Blog Pioneer Alterman Axed by MSNBC (political decision by GE/NBC?)

[DeepModem Mom]

Editor & Computer: Mainstream Blog Pioneer Alterman Axed by MSNBC
Published: September 11, 2006

NEW YORK -- Eric Alterman, perhaps the first writer to get a blog on a mainstream national news site, has been dismissed after 10 years by MSNBC.com.

"P.S., I’m Fired," he heads an email to others in the media.

His blog, Altercation, however, will be picked up by the liberal site Media Matters. He will also become a senior fellow there. Alterman has also been a longtime columnist at The Nation magazine. He teaches at City University of New York.

"I was hired before the 1996 launch by both the website and the cable station, and while the latter association ended in 1998, I have been here at MSNBC.com for ten straight years, writing a column until 2002 and Altercation every day, ever since," he writes. "Permit me to point out that with the help of my contributors and co-Altercators, I’ve probably contributed more words to this site than any other person, including full-time staff. Well, ten years is a good run at anything."...

***

"Whether my termination is, in fact, a product of a political decision at GE/NBC, which according to reports I read and gossip I hear, has lately taken a much firmer hand in guiding the content of both MSNBC and MSNBC.com, I have no way of knowing.... It would surprise no one if this site caused some discomfort at 30 Rock, if and when they happen to notice it. But speculation is not the same thing as evidence, and the good folks MSNBC.com and GE/NBC can, I’m sure, give you good reasons why dumping Altercation is the right thing to do from a business standpoint-- though the natural speculation that arises is a damn good argument against the kind of media concentration that allows a company like GE to own NBC in the first place."...

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003119822

[acmavm]

1. This seems to be a trend lately. Of course, not amongst

right wingers who make crap up for a living.

[warrens]

2. We don't have a Scaife or Coors to fund crap think tanks

To fund crap writers. If you're willing to be a vicious, lying pig, you'll never starve, because Scaife will fund some publisher or think tank to get your crap published, then will buy up thousands of copies to make sure it's a "hit."

[blm]

6. WE don't have large corporations who will BUY newsmedia outlets and

networks.

They do. They started buying up control of the media in the 80s and 90s to pave the way for the fascist agenda we are seeing play out today.

[Teaser]

3. Alterman's blog isn't at the top of my blogroll..

but he's a good guy.

[Dr.Phool]

4. I guess I'll have to spend more time at Media Matters now.

I read Altercation every day, and have for years.

I wouldn't be surprised if they pulled the plug on Olbermann next.

[lyonn]

11. If they let Olbermann go they will have lost most Lefties

His is the only program that I will go out of my way to watch. Without his show MSNBC will be Fox.

Alterman was an important site way back in the 90's when internet blogs got started and his was one of the best. That is if you were Left Leaning and didn't believe the Starr Wars crap and the bush election crap. He was an oasis in the messy media even if it was a blog.

[displacedtexan]

5. Typical.

Just when NBC was looking better than
not quite as evil as ABC, they pull this stunt.

[xultar]

7. The political landscape has for ever chaned people. The US is

over. Amerika is here. I'm gettin the phuck outta here.

[goclark]

10. Don't leave xultar ~ we have to keep on

keeping on!

You are one mighty champion for Justice and Amerika must be challenged by those who seek the Truth.

I know exactly how you feel however. They make me :puke:

[stepnw1f]

8. "Liberal Media", My Ass

Fucking sociopathic corporate fascists own the media.

[glitch]

9. The Networks seem to be intentionally making themselves irrelevant

It looks like they are targeting their base only. Perhaps they know no one else is buying their spewage and they need to prop up their base before they lose even them.

[gully]

12. Olbermann is still at MSNBC and I think they're letting him loose lately.

Though, I AM sorry to hear this.

[Catherine Vincent]

13. And yet that wretched Imus remains.

unbelievable

[Chimichurri]

14. Eric Alterman of Altercation fired from msnbc.com:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14784419/#ImFired

First, the bad news: I’m fired. MSNBC.com has decided to end its support of “Altercation,” and indeed, all of its association with yours truly as of this Friday.

[Maat]

15. Too "liberal."

After all, the facts have a definite liberal bias.

Eric did not engage in the required butt-kissing of Chimpy.

He declined to do so.

:sarcasm:

Seriously, I will miss watching Eric, but, then, I will buy his books.

[Bandit]

20. Yes the truth does indeed have a liberal bias but we don't in

fact know the truth here now do we. They seem to allow Olberman and I wouldn't categorize him as Conservative, would you. I don't know what the cause of his losing his employment with MSNBC but I don't wish to jump to conclusions. Do you?

[Maat]

29. No, I certainly would not want to do that (HeeHee).

[Beaverhausen]

16. dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2504909

[Kerrytravelers]

17. But, it's a liberal media, right?

:eyes:

[Jackpine Radical]

19. Well, yes, of COURSE it's a liberal media.

Alterman was fired for being too conservative.

[NYCGirl]

18. It took them 10 years to decide he was too liberal? NT

[w4rma]

22. Well they have Olberman as their "token liberal" now.

And they can't get rid of him since he is now one of their top ratings hosts. There is only room for one "token liberal".

[AllieB]

39. They got rid of Phil Donahue, who at the time was the top rated show

on MSNBC. It has more to do with politics than ratings and, after Keith's commentary last night, I wonder if he'll be reined in.

[AX10]

21. It's the "liberul" media.

<sarcasm off!>

[PeaceProgProsp]

23. MSNBC -- the station that dumped Donanhue, a highly-rated

show, and replaced it with Scarborough, which is among the lowest rated shows on cable.

Before they dumped Donahue, they required him to have two conservative guests for every liberal he had on.

[MarinCoUSA]

24. BASTARDS!!!!!

n/t

[rocktivity]

25. It's getting too close to November for fairness and balance

:eyes:
rocknation

[flyarm]

26. Eric Alterman, Mike Malloy, Professor Steven Jones

our voice is being silenced...

we best all recognize that...

and when people on DU watch ABC and the propganda 9/11 bullshit..you are supporting the propaganda...

please understand that..
we refuse to shut down Rush limballs when we listen..we refuse to shut down fox...

and by all the posts i saw last night here at Du about the fucking bullshit ABC piled in peoples living rooms..we as a whole have refused to shut down ABC

when will we do it collectively??

i know there will be the ..well we need to know..crap..

bull!!

you know ABC 9/11 is bullshit..so why do we watch it??

we have the power of numbers and majority..so why are we supporting cow manure??

as long as we watch..as long as we do not shut the reich wing down..we get what we deserve!

fly

[orleans]

40. steven jones? when was he fired?

let's hope they don't get olberman--especially after his commentary last night.

[wicket]

27. He's much better off at Media Matters

Good luck to him.

[KoKo]

31. He will be good at Media Matters...but once more MSNBC shows it's new

more conservative direction under Dan Abrams. GE has decided that Bush must win at all cost.

[Dudley_DUright]

28. Alterman was the only thing I ever read at MSNBC

so I guess it is now safe to delete their bookmark now.

[ReadTomPaine]

30. Outspoken progressive media figures are being targeted it seems.

Liberal media personalities are apparently in the crosshairs of late. I frankly expected this sooner - "attack your opponent's strength" and all that.

I wonder who's going to be next.

[DeepModem Mom]

32. LOL! I WAS IN A B-I-I-I-I-G HURRY WHEN I POSTED SUBJECT LINE...

AS "EDITOR&COMPUTER" INSTEAD OF "EDITOR&PUBLISHER"! I MUST HAVE BEEN THINKING, IF I DON'T GET OFF THIS COMPUTER, I'M GOING TO BE SOOOO LATE FOR A MEETING I HAD SCHEDULED! SORRY TO ALL!

[Roland99]

33. The conservative takeover of all of M$M is almost complete.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

34. So very strange: I was about to post these very same words.

We didn't even really have a chance, did we?

[Roland99]

35. Not since the neocons hijacked the GOP in the early 80s

[chill_wind]

36. He may be fired, but he won't go quietly.

I'm sure he'll be an even larger and growing voice in alternative media they won't be able to silence or control now that they've axed him. He's young, with a long future in front of him. Long may he live to be a steadfast critic and thorn forever in their side.

They are fools.

[kentjay]

37. i hope keith doesnn`t get the axe,

in american,many facets in society don`t want the truth out,the move to hijack this country was begun some 40 years ago,we were warned by many,ike for one,the military,the corporations,the evilgelicals and of course the politicos,these 4 criteria do make up the very term fascist,something the administration has been using lately,i hope they look in the mirror and see that they have become the monster that they have been fighting.or at say they have been fighting.

[JPZenger]

38. Powers that Be Scared of November

The media companies are afraid that their consolidation will be harder under a Democratic House.

(The CIA "interrogators are all signed up for CIA-funded insurance that will provide them with lawyers if they are criminally charged, based upon investigations by the Democratically-controlled House next year.)

[plasticsundance]

41. The corporate fascists are desperate.

They have to resort to these tactics, and it only makes control of MSM news less and less reflect reality. Things are really fucked, and they're doing all they can to try and hide the evidence of their constant and failed manipulations.