Koppel Responds to Olbermann: ‘Perspective a Little Screwed Up’
- Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:28am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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Former ABC newsman Ted Koppel has responded to criticism from MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann by saying Olbermann has his “perspective” and his “facts” “screwed up.”
In an op-ed on Sunday, Koppel charged that polarizing figures such as Olbermann and O’Reilly detract from the journalism profession. Olbermann responded by attacking Koppel and his false promise of “objectivity,” adding that Koppel doesn’t understand the complexities of “modern news.”
“I think Keith Olbermann is a very bright and clearly passionate man, but I think he has his perspective a little screwed up, and he has his facts screwed up too,” Koppel told NPR on Wednesday.
He went on to discuss news giants such as Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite and what made them great. “What made those pieces so powerful as they they came out of a lifetime of objective, and not subjective, reporting,” Koppel said.
You can listen to Koppel’s response here.
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Comments (90)
moonpeace
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 12:36pmIf you are a conservative, you have to love it when two liberal loons are throwing down in the Dunkin Donuts parking lot.
Report Post »Lebowski
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 12:26pmThat’s not the only thing screwed up when it comes to Oldermann.
Report Post »hamptonsurfer
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 12:10pmi think it would be a good time to get the boxing guy who says ”lets get ready to rumble”. and put one media ***** in a ring and let the other media ***** duke it out. who cares what either of these douches think.
Report Post »sbenard
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 12:00pmRupert Murdoch fired Keith Olbermann as a sportscaster, saying “I fired him. He’s crazy!”
Olbermann’s two-suspension was nothing but a PR plow. And all those who listen to him are allowing themselves to be used in that plow. They are just lemmings being led off the freedom slaughter cliff!
Report Post »EP46
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 11:47amObberbutt and O’Reilly are not journalists. Neither is a NEWS reporting show. I think Mike Wallace is a great journalist and his program is more in line with news reporting.
Report Post »Rowgue
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 11:45amThe critisism of MSNBC by the mainstream media is nothing more than a power play. They think if they criticize MSNBC which is a far left socialist propaganda machine it makes them seem objective and relevant. And they also siezed the opportunity to lump Fox News in with it as nothing more than a party line bias hack network hoping it would do the same on the other side.
Problem is Fox News is the most objective news source out there. Sure there is bias there just like there is anywhere. But it’s bias towards common sense, not a political party.
Report Post »Karlmagne
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 11:32amThe MSM is constantly trying to slam O’Reilly for not be being an objective journalist. I don’t watch him on television, but I listened to the “Radio Factor” a lot when it was on. He had to explain to callers almost every week that he WAS NOT a journalist. He ran an Opinion Show. Which makes all the difference to understand what he, Glen Beck and others are doing. If you want news, listen to an advertised news show (if you can find one). The problem is that Olby and his gang describe themselves as journalists then give their opinions disguised as news. By the way, his version of the news is to sling mud on people he doesn’t like.
Report Post »rfycom
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 11:23amI miss the good old days when news was news. Facts were checked and rechecked. Now we have preachers who bend the facts to create something that will interest enough people to keep the millions rolling in. I consider these people with equal distaste as people who work for insurance companies. How can anyone work for a heath insurance company and be a christian? How can someone like Rush or Beck be anything close to religious? Can’t
Report Post »Anawynn13
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 11:41amWhat does working for a health insurance company have to do with being Christian??? lol You people just make sh8t up as you go. Health insurance companies are not evil. There are a few bad ones, just like anything else in life. And I’m pretty sure you have no experience in the healthcare industry, with such a broad ignorant statement. You have no credibility.
Report Post »awiderview
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 11:21amPolitical commentary in the United States.
Many would believe I have a “liberal” view because I live in France five months during the year. Although I do appreciate much of what France has to offer and their government plays a very large role in their society, it is said that “the government fears the people.” In the States, it appears the people fear the government. While you cannot compare American politics to those in France, certainly the rhetoric in the States is clearly over the top. I think it spoils the political process.
For those who want to point out the recent strikes in France over changes in retirement as an example of a dysfunctional country, I would point out that it is clearly an indication of freedom of expression- something that is very highly regarded in France.
So, name calling is the best America has to offer?
Report Post »Anawynn13
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 11:43amYou call rioting in the streets and millions of dollars in property damage “freedom of expression”? There’s absolutely no logic in that argument.
Report Post »awiderview
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 3:19pmGood point…it’s better that we fear our government…taking to the streets too easily leads to violence (but probably not by the politically motivated). So, we’ll stay with name calling and individual acts of violence. Neither is ideal. ;-(
Report Post »psst
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 10:33amUm!! Ted.
Report Post »I‘m sure you must have forgotten to remember how Murrow praised ol’ Unca Joe (Stalin) and babblied about the glories of communism whilst Unca starved 5 mil Ukranians to death.
As for Crankcase, well, he helped build the moral of our troops in the field during Nam.
They were thrilled to learn they had lost many battles they thought they had won.
It was not until Ol’ Crank retired that his truuuue leftist dogma came to light. He then really told what he thought. The most trusted man in America radical babblings did not get much play in the MSM. Of course..
uncleherbert
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 11:09amI really like you analgy..Good post!
Report Post »ANewActivist
Posted on November 18, 2010 at 3:43amCronkite was also defending those poor, innocent student Viet Nam war rioters even as they were throwing bags of dog feces (and worse) at the police?
As an aside, were Vietnamese vets really scorned by Americans or by the media? (I think only by the media and by the left)
And while I’m at it was Woodstock really all that wonderful to anyone other than the media?
Yeah, they were really objective back then.
Report Post »FaithHopeCharity45
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 10:15amGood for you Ted. The more these sycophants are exposed for what they are…the more the American public will learn to discriminate between real reporting and agenda based and biased reporting. Don’t be silent people….talk up the truth wherever you go.
Report Post »powhatan
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 10:10amHow do you screw up “facts”///The only way to do that would be to not have the real “facts” right?
Report Post »NickDeringer
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 10:04amIt’s always fun to watch 2 narcissists debating. Like most of the Philosopher Kings, Ted Koppel can’t tell the difference between news and opinion. He never could.
The only difference between them is that Ted Koppel’s bias was hidden in a velvet glove.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:56amSo, Teddy boy thinks Walter Cronkite was objective? He was a self admitted socialist! If that looks fair and balanced to Ted, no wonder he thinks Fox is right of center. Thank goodness there is ONE TV news outlet without a left wing slant!
Report Post »joseph Fawcett
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:55amKoppel is great wish he was still reporting I would be watching, I would even buy a TV.
http://www.josephfawcettart.com western artist
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:58amI see you’ve painted a fantasy world for yourself.
Report Post »john seven eighteen
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:52amIf Koppel thinks Olbermann is bright and pssionate then, pehaps, it is Koppel who’s perspective is screwed up.
Report Post »Alvin691
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:50amKoppel is falling for Olbermann’s trick. Keith is not relevant until you reply to him.
Report Post »rosecityken
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 10:04amvery true, olbermann fly’s flags to get reactions. with no viewers he has to get someone in the media to talk about him. validation is what it is for him.
Report Post »Stupid Windmill
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 5:59pmActually, no one ever talks about Olbermann, ever. He is only popular on the Internet.
Report Post »SND97
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:46amI’m going to say what most of us already know, if it wasn’t for Fox news the media would by now have went completely propaganda for the liberal way of life. While Fox does show a conservative tone, it is fair, fairly honest, and the last hope of objective journalistic integrity remaining. The only so called network outlet news that is decent is ABC news.
Report Post »CBS, & NBC are nothing more than a mouthpiece for George Soros. Ted Koppel has no credibility when talking about Cronkite, Murrow, or even David Brinkley. He gave away any credibility he had a long time ago.
abc
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 4:08pmFox News actually scores very well in terms of accuracy of its news, but those programs are not on during primetime. Hannity, Beck, O’Reilly do not at all score well for accuracy and are highly biased to the right. The “fair and balanced” moniker doesn’t apply to them. There are a number of studies, including a rather prominent one from the conservative Hoover institute that demonstrates this. Just because the conservative narrative on Fox conforms to your ideological bent does not mean that they are reporting news fairly or accurately. But to the extent that you and many others would prefer to hear what you already believe rather than be made aware, through facts, that what you believe is wrong, your comments are hardly surprising. It is human nature to believe that your beliefs are mostly true and those with whom you disagree are mostly wrong. This is a classic cognitive problem with the human brain. It is why humans display such common traits as overconfidence, confirmation bias, and the like. You may not understand these terms, but you’ll just write off your ignorance as another advantage, thereby proving that you have both of the traits I mention.
It is better to stick to more objective evaluations of the value or lack of value behind the mainstream Fox News programs, and by those measures, there is a lot to complain about…unless fair and balanced is not really a priority but just a marketing buzz word.
Report Post »Proud American in Buffalo
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 6:49pm@ABC:
The Primetime Period is slotted for opinion shows. At Fox you know the 8p-11p period is for who hosts who offer their opinions and give the viewer facts so that they make make their own decisions. The MSM offers the viewers ““Journolism” that you are expected to believe no matter what you believe. I like to think that I always take a look at both sides of an issue and decide what to believe based on what think is right, not what thoes so called “thoes in the know” tell me what or how to think.
Report Post »The agenda of the MSM is counteractive to the basic ideals of what being a a jurnolist(sic) should be.
Fox News is a thorn in the side of the MSM and individuals like George Soros are trying to obliderate Free though and expression. Whoes more dangerous?? I know who I would choose.
SSBN_VET
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 7:08pm@ABC
You are not only wrong but arrogant to the point that your elitist ego needs to be humbled with some facts. You wrote:
“Hannity, Beck, O’Reilly do not at all score well for accuracy and are highly biased to the right. The “fair and balanced” moniker doesn’t apply to them.”
All 3 programs present debates with persons from both sides ( conservative and communist/liberal). This is exactly what fair and balanced means and is evidence that you are obviously factually challenged like most of you holier-than-thou, self-rightous, godless, wannabe intellectual, ********.
We understand that why you people want socialism is because you rely on productivity of others because you do not have the ability to think for yourself. Your response, although well written, communicated nothing more than rhetoric along the lines of the Democratic elitist talking points. You totally overlooked anything factual about the 3 programs and presented acusations of bias based on your obvious lack of ability to think outside of the box of your mind controlled existance brought about by an extensive number of years of indoctrination in the educational system.
So the facts that I present here prove that you are by your own response, a hypocrit
Report Post »abc
Posted on November 18, 2010 at 1:41pmProud, you wrote: “The MSM offers the viewers ““Journalism” that you are expected to believe no matter what you believe. I like to think that I always take a look at both sides of an issue and decide what to believe based on what think is right, not what thoes so called “thoes in the know” tell me what or how to think.” So, I think you are confusing the difference between reporting and editorial. When journalists, including guys like Chris Wallace on Fox News, report the news, there is no look at both sides. They report the news. During the Vietnam War they reported the body counts and showed pictures of bodies returning home. Conservatives, would have preferred that they report other facts, like ones confirming the domino theory and why we needed to stay in Vietnam, but the fact that protests were going on and that we were not making progress against the enemy were facts that the MSM focused on. While there is certainly judgment calls in which facts to report, the news organizations like the ever-conservative WSJ and the ever-liberal NYT actually overlap quite a lot on the reporting of news. This is not the big issue that Fox-watchers believe it is, because they buy into the marketing message: watch Fox because we’re not biased like the MSM. But watching the reporting since the 70′s from WSJ and NYT, you can see that the differences were not that great. The editorial pages of these two papers, however, are totally different, and there is nothing wrong with that, provided that the facts upon which the editorial are based are actually accurate, and this is where Fox News’ editorial shows, like O’Reilly and Hannity, are problematic. They do not provide a balanced set of facts. They merely attempt to create the perception they do by putting up a weak straw man of a liberal who is consistently defeated by the conservative. This is not balance. It is Kabuki theater. How do I know this? Because repeated studies of these shows by liberal and conservative watchdogs have analyzed the data and shown that they skew far to the right versus mainstream America–and I can explain the methology used to prove this–and that they are problematic in what they assert and leave out by way of facts to support their case. This is not the same as the incidental bias of a new reporter. It is a systematic failing that only goes one way and is by design. It is not a coincidence that the founder of Fox News, Roger Ailes, had a prior, successful career as an Republican operative who sought not to establish factual truth but to win elections for the GOP. He continues that quest today. You can kid yourself, but there really is no comparison between the MSM of 30 years ago and what goes on between 8-11PM on Fox News every night, and there is much anecdotal and statistical data to prove the point. You can choose to ignore it, but that is a mistake. Afterall, you are entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts.
Report Post »abc
Posted on November 18, 2010 at 1:44pmSSBN, I am not a socialist. That you categorize me as such without evidence is a factual error and perhaps an intellectual weakness on your part. My issues with Fox News have to do with empirical/factual accuracy, not with the ideological viewpoint. There are positive things and negative things about laissez-faire capitalism and socialist systems. And I do not see them as black and white since they do not exist as such in the real world. That you view them in more idealized terms says a lot about how you think and the sources of news you rely upon to draw those conclusions.
Report Post »trolltrainer
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:42amThey are both screwed up! Neither one would know real news if it bit them in the butt…
Report Post »Parkeralan
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:42amUh Ted, he has a lot more screwed up than his perspective. Olbermann is just a pathetic angry man! I have heard rumors that one of his ex-girlfriends used to call him the “Angry Inch”, explains alot!
Report Post »megansmom
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 11:08amSo he’s lacking not only in the brain but in the Other department to. We should should just call him Wacky Lackey.
Report Post »In God We Trust
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 11:21amAngry Inch, and thats a Fact.
Report Post »Ken
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 1:54pmHe actually had girlfriends? Quite frankly (no pun intended), I thought that the miserable piece of flesh was gay!
Report Post »orkydorky
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 8:11pmDoes that mean he’s always trying to reach a LITTLE to far?????????
Report Post »longhorn mama
Posted on November 18, 2010 at 12:30am@KEN
Report Post »Shockingly, Olbermann used to date Laura Ingraham.
Porkins
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:40amIt’s nice to see someone who has been in journalism for many years and practically tell Olbermann to pull his head from backside. Notice how O‘Reilly took Koppel’s words about that? O‘Reilly doesn’t do his work for the fame of it but does it because he loves informing people of the truth. There is no left or right-wing about him, just good old-fashioned telling the news like it happened and without any lying or contorting of the truth. Olbermann, on the other hand, puts so much spin on his stories that his own words destroy the story and his credibility. The sad part was that I used to watch Olbermann all the time and I was once a ‘progressive’. Man….I was a bitter sob back then.
Report Post »dablooz
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:56amI agree with your assessment of liberals being angry. I‘m glad you’ve shed that burden. Have most of you noticed the anger from the left? They espouse liberating yourself and becoiming “free” with their truth, but are so bitter that if that’s what their “truth” will do to you, I’d rather be deluded. Maybe ignorance really is bliss? Or, is there comfort in knowing/accepting truth and not becoming angry? I know the stress level is much lower when you don’t let the minutiae become so troublesome.
Report Post »DagneyT
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:56amYou woke up, that’s whats important!
Report Post »untameable-kate
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 11:04amWelcome to the light.
Report Post »seanpatriot
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:37amOlberdouche is a weak minded liberal clown
Report Post »dominke
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 10:04amkeith has no mind.
Report Post »seanpatriot
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:35amFirst firsty first
Report Post »MAULEMALL
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:55amNo….First buttmunch…
Report Post »Rogue
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 11:00amFail
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:35amoh pish. who gives a flying hoot what ANY of these obama buttboys think anymore. “reporter”, “journalist”: BS. they stopped reporting actual NEWS and ever being journalists again 3 years ago as soon as soros paid them off to get obama in the WH.
Report Post »chazman
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 6:38pmRather? RATHER BIASED!!! Dan Rather was the start of State Run Media! Cronkite just farted the idea and DAN ran with it!!! God help me, but I do hate CBS …
Report Post »tobywil2
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:35amAnother example of the “preponderance of propaganda”! The wannabe tyrants and their cronies are publicizing lies, half-truths and the irrelevant to avoid a discussion of the issues. Pay no attention to the smokescreen.
When the premise is false the only arguments that can be used are fear mongering, emotion, sarcasm, ridicule, attacking the messenger and misrepresentation of the facts (lying). Those who expect to reap huge profits from our misery caused by tyranny are experts at these tactics.
The only relevant issue is freedom or tyranny!!!!
http://commonsense21c.com/
Report Post »MrButcher
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:41amcheers, Sir.
Report Post »MAULEMALL
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:53amThey are obviousely smarter than us so why even try to understand??
I mean they read for a living people!!!
They READ!!!
Report Post »CYCLONE
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 10:17amno ****… sherlock…
Report Post »uncleherbert
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 11:07amKopel, Cronkite both socialist had their slanted views, Rather really got tossed for lying about Bush. I will not put any faith in the MSM. They failed vetting our POTUS has caused the socialist agenda to be pushed forward. The non-reporting is the biggest problem!
Report Post »MAULEMALL
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 11:45amChristmas list..
Report Post »1) Cyclone/ Sense of humor :o](>
CultureWarriors
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 1:15pmtobywil2 – Well said! Let me put it more bluntly – Liberalism is a failure, it has never worked, it will never work and only idiots think it will work. So those that preach it prey on those that are not so bright by using the tatics you described. What does it tell you about the Democratic party that the lower your IQ and the lower your income, the more likely you are to be a Democrat. I’m sorry if I offend anyone, but that’s just a fact. It can’t be sugar coated.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_CsEgIfUX0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1CKYjz9Fj0
Report Post »CultureWarriors
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 3:19pmTed, the wannabe tyrant is just angry because, like all liberals, they suck. I’m sure that he would love to control everything you see and hear like old days, but with technology comes competition and in the arena of ideas, integrity and common sense, you lose Ted. to put it simply; you suck. The reason Bill O does so well is because he doesn’t suck. Get over it, you’re a washed up has been.
Report Post »SusansSS
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 3:38pmhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqTwce_ZLDw
Walter Cronkite without the mask of, “What made those pieces so powerful as they they came out of a lifetime of objective, and not subjective, reporting,” Koppel said.
Report Post »pamela kay
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 5:17pmTobywil2………You make perfect sense. Kudos!
Report Post »Stupid Windmill
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 5:58pmThat is why we must only listen to you!
Report Post »SusansSS
Posted on November 17, 2010 at 8:20pmWalter Cronkite : “I’m Glad To Sit On The Right Hand Of Satan”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqTwce_ZLDw
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