NBC HIRES A LEFT-WING DEMAGOGUE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FEBRUARY 15, 2007

CONTACT: TIM SCHEIDERER OR COLLEEN O’BOYLE AT 703.683.5004

Alexandria, VA – NBC News announced today that MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann will contribute occasional “essays,” i.e., commentary, to NBC’s Nightly News with Brian Williams. In response to NBC’s announcement, Media Research Center President Brent Bozell issued the following statement:

“NBC just lurched further left politically with its choice of Keith Olbermann, a known ‘liberal hero,’ to provide occasional commentary on the Nightly News. Commentary, even liberal commentary, by itself is perfectly acceptable, but the problem is that Keith Olbermann is a dishonest commentator. Look at his record, which has been well-documented here at the Media Research Center.

“Mr. Olbermann has consistently mis-represented the facts on a variety of issues, including the Iraq war, the war against terrorism, homeland security, global warming, the Republican Party, President Bush, and on and on. For instance, Mr. Olbermann, without a shred of evidence, has even suggested that the White House uses the terror alert code to manipulate public opinion. That’s not commentary. That’s delusional paranoia.

“Keith Olbermann not only consistently distorts truth, he does so while smearing conservatives he doesn’t like with vile ad hominem attacks – the kind of attacks that would trigger the immediate dismissal of a conservative if he or she did the same on NBC.

“NBC could have chosen any number of insightful, thoughtful, fact-centered liberals to provide commentary for the Nightly News. Instead, NBC chose a mean-spirited, truth-distorting leftist, elevating a cable station barker to one of the most esteemed spots on network news. And the liberal media wonder why more and more Americans don’t trust them and are turning away.”

To schedule an interview with MRC President Bozell or an MRC spokesperson, please contact Tim Scheiderer (x. 126) or Colleen O’Boyle (x. 122) at 703.683.5004.