It's worth thinking a bit about the General Electric Corporations news media properties more generally. They hired Phil Donahue, and then fired him when he had the highest ratings on the network because they didn't like that he was against invading Iraq. . . . [Keith Olbermann's popularity] prompted a huge freakout from their big news stars like Tom Brokaw about how it was injuring their credibility to appear on a network that's cobranded with a network that features a liberal. Meanwhile, at their other cobranded network, CNBC, they have on air a bunch of frauds. . . . And when someone points the fraud out, the whole GE team circles the wagons to defend Jim Cramer and CNBC. Liberals? That wrecks their credibility. Liars and frauds? That's great. Go peacock!
As Yglesias concludes pessimistically, "Jon Stewart satirizing it doesn't really change anything." But I suppose it's helpful example if you're looking to prove to someone how in the so-called liberal media, the best job security lies in saying what rich people want to hear.
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