So what if his network is drawing a larger audience than its combined competition? So what if one of his newest shows has drawn unprecedented numbers for a start-up that airs at 5 p.m.? According to Newsweek's Howard Fineman, Fox News President Roger Ailes is tarnishing his own personal reputation.
It could just be sour grapes for Fineman, who is affiliated with rival network MSNBC and was appearing on that network's "Countdown" with fill-in host David Shuster, but he attacked Fox host Glenn Beck and the 9/12 protestors he helped inspire.
"Well, he can - he can pretend to cry all he wants on the stage and call himself a televangelist," Fineman said of Beck on MSNBC's Sept. 14 "Countdown." "He is not into uniting the country, from everything I've seen. He is making a boatload of money dividing the country. When you say with no real evidence whatsoever that the president of the United States hates white people, you aren't behaving in the spirit of 9/12, you're behaving in a spirit that we thought we've gotten rid of at the end of the civil war and the end of the second civil rights movement. So, you know, he can cry the crocodile tears all he wants. That doesn't seem to be what he's actually doing."
Shuster asked Fineman if Beck was politicizing the 9/11 attacks, since in his estimation Beck had failed in his stated intention to unite the country in a manner that reflected the sentiment of the nation on Sept. 12, 2001. Fineman responded by taking a shot at the Sept. 12 march on Washington, D.C. participants.
"Well, I think that's the way it's ended up," Fineman said. "They're trying to wrap themselves in the flag that everybody was saluting on the day after 9/11."
Fineman then went after Fox News President Roger Ailes. He contended that despite Fox News overwhelming ratings success and the new Glenn Beck phenomenon, Ailes, who has faced his share of attacks from lefty pundits over the years, was hurting his reputation.
"And, you know, I got to say here, we're talking about Fox to some extent," Fineman continued. "I know a lot of people there. This is heresy to say on this network, I think Roger Ailes is a good guy who loves the country and who can be a very, very good news man. Some of the things that he's allowing on his network don't do justice to his reputation and, division it is."
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Fineman = Pettyman
September 15, 2009 - 12:24 ET by BondPlainBondThat's all.
"Some of the things that
September 15, 2009 - 12:25 ET by Chris Norman"Some of the things that he's allowing on his network don't do justice to his reputation and, division it is."
Oh, and you say that Beck cries "crocodile tears"? You used to have some kind of reputation yourself, Howard. But, since you through in your lot with a little-watched liberal network-ette, you're now known maybe to what, a few thousand people? I'm sure Ailes is asking, "Howard Who?"... Sour grapes from a nobody...
And I don't even care that much for Beck's style, but I salute his success and contributions.
The "Mainstream" Media: By liberals. For liberals.
He was talking about GE's
September 15, 2009 - 12:30 ET by motherbeltHe was talking about GE's Jeffrey Immelt and MSNBC, wasn't he?
We all know how that network elevates the debate and is a source of immense pride to Mr. Immelt!
mb,Yeah, using MSNBC as
September 15, 2009 - 12:42 ET by Chris Normanmb,
Yeah, using MSNBC as a platform to criticize the journalistic practices at Fox - there needs to be a whole new term to describe the hypocrisy for that - hyperocrisy, perhaps?
The "Mainstream" Media: By liberals. For liberals.
"here needs to be a whole
September 15, 2009 - 12:47 ET by HockeyKid"here needs to be a whole new term to describe the hypocricy for that"
There is. The word is "Countdown".
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
Exactly. But I still like
September 15, 2009 - 12:54 ET by Chris NormanExactly. But I still like "hyperocrisy".
The "Mainstream" Media: By liberals. For liberals.
You're right; and I like
September 15, 2009 - 14:22 ET by motherbeltYou're right; and I like "hyperocrisy."
These idiots are absolutely immune to irony.
Hey, how about "Ironocrisy".....a combo of irony and hypocrisy!
Ironocricy - I like it! I
September 15, 2009 - 16:33 ET by Chris NormanIronocricy - I like it! I was thinking one time that a bump up from "ironry" would be "steelery" :)
The "Mainstream" Media: By liberals. For liberals.
Wow... thats really rich...
September 15, 2009 - 12:45 ET by bobthemanWow... thats really rich... this coming from a network whose reputation is clean as the driven snow. Gimme a break...
Politics of Destruction
Yes, pure as the driven
September 15, 2009 - 12:49 ET by HockeyKidYes, pure as the driven snow--'til Olbie, Matthews et al started writing their names in it...
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
Fineman: "He is not into
September 15, 2009 - 12:51 ET by Jack BauerLook, I hate Keith Olbermann as much as the next sane person, but who then frack says it's the job of a cable host to "unite the country?"
If Olbermann wants to smear and demagogue, that's between him and his employer. If he wants to ridcule people as the "Worst Person in the World" leading to division and disharmony and the lack of civility we all so want, so what?
If he wants to gin up conspiracy nutjob therories, who are we to stop him?
*Keith Olbermann, the anchor of “Countdown,” will remain at MSNBC through the next presidential election season, the cable news channel announced Monday afternoon.
The announcement came less than two years into Mr. Olbermann’s current four-year deal. MSNBC essentially tore up his February 2007 contract (reported to be worth up to $4 million a year) and wrote a new one, according to two employees with knowledge of the agreement. The new contract is valued at about $7.5 million a year, one of the people said.
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/msnbc-olbermann-renew-contract/
I am not a role model
September 15, 2009 - 13:33 ET by KC MulvilleThe idea that a media figure is supposed to be "unifying" the country is just another example of how self-important these bozos think they are.
Fineman and MSNBC spend all day disparaging half the country, and yet they have the nerve to condemn Glenn Beck and Roger Ailes as not behaving in the "spirit of 9/12?" What a crock of crap! Their idea is that on 9/12, they were willing to hold their noses about conservatives, so long as conservatives stopped being conservative. As soon as conservatives didn't do what liberals wanted, the liberals declared that conservatives were breaking the truce.
What a fool ...
KC, I hate to disagree, but
September 15, 2009 - 14:31 ET by motherbeltKC, I hate to disagree, but I never bought Barkley's excuse.
No one "decides to be" a role model. One gets "chosen" as one. People, especially kids, choose who to emulate. Anyone who becomes famous in professional sports knows that is going to happen. It's part of the package.
And once he was considered a role model, I believe Barkley had an obligation, not to be a saint, but at least to not be an antihero.
But that's wholly different from a journalist. A journalist is absolutely NOT supposed to unite the country. He is supposed to cover and report news and shed light on issues from different angles.
What's so wrong with disagreement?
September 15, 2009 - 14:57 ET by KC MulvilleI don't think there's anything wrong with disagreement. It's normal. Feel free.
I'll tell you why I agree with Barkley. Since when does anyone have the right to hold others to higher standards?
That said, I deny that other people's expectations should place extra burdens on anyone else, even if they're celebrities. For marketing reasons, in real life, they often do, but I don't think they should.
And as for journalists ... well, I hold most of them in contempt. A good reporter is a joy to read, but most of them are just wasting my time.
"And once he was considered
September 15, 2009 - 16:31 ET by ckc1227"And once he was considered a role model, I believe Barkley had an obligation, not to be a saint, but at least to not be an antihero."
So, they have zero choice in being a role model, but when arbitrarily assigned the position by total strangers, they have the obligation to surrender their free will and behave as the role model that others want them to be?
Yeah....sorry, not buying that one. Sounds an awful lot like a form of slavery to me. And frankly, any society that assigns role model status to the likes of Charles Barkley failed long before Charles came along.
What did he say again?
September 15, 2009 - 13:14 ET by StarAZWhen I hear the word Fineman, I tune out--he never has a scintilla of original thought to convey. Now Roger Ailes is disgracing himself? I see some projection there, Howie.
I know it's already been
September 15, 2009 - 13:37 ET by BKeyserI know it's already been said, but it's hard to ignore the irony here- this was said... on Countdown! Stunningly ironic.
Additionally, the rally this weekend, as I relate to it, was not about 9/11. Nor was it about "uniting the country" as Shuster so smugly put it. This country will never be united politically. It wasn't on 9/10, 9/11, or 9/12. It was sufficiently shocked because of 9/11 that for a very short time, liberals felt the stinging pinge (is that a word?) of patriotism. It was short-lived, and obviously, quite embarrassing for them.
I for one would like to see
September 15, 2009 - 14:20 ET by Dan The Man 2I for one would like to see FNC hosts migrate to FOX network and do some magic there. Or better yet get Rupert to buy out one of the 3 major nets broadcasting frequencies or perhpas one of the nets themselves and get FNC style reporting or better on the airwaves. It would probably do some good for the knowlege of teh general public, and maybe Gison would have a clue.
picture Sherlock
September 15, 2009 - 14:36 ET by cajun2In order to find a clue, one must be searching. The only thing these guys are looking at is a mirror and so impressed with what they see.
ALL Newsweek people
September 15, 2009 - 14:43 ET by Gat New YorkFineman is like all the other leftist people who occupy editorial offices at Newsweek. They have left behind any pretense of journalistic integrity and have absolutely no self-respect.
I prefer "Olbermann's Fineman" to "Newsweek's Fineman"
September 15, 2009 - 15:03 ET by SickofLibsAfter all, Olby intros him as "our own Howard Fineman."
He writes one column for a weekly rag, yet you can't turn on MSNBC without seeing his constipated face and smug smile.
Unity does not mean rolling over
September 15, 2009 - 15:19 ET by GhostbusterAs I interpret it, Beck's message is we (as in We The People) need to unite against the government. The liberal media thinks "unite" means to bow to whatever Obama wants.
So yes, Beck is for uniting the country. It's not surprising that liberals would be against that.
-Ghostbuster
Love the "Undocumented
September 15, 2009 - 15:25 ET by MightyMouthLove the "Undocumented Worker" poster with Obama's picture on it!
Conservatives are nothing if not creative and resourceful!
"The bureaucracy is growing to meet the needs of the growing bureaucracy"
"When you say with no real
September 15, 2009 - 16:48 ET by ckc1227"When you say with no real evidence whatsoever that the president of the
United States hates white people, you aren't behaving in the spirit of
9/12, you're behaving in a spirit that we thought we've gotten rid of
at the end of the civil war and the end of the second civil rights
movement"
Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black? Newsweek, and especially MSNBC alleges racism on a daily basis with no evidence whatsoever.
Newsweek Declares White Babies are Racist
Newsweek's Alter Insists: Only Racism Could Prevent President Obama
yes I agree! Instead of
September 16, 2009 - 10:43 ET by realpatriotcovering the criticism of Obama, Fox & Beck should be focusing more on the torture of suspected terrorists, Racist Teabaggers, Joe Wilson, Abu Garib not Acorn or other things that hurt our Messiah!