MSNBC Drops the Ball

[YankeeFan]

I don't understand how the executives, reporters, and anchors at MSNBC can have any self respect today.

Health care reform is a huge story. Right? There's breaking news, the Senate is currently in session, and MSNBC is showing its normal weekend documentaries.

Very weak.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

yep.

 

[Small Town Guy]

One can never have enough Raw Footage of To Catch a Predator/Lockup at Sing Sing or docs like "DEATH CAME CALLING."

 

[Starman]

And here ... we.... go!!

 

[YankeeFan]

And here ... we.... go!!

Why? I said nothing about the politics of the bill. Just criticizing, "The Place for Politics" failure to cover a huge story.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

And here ... we.... go!!

Why? I said nothing about the politics of the bill. Just criticizing, "The Place for Politics" failure to cover a huge story.

Agree wholeheartedly. MSNBC has for a long time been in need of a trip to the woodshed over its lack of weekend nimbleness. I'm curious how big the story would have to be to overcome the institutional inertia.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

YankeeFan and I could not be more apart politically. I totally agree with his position here. What the hell good is 24-hour cable news if not for breaking news at any time?
Of course, I don't think 24-hour cable news is good for anything anyway. All three networks suck in their own unique ways.

 

[fishhack2009]

I don't understand how the executives, reporters, and anchors at MSNBC can have any self respect today.

Health care reform is a huge story. Right? There's breaking news, the Senate is currently in session, and MSNBC is showing its normal weekend documentaries.

Very weak.

Don't worry, YF. I'm sure the "fair and balanced" journalists over on Fox are more than picking up the slack.

*blue font off*

That said, I do agree. MSNBC needed to be covering this today.

 

[TigerVols]

On a Saturday afternoon before Christmas on a second-tier newstalk network, Predator and Lock Up collect far more eyeballs than health care coverage. If I run NBCU and I turn on MS today and see some b-teamers talking health-care, I'm firing the boss first thing Monday morning.

There are plenty of places you can get health care coverage news today if you're desperate enough.

 

[YankeeFan]

And here ... we.... go!!

Why? I said nothing about the politics of the bill. Just criticizing, "The Place for Politics" failure to cover a huge story.

Agree wholeheartedly. MSNBC has for a long time been in need of a trip to the woodshed over its lack of weekend nimbleness. I'm curious how big the story would have to be to overcome the institutional inertia.

This is what I'd like to know too and wish someone would look into.

Was it discussed? Did they decide not to break from the usual schedule or did they just put on the usual crap without even thinking about it?

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

On a Saturday afternoon before Christmas on a second-tier newstalk network, Predator and Lock Up collect far more eyeballs than health care coverage. If I run MSNBCU and I turn on MS today and see some b-teamers talking health-care, I'm firing the boss first thing Monday morning.

Wrong answer. This is one of the biggest stories of the year. If you want to be taken seriously as a news network, you ****can the Dateline bull**** and cover it. Period.

MSNBC's not a "second-tier newstalk" network (whatever the hell that is) anymore. It needs to start acting like it.

There are plenty of places you can get health care coverage news today if you're desperate enough.

Stop spewing bull****. This is the same kind of myopia we decry regarding local-local-local news and sports coverage and it's equally shortsighted. Big news is breaking? Cover it. Period. No excuses.

And here ... we.... go!!

Why? I said nothing about the politics of the bill. Just criticizing, "The Place for Politics" failure to cover a huge story.

Agree wholeheartedly. MSNBC has for a long time been in need of a trip to the woodshed over its lack of weekend nimbleness. I'm curious how big the story would have to be to overcome the institutional inertia.

This is what I'd like to know too and wish someone would look into.

Was it discussed? Did they decide not to break from the usual schedule or did they just put on the usual crap without even thinking about it?

They've always done this. It may have made sense in 1998 when nobody watched MSNBC. In 2009 it's utterly farcical.

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

MSNBC - the place for politics ... if those politics happen to take place during regular business hours.

 

[YankeeFan]

On a Saturday afternoon before Christmas on a second-tier newstalk network, Predator and Lock Up collect far more eyeballs than health care coverage. If I run MSNBCU and I turn on MS today and see some b-teamers talking health-care, I'm firing the boss first thing Monday morning.

Wrong answer. This is one of the biggest stories of the year. If you want to be taken seriously as a news network, you ****can the Dateline bull**** and cover it. Period.

MSNBC's not a "second-tier newstalk" network (whatever the hell that is) anymore. It needs to start acting like it.

You can't cover the story obsessively for three hours (or more) a night for months on end -- including countless hours speculating on whether they can get to 60 votes in the Senate -- and then not cover it when they get to 60 votes just because it's a Saturday.

And I can't imagine this would have cost them a lot of money. You had an anchor in the chair. Tell her to stay. Same goes with Russert's kid who was on Capital Hill.

 

[Boom_70]

What do you expect from a network that still thinks George Bush is President.

 

[YankeeFan]

What do you expect from a network that still thinks George Bush is President.

Now you've done it. Starman is going to scold you.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

On a Saturday afternoon before Christmas on a second-tier newstalk network, Predator and Lock Up collect far more eyeballs than health care coverage. If I run MSNBCU and I turn on MS today and see some b-teamers talking health-care, I'm firing the boss first thing Monday morning.

Wrong answer. This is one of the biggest stories of the year. If you want to be taken seriously as a news network, you ****can the Dateline bull**** and cover it. Period.

MSNBC's not a "second-tier newstalk" network (whatever the hell that is) anymore. It needs to start acting like it.

You can't cover the story obsessively for three hours (or more) a night for months on end -- including countless hours speculating on whether they can get to 60 votes in the Senate -- and then not cover it when they get to 60 votes just because it's a Saturday.

And I can't imagine this would have cost them a lot of money. You had an anchor in the chair. Tell her to stay. Same goes with Russert's kid who was on Capital Hill.

Another news story they're missing out on: the blizzard that's driving the Mid-Atlantic region to its knees1. Reagan National just announced that all runways are closed until 0600 tomorrow. Between that and the health-care "deal" there's surely enough going on today to merit ****canning a rerun documentary about transgender people.

1Funny how the same kind of weather with even colder temperatures in the intermountain West is not considered newsworthy. Apparently it has to inconvenience pampered network TV news executives before it breaks the surface.

 

[Cosmo]

2much ... it's not considered as newsworthy because a) fewer people are affected and b) the states in the intermountain West are much more prepared for such an event. It's newsworthy because a storm like this doesn't hit this area very often. It's old hat in Wyoming/Utah/Colorado/northern Arizona.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

What do you expect from a network that still thinks George Bush is President.

Well, seeing as we're still digging out from the rubble left by . . .

 

[YankeeFan]

What do you expect from a network that still thinks George Bush is President.

Well, seeing as we're still digging out from the rubble left by . . .

C'mon. Let's leave this to beating up on MSNBC and not prove Starman right.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

What do you expect from a network that still thinks George Bush is President.

Well, seeing as we're still digging out from the rubble left by . . .

C'mon. Let's leave this to beating up on MSNBC and not prove Starman right.

That.