Countdown With Keith Olbermann - Criticism and Response

Criticism and Response

The Media Research Center (MRC), a conservative media content analysis organization, has been very critical of Olbermann since he became the Countdown host. MRC issued a press release describing Olbermann's November 1, 2006 Special Comment as "preaching hate speech", and describing Olbermann as "a brown-shirted left-winger spew hate from an NBC-owned podium." ("Brown-shirt" is a term that was used to describe the Sturmabteilung paramilitary organization of the German Nazi party).

In response, Olbermann has on a number of occasions named MRC founder Brent Bozell, whom he has described variously as "Redbeard the pirate", and "humorist", the "worst person in the world" for various comments he has made about Countdown and other topics, such as Bozell's criticism of the New York Times for sponsoring the 2006 Gay Games. The anchor has also said that the MRC desires "an institutionalized, pro-Republican slant" in the media.

Olbermann has addressed the assertions of liberal bias by stating that he would be equally critical of a Democratic president who had invited criticism by his actions:

"I mean, no one in 1998, no one accused me of being a liberal in 1998 because I was covering the Lewinsky scandal. And whatever I had to do about it, I tried to be fair and honest and as accurate and as informed as possible, and allow my viewer to be the same way. And nowadays it's the same thing. And now all of a sudden I’m a screaming liberal."

However, Howard Kurtz has written that Olbermann departed MSNBC the first time as a result of the Clinton-Lewinsky coverage, which he did not personally agree with.

On November 25, 2006, Fox News Watch panelist Cal Thomas named Olbermann as his choice for 2006's "Media Turkey Award" for what Thomas alleged were Olbermann's "inaccuracies" and "hot air". Olbermann in turn gave the show the Bronze for "Worst Person in the World", not for naming him "Turkey of the Year", but for misspelling his last name as "Olberman" on the onscreen graphic.

Olbermann gave Michael Medved "Worst Persons" honors on October 1, 2007 in response to his Townhall.com column titled "Six inconvenient truths about the U.S. and slavery," and chided him to "go back to reviewing movies."

In a commentary published in the Los Angeles Times, Howard Rosenberg commented on the show's absence of guests who challenged Olbermann's views, writing "'Countdown' is more or less an echo chamber in which Olbermann and like-minded bobbleheads nod at each other."