MSNBC's Plame coverage continued to skew right

[NNN0LHI]

http://mediamatters.org/items/200510290001

MSNBC's coverage of the October 28 indictment of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby stemming from the investigation into in the alleged outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame skewed to the right. In the hour and a half after special counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald's press conference announcing the indictment, until the 5 p.m. ET edition of Hardball, the coverage featured commentary from conservative media figures with a history of misinformation regarding the leak controversy, pundits, and journalists -- but no Democrats or progressives. MSNBC's imbalanced reporting on the Libby indictment follows a pattern of skewed, inaccurate coverage of the Plame controversy from MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews.

Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, was indicted for perjury, obstruction of justice, and making false statements as part of special counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald's investigation into the alleged leak.

With Matthews, whose own record of Plame falsehoods has been documented by Media Matters for America (here and here), MSNBC featured two known conservative media figures: former Republican presidential candidate and MSNBC analyst Pat Buchanan and MSNBC host Tucker Carlson. Also featured was former presidential adviser and political pundit David Gergen, who has made several false assertions about the leak controversy. Additionally, MSNBC hosted Charles V. Peña, the director of defense policy studies at the conservative Cato Institute; former Kenneth Starr deputy independent counsel Sol Wisenberg; and Joseph Curl, reporter for the conservative Washington Times.

[LSparkle]

1. And it continues with his disrespectful, arrogant treatment of Dean

He's being positively "O'Lielly"-ish with Howard Dean right now.

[lovuian]

2. Does chris no how bad he looks here!!! He just in such a hot

seat with Cheney and others!!!

[AgadorSparticus]

3. 5 seconds of tweety and that was all I could stomach. I couldn't reach

for the remote fast enough. I'm never going back to MSNBC--except for Keith Olbermann. I set the timer so that I don't catch other nonsense from that channel. I just can't stomach it. I will sometimes flip on CNN to see what mainstream is doing. But that's it. I go online for my news.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

4. Tweety's sense of self-importance led me to ditch him a year ago.

well, that and his having John ONeill, the not-so-swiftboater, on as a virtual co-host every night during GE 04.

[Lex]

5. Listening to Joe DiGenova spout right-wing talking points for CNN

as the indictment was coming down on Friday was maddening.

CNN did not bother to have any progressive voice on to balance DiGenova's radical right-wing non-sense.

[jazzjunkysue]

6. But at least it's being covered. A year ago, we wouldn't have expected

this much coverage. It's getting better. The tide has turned. It's OK to discuss the failed president now.