Those who say the late night comedy shows have forgotten how to be funny should consider Monday’s The Late Show on CBS as former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki promoted her new MSNBC show by telling host Stephen Colbert that the network has “a very high standard of what is factual.”
The duo was discussing some of the latest controversies surrounding Fox News, specifically that Fox allegedly shared publicly unavailable Biden campaign ad information with the Trump team, when Colbert almost had a moment of liberal self-awareness, “Okay, so if your bosses MSNBC, which is sometimes called a liberal Fox, I don't think that's entirely fair, if you are asked to do any of that, what would you say?”
Fox denies the claim, but as for Psaki, she declared that “I would say no, but I would never be asked that.”
Colbert tried again, insisting it was just a hypothetical, but Psaki maintained “Well, I don't do hypotheticals, A, but B, look, I think this an important piece to dive into because MSNBC has a very high standard of what is factual. You have to go through a process before you report things on air to make sure they are factual and you have sources.”
MSNBC must have a different definition of “very high” than most people considering all their fake news about red states banning books, not wanting to teach the history of slavery or say the word “gay,” or that pro-lifers are making it essentially impossible for doctors to treat miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies.
Psaki, however, insisted, “That is how new should work. Now, you can have informed opinion, which is what I will share and what others will share. Informed experiences, informed perspective. That is an important part of reporting as well but there's a huge difference between going out there, reporting things that are inaccurate, knowingly reporting they’re inaccurate and sharing perspective.”
Maybe before taking shots at Fox, Psaki and MSNBC should focus on cleaning up their own house.
This segment was sponsored by Comcast.
Here is a transcript for the March-13 taped show:
CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
3/13/2023
12:26 AM ET
STEPHEN COLBERT: Okay, so if your bosses MSNBC, which is sometimes called a liberal Fox, I don't think that's entirely fair, if you are asked to do any of that, what would you say?
JEN PSAKI: I would say no, but I would never be asked that.
COLBERT: But I’m asking-- it's a hypothetical.
PSAKI: Well, I don't do hypotheticals, A--
COLBERT: Okay.
PSAKI: -- but B, look, I think this an important piece to dive into because MSNBC has a very high standard of what is factual. You have to go through a process before you report things on air to make sure they are factual and you have sources.
That is how new should work. Now, you can have informed opinion, which is what I will share and what others will share. Informed experiences, informed perspective. That is an important part of reporting as well but there's a huge difference between going out there, reporting things that are inaccurate, knowingly reporting they’re inaccurate and sharing perspective.
