I do agree with you about Maher, he is a lowlife puke, and personally he should have been charged with sedition for his Vice President comment. – Lorica

They try. They actually believe the word cuts and say them and not just as a Democrat quote.

On every issue it’s a “crisis” including your beloved global warming issue.

The American people are NOT served by the press on any issue on any day. They are the worst profession almost because of their negligence and lack of credentials in any other field (like science, economics, etc) except being able to put words together.

Another note: If you have to sue to get your job back, the company really doesn’t want you there. Sure, he’s still going to get interviews, because he’s now more of a news ‘celebrity’ than an actual journalist. It’s the same way for Tom Brokaw & Larry king. There are alot of shows out there, and they need SOMEBODY to feel in, so these guys show up on occasion, but they’re not really working the field.

The bill Maher thing is pretty low class too, although Bill Maher has always been a low class guy. When he treads the line I think he’s funny, but he often doesn’t. I don’t have HBO, so I don’t watch him anyway.

He deservedly got canned

Is that why he continues to get interviews, and, last I heard, was suing to get his job back at CBS???

Also, I like how you blow off a legitimate complaint about extreme bias, that is on going, and then go on to complain about someone who isn’t trying to say he is an unbiased journalist. Alchemist, the O’Rielly factor is not a news program it is a talk show, that would be like asking Jay Leno for serious news. I don’t like O’Rielly because he is to combative, just like I don’t tend to like or watch Ann Coulter, but, unlike Dan Rather, they aren’t pretending to be “unbiased” News Journalists. Also, you don’t think that this law that these unbiased jounalists have proposed about regulating blogs isn’t due to the fact that Dan’s lies were uncovered by several blogs.

I don’t expect serious news from Bill Maher. Why would you from O’Rielly?? Come On Alchemist, I was born at night, but it wasn’t last night. – Lorica

Will the liberal bias thing isn’t a complete misnomer, I think often the problem is in trying to look ‘unbiased’. CNN does this all the time. They quote the republican, then they quote the democrat, and then they never dissect what either politician actually said.

One example where this explicitly favors the right is the O’Reilly factor. I think Bill really means well. But deep down he’s got the same problems as the rest of the media: He takes quotes out of context; he uses political talking points that often misrepresent the crux of a story, and he often delivers his arguments by emphasizing political verbage.

Now, I have no problems with blogs doing this, they’re not accredited media services. However, journalists should have a responsibility to better explain what the #*&! is really going on.

This is one of those stories that a lot of people cover so I ignore this just to avoid jumping on the pig pile.

I admit that I never saw the big deal.  For Pete’s sake people, it’s just an expression, and frankly one that is used a lot…

…or, you know, completely acceptable, depending on who you’re talking about.Fair game for Gen. Petraeus, but not for Chelsea Clinton.No liberal bias?

I understand that many here feel it’s a liberal bias thing. In my opinion, when journalists don’t routinely deactivate coded or subversive messages, it damages everyone sooner or later..

Just like cuts means cuts and not decreases in the amount of increase equalling a 7% increase?

Yep. Journalists will dumb down the American public whether by agenda or incompetence and the result is people who believe the crisis mentality coming from the press.

Facts and figures be darned…

When I teach chemistry, the first thing I tell my students is to use words with explicit meanings. Slang is interpreted literally, and your grade will be damaged. Journalists should be held to the same standard. When using a word like “pimping” or “nappy headed hos” they should be asked if that’s their professional journalistic opinion. If they don’t backtrack, they should be fired for not understanding what professional means.

Seriously, Shuster’s remark was offensive and even more unprofessional. That is not the kind of language we should expect from a TV reporter on air. But, then again, standards have declined drastically in recent years.

The remark comes soon after Chris Matthews, also of MSNBC, made his comment to the effect that the only reason Mrs Clinton was a senator and presidential candidate was because her husband had “messed around”. (Matthews also had to apologize to Mrs Clinton.) When you couple Shuster and Matthews with MSNBC’s other off-the-wall commentator, Keith Olbermann, one has to conclude that this network is pretty unprofessional, to say the least. Maybe that explains why their ratings are in the toilet.

Some defenders of Shuster are bringing up the point that Chelsea is now an adult and participating in the political process; therefore, she is fair game for all kinds of commentary. I would only take that so far. Sure she is open to criticism when appropriate, but using the word pimp as a metaphor is not right. One should not use metaphors that allude to prostitution unless the people concerned are, in fact, pimps or prostitutes. (But then, in that case, it wouldn’t be a metaphor, would it?)

Regardless of one’s politics, I hope this latest episode is not lost on the public. NBC News has become the farthest to the left of the major networks, and the out and out partisanship of Olbermann and Matthews is obvious. Remember in 2006, when Matthews was caught in the background yelling, “yeaaa!” when another Democrat was declared the winner in some state? Keith Olbermann’s “Countdown” show is nothing more than a nightly condemnation of George W Bush, Bill O’Reilly, and anyone Republican or deemed conservative. Now Mr. Shuster adds his name to MSNBC’s growing list of embarrassments.

posted by Gary Fouse @ 1:43 PM
fousesquawk

If MSNBC’S policy is to suspend employees for using the word pimp, then they should definitely also suspend Olbermann, or Shuster should be able to file some type of lawsuit against MSNBC for unfair business practices.

Just my 2 cents.