MSNBC offering conservative voter outreach, for a price (Outrageous!)

[RamboLiberal]

http://openlettertochrismatthews.blogspot.com/2006/02/msnbc-offering-conservative-voter.html

Well, isn't this interesting.

A top MSNBC producer, who worked on Hardball with Chris Matthews, and now works for MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, is off giving paid-only lectures about how to influence conservative voters. Gee, can you get more partisan than that? We're not just talking influencing conservatives, we're talking influencing VOTERS. That means elections. That means MSNBC staff is actively working to influence elections to help Republicans.

No right-wing bias there.

MSNBC senior producer Mike Tirone is speaking on a $279 per listener conference call on Feburary 16. The title of the call is "How to Reach Masses of Conservative Voters with Your Cause, Policy or Political Message." Kind of transparent on its face what that call's about.

[arcane1]

1. If I had $279 to blow, I'd actually be interested in hearing it..

if only to perhaps get some ideas on how WE can reach conservative voters

[SlipperySlope]

2. Good thinking... - N/T

N/T

[RamboLiberal]

3. I'm more outraged that MSNBC can be so damn obvious

Not even pretend there's no bias. I think it's past time for the Dems to play that card the Repukes play so well. The Repukes managed to label the media "liberal media" and to intimidate them to play to them. Dems should be screaming about this. I know I fired off an email to MSNBC about this. I'm so sick of this crap from MSGOP and CNNGOP!

[NYCGirl]

4. The guy's a producer. There's dozens of them at MSNBC. It's not like the

guy owns the company, or has much to say about policy there.

[RamboLiberal]

5. He's the friggin' news media - he shouldn't be playing favorites

And producers have an influence on booking guests, topics, etc.

[NYCGirl]

6. So you don't think a conservative should be working for Scarborough? NT

[RamboLiberal]

8. I don't care if a conservative works for Scarborough

but he shouldn't be giving lectures for either political party as long as he works in a news organization.

It's no wonder most of the shows on MSNBC except for KO have such a bias to Conservatives and Republicans. There's not even a pretense of balance any more except for the occassional token ineffectual liberal or DINO they book.

If this were reversed I think the Repukes would be steamed.

[KharmaTrain]

7. Producers Carry The Water

Story ideas don't come out of nowhere...4 wingnut guests on a show just don't happen to walk into a studio...a Rovian spin isn't put into play without someone putting it there...and that's what a Producer does.

They're the real enablers out there...the ones who call the elections and determine when to cut the cameras and mikes. No, they don't own the network, but they sure do deliver the message.

[sandnsea]

9. It used to be called unethical

Nobody in the media was allowed to get involved in anything political. There were several articles about it during the last election. Any hint of a journalist at a war protest or even a Kerry event, and they were blasted. Now it's Republicans and we're supposed to make excuses for them???

[NYCGirl]

10. Sounds like the lecture is a "how to" for media people.

Of course, without a link to a more complete description, I can't tell what it's really about. But I think everyone gives news producers too much power. They're pretty ineffectual in most cases.

Edited to add: Just saw the course description, and he's on a panel with other wingnuts from other wingnut media.