Eric Alterman fired by MSNBC

[thepurpose]

First, the bad news: I’m fired. MSNBC.com has decided to end its support of “Altercation,” and indeed, all of its association with yours truly as of this Friday.

Ok, now, the good news: My friends at Media Matters for America have decided that the cause of continuing “Altercation” in its current, politically independent form to be worthy of their support. So we’re not dying, just moving. Our new URL will be www.MediaMatters.org/Altercation and I will also become a MM Senior Fellow.

I am genuinely saddened to leave MSNBC.com. I was hired before the 1996 launch by both the Web site and the cable station, and while the latter association ended in 1998, I have been here at MSNBC.com for ten straight years, writing a column until 2002 and “Altercation” every day, ever since. Permit me to point out that with the help of my contributors and co-Altercators, I’ve probably contributed more words to this site than any other person, including full-time staff. Well, ten years is a good run at anything. It was the philosophical Beatle who said “all things must pass.” I’m profoundly proud of what we’ve accomplished here, particularly the creation of a community of writers and readers who share a sense of commitment, conscience, and one hopes, consciousness. We’ve kept to the standards I outlined here four and a quarter years ago—in sadly, the only thing I’ve ever written that has ever been compared to Proust and I don’t think it was a compliment. In any case, I like to think we —the Altercation community— set a standard of discourse that requires no apologies, explanations nor caveats, which is something, dare I say it, rare and beautiful in the mainstream media. As for MSNBC.com, I want to say that my experience working with my editors, past and present, has been an unbroken and unblemished blessing. When MSNBC.com asked me to start a blog, I had no perfect precedents to guide me. Josh and Mickey, and yes, Andy, had struck out bravely on their own, but no mainstream news organization had its own blogger and let’s face it, MSNBC made a less than perfectly safe choice in picking me. I was able to create Altercation with plenty of support but no interference, personal, political, commercial or otherwise. It may sound amazing in the context of the online world for the entire time I did Altercation, I had no idea whatever how many hits this site received. Nobody ever asked me to deal with a topic, much less to stay away from one. And of course, all mistakes were my own.

Whether my termination is, in fact, a product of a political decision at GE/NBC, which according to reports I read and gossip I hear, has lately taken a much firmer hand in guiding the content of both MSNBC and MSNBC.com, I have no way of knowing. I have never even spoken with the Web site’s current editor-in-chief, nor has anyone communicated with me beyond my immediate circle of editors. Outspoken liberals in the MSM have long been an endangered species. (From the beginning, a Wall Street Journal editorial page writer attacked the site for "conferring mainstream legitimacy on Eric Alterman.”) Even less common, I suppose, are Web sites that feel free to criticize their corporate parents, the pollution they cause, the lying, incompetent, ideologically extremist and corrupt presidents they coddle, and perhaps most especially, the all-but incomprehensible choices they make when doling out cable TV news programs. It would surprise no one if this site caused some discomfort at 30 Rock, if and when they happen to notice it. But speculation is not the same thing as evidence, and the good folks at MSNBC.com and GE/NBC can, I’m sure, give you good reasons why dumping Altercation is the right thing to do from a business standpoint —though the natural speculation that arises is a damn good argument against the kind of media concentration that allows a company like GE to own NBC in the first place. And few decisions in life have only one inspiration, alas. All I can say for sure is that I remain profoundly grateful for the opportunity they gave me and depart with nothing but feelings of warmth and gratitude for my colleagues who made it possible.

Again, beginning a week from today, we can be found at www.MediaMatters.org/Altercation.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14784419/#ImFired

[kwolf68]

1. I was a rushbot at one time

And I remember Limbaugh saying that Liberals should be eliminated from mainstream society and we should keep them in museums so we would not forget about them.

This is what is happening...Liberals are being removed from the mainstream and the only time they are brought out is when the media needs a dog and pony show....I expect Olberman to be terminated within the year.

[Berry Cool]

3. I don't know that that will happen, but I am so unhappy to learn this.

His blog was one of the few I read regularly. I can't imagine why they would get rid of him now.

[rzemanfl]

6. Your post makes my being a recovering alcoholic seem like

nothing at all.

[JeffR]

2. Great news for two reasons:

1) MSNBC has dropped an important liberal "figleaf" and will now be that much more nakedly tilted to the right.

2) Reading Altercation was a major drag, what with all the ads and miscellaneous crap they saw fit to encumber the page with. No doubt Media Matters will present something much more visually coherent and easy to read.

[thepurpose]

7. I think the design of the entire site MSNBC site sucks.

[FrenchieCat]

4. "a product of a political decision at GE/NBC"

a...ye-Ah! that's it, I'm sure!

[rzemanfl]

5. I am fearful that Keith is next in line. It is pretty fucking gutsy on

his part to call for *'s impeachment moments before the Pretzeldent addresses the nation on the 5th anniversary of 9/11.

[AZBlue]

8. So we obviously need Air America TV.

Anyone heard anything about such plans?