe the Donahue Network has finally figured out that 95% gloom and doom reports of every short-coming of America and all we do wasn't in tune with the Red Zone and even some in the Blue Zone.

I wonder when the rest of Cable and the Networks figure out the obvious. Of course, at ABC, Jennings would have to be transfered to Greenland before we got anything but thinly disguised snarls at all things American. Dan Rather might figure it out with the help of electro-shock therapy. Browkaw could be house broken. I'm hopeful that commercial interests will FINALLY scotch all the rampant anti-Americanism in a significant portion of the left stream media.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Interesting. The market is deciding for them. And the market is responding.

[Trajan88]

One of MSNBC's shows last week had a host I've never seen before (Joe Scarboro [spelling?] - I think he's a former U.S. Representative and a Conservative). He was a hoot to watch. I stayed on MSNBC the whole time Joe was broadcasting.

Anyone else see this anchor? Trajan88

[Mr. Mulliner]

I don't get cable so I haven't seen him, but I've heard about him, Joe Scarborough (I think). He was hired about the same time Michael Savage was brought on board. These hirings, combined with cutting Phil Donohue, show why MSNBC may recover yet from their near extinction.

[Shermy]

I noticed that too. I don't know if it is so much "patriotism" as to the end of squashing positive stories and the end of unduly negative stories made in the belief that any critical pose imbues the author with a sense of "objectivity."

MSNBC is the only outlet I know that raised criticism of the latest war bill massively laden with pork.

[Friend of thunder]

While it is important to report the facts – either good or bad – it is not being biased to want your country to win. Some reporters – perhaps understandably – have trouble with this concept. If our troops were being defeated it would be bad journalism not to report it; it does not follow that defeat should be reported with the same tone as victory. Bias toward an outcome does not imply a bias to objective reality.

I think one of the things people like about FOX is that they are not afraid to acknowledge the goodness of this country. If they were to ignore faults, that would be bad reporting – to the best of my knowledge, they have not.

[alnick]

Anyone else see this anchor?

Yes, he's a great alternative to Greta. He's having a blast with video clips of doom and gloom predictions by leftists before the war. He plays a clip of Janine Garofolo saying "We're DOOMED if we go to war with Iraq" every single night.

He also has a segment about "our favorite cabinet member (Rummy) and a segment called "Well there you go again" every night. It's really entertaining.

[JCEccles]

The Republican Party should follow suit--emphasizing the positive and the patriotic at every turn. Liberals will appear especially dour, depressed, and bitter by direct comparison. If Republicans can deftly exploit this advantage they will win big in 2004.

[lelio]

I prefer MSNBC over FOX 99% of the time, with the 1% being Greg Kelly or a Rick L interview which are really interesting.
The problem I have with FOX is that for all their retired generals on there I haven't learned squat about the operation that I couldn't of figured out in about 5 minutes of thought. That's not their fault, but what's the reason for watching the show?
MSNBC is a little better as they have a lot of middle eastern experts on there that I actually do gain some insight from. Plus they don't bait people like O'Reilly does on his show, or offer up some loony toon liberal to be easily smacked down.
Can't say I've turned on CNN for about a year now.

[leilani]

What's amazing is that this article doesn't even mention MSNBC's former "Star" correspondent Peter Arnett. Look, MSNBC has some great reporters and one of the best anchors working today, I think, Lester Holt. The guy is AMAZING. But then they've got the "Fascist Lovefest" hour with Buchannon & Press. And they have the most insufferable of insufferables, the famously repulsive Keith Olbermann. (You've got to wonder about the grey matter of this never ending line of tv producers who keep giving him another chance - HELLO! The people have spoken! K.O. is as UNWATCHABLE on MSNBC as he was on ESPN. (What? You thought the change of alphabet would do him good? Sheesh. How much are you paid, again?)

[Shaka]

Scarborough..he was our congressman here in Northwest Florida. He was genuine thorne in the side of Clinton during his tenure. He is an avid and daily reader of FreeRepublic. How do I know? Because he said so. Chris Matthews is the reason why Joe was offered the talk slot..he's been doing an excellant job at calling out liberals for their hypocrisy on the war.

[Dog Gone]

I had all but given up on MSNBC. Their turnaround is extraordinary. I think Joe Scarborough is going to take the timeslot back from Greta.

[Utah Girl]

MSNBC has a promo spot that is beautiful. The Star Spangled Banner is played in the background on the piano, and photos of the military and Iraqis are shown. It is a promo spot, and I do think that MSNBC is being rather cynical about selling patriotism, but the spot does tug at my heartstrings.

[Utah Girl]

I'll have to start watching all of Scarborough's show. I want to see the Garafolo clip. I do enjoy him, and I have since the clinton impeachment fiasco.

[hole_n_one]

Hugh Hewitt is scheduled to appear on tonight's installment of Scarborough's yack show with the topic being losers such as Michael Moore, Madonna, Dixie Chicks, France, etal.