For reporting that is an embarrassment to the profession
of journalism, and for being beholden to corporate paymasters rather than
the citizens of America.
Whatever David Shuster's merits as a rare
mainstream media television reporter who has gotten some actual scoops on
the Bush Administration -- and shown
some backbone in challenging Capitol Hill hypocrites, his comment about Chelsea
Clinton last week is deplorable. He might not be a Media Putz in general,
but he certainly became one when he was substitute host on the "Tucker
Carlson Show."
As BuzzFlash reader Mykiel of Spring Valley, Ohio, wrote in her nomination: "After
months of unchecked Hillary bashing and his rabid defense of Chris Matthews
when Matthews was forced to apologize for HIS sexist comments directed toward
Hillary, David Shuster finally snapped and went way over the line when he
said 'Doesn't it seem as if Chelsea is sort of being pimped out in some weird
sort of way?' -- simply because Chelsea was making phone calls for her mother's
campaign. I nominate David Shuster for Media Putz of the week."
Hillary Clinton was right to quickly condemn Shuster's comment, and to challenge
MSNBC to clean up its "locker room" mentality.
Tim Cuprisin, who covers television for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, raises
an interesting question -- which does not excuse in any way Shuster's degrading
and sexist comment: "Why are reporters hosting personality-driven shows?"
It's an important point, because these "personality-driven shows" (think "Hardball," Imus,
Beck, and Carlson, for example) are hotbeds of offensive, inappropriate comments. "It's
a situation fraught with professional danger," Cuprisin writes, to put
Shuster on a program that depends on sensational comments to boost its ratings. "MSNBC
has scored some ratings gains by turning up the volume on its personalities.
But those gains may also leave reporters like Shuster in the dust because
they turned up their personalities just a bit too much."
True, the whole "cult" of personality-driven shows depends on generating
headlines based on sensational statements. However, Shuster knowingly lapsed
into hurtful sexism. Little known to many is that Clinton's press secretary
quickly e-mailed Shuster to object to his comment and he
shot back e-mails defending his words because, he argued, Chelsea was
not being made available to talk to the press. The reality is that almost
all offspring of candidates
campaign in one way or another for their parents, and if Chelsea doesn't
want to answer questions from reporters, that's her business.
MSNBC is the home of the vitally needed Keith Olbermann -- and the rumored
future home of Rachel Maddow (perhaps replacing the low-rated Tucker Carlson
Show, ironically). So, we don't want to see the network go down.
But MSNBC needs to get some of its on-air personalities through a sensitivity
training course right quick -- and they should start with Shuster and Matthews.
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