Some years ago MSNBC tried to do to “retire” (dump) Lawrence O’Donnell. Luckily after what had happened to Ed Schulze viewers mounted a campaign that pressured the network into sitting down and negotiating a new contract. I have a feeling we’re going to have to do it again. O’Donnell laid waste to every news outlet including his own for the fawning treatment given to Trump for appearing in front or reporters so they could ask questions. And afterwards praising him, as well as ramping up the chorus of “Why isn’t Kamala Harris doing a press conference?” In a segment I’ll include later, among several powerful statements is the one in the title O’Donnell criticized his colleagues for tolerating by letting Trump get away with lying with every so-called answer. “A lie is not an answer!”
I watched that “press conference” and afterwards was incredulous that journalists and their outlets agreed to the setup. One camera aimed at Trump. The setting was the large ballroom at Mar A Lago that swallowed up sound unless one happened to have a mic – or be right up front so Trump’s (the only person who had a mic) own microphone could pick up an actual question being asked. I recall only one. Look, we KNEW Trump would dodge and/or lie in responding to every single question he was asked. However, it was a lot easier for a non-political junkie to see some of that crap and come away thinking Trump answered a bunch of questions and often truthfully. Because they couldn’t hear the actual question that had been asked, and journalists were in full ass-kissing mode. There was no interrupting with That’s not what I asked, or You’re not answering the question, or more pointedly that’s inaccurate/not true. Nor any follow up.
Trump’s gotten away with that since he began running for President but yesterday took it to a whole new level. I think what bothered O’Donnell so much was the praise given to Trump for simply standing up there and taking questions. (That no one watching could hear) And either not addressing the question or flat-out LYING in his response to each and every one. In this article from Alternet it notes:
“It would be hard to find a sentence in what Donald Trump said today that did not include at least one lie,” O’Donnell said. “Some of the networks tried to play catchup with fact-checking after Donald Trump finished speaking, but that, of course, is way too late and utterly useless. No network even attempted to fact-check every lie Donald Trump told.”
O’Donnell pointed out that the technology to have a banner on the right of the screen with typed, real time fact checking is an easy thing for any news outlet to do. Yet it didn’t happen yesterday and don’t count on it happening in the future. He also pointed out how easy it would have been to have had a split screen showing the rally Harris and Waltz were speaking to at the same time Trump’s little event was going on. Yet that didn’t happen either. He also called out MSNBC’s parent network because NBC showed Olympic coverage and only a few minutes of Harris and Walz. I think it’s safe to say that the bosses at MSNBC and NBC are furious. They probably had the lawyers in their offices to scream at them to find a way to dump O’Donnell. ‘RIGHT F**KING NOW!!!’ Hence my comment we’d better be ready to go to bat to save his job because we need him.
There are too few people in the talking head brigade willing to speak out like this. As the linked article notes we aren’t all the way back in 2016. It’s worse than that:
In his segment, O’Donnell regarded the media’s treatment of Trump’s third campaign for the White House as “2016 all over again,” and that “the same mistakes are being made” in how major media outlets are inherently helping Trump by allowing him to get away with lying unchecked.
“I have never seen an industry slower at learning from its own stupid mistakes than the American news business, and you cannot expect them in the next 89 days to figure out what they haven’t been able to figure out in nine years: how to cover a Trump for president campaign,” O’Donnell said.
Do yourself a favor and watch this five minute portion of O’Donnell’s remarks last night. If major news outlets won’t act the way they should then it’s up to this and other blogs as well as social media to do what those who profess to be the real journalism sources the public should pay attention to as full of sh*t.
We need every anchor & journalist to be like Lawrence O’Donnell. Take the time & watch this. This is how it’s done. Thank you, @Lawrence. pic.twitter.com/HMr7l3mvJb
— Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020) August 9, 2024
As Politizoom’s Murfster always says I thank you for the privilege of your time.
I actually watched that whole segment of O’Donnell’s. It was brilliant! We really do need more journalists like him.
If MSNBC cans him, I’ll be canning THEM!
Amen. As I said they tried once before but the viewership rallied and the bosses backed down. I’m thinking we shouldn’t wait. I’m not sure when his current contract is up and right now winning this election is the priority that should get all of our effort. However, when it’s done perhaps a pre-emptive campaign should be launched to pressure MSNBC to extend O’Donnell’s contract. With Maddow having cut back to one night a week and special coverage sometimes O’Donnell is the main reason I watch them in the evening. If he gets dumped I can’t see a good reason to continue watching at anything close to as much as I’ve done for decades now.
Same here. And my cousin the same. There are a lot of us who would dump MSNBC if they dump Lawrence.
Do us all a favor Denis and give us the right addresses to send our emails/texts/tweets whatevers. For sure the brass at NBC will want to axe Lawrence, imagine his nerve in calling them out for the cowards and Trump sycophants they are! We all need to add our vices to his.
The Harris Campaign absolutely needs to give Lawrence an exclusive interview. Show the damn media how it’s done: you cover me I’ll give you access.