Despite bias charges, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews will lead inauguration coverage

Among the network anchors who will gather in Washington, D.C., next week to cover the presidential inauguration, MSNBC hosts Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews will have particularly prominent roles. Together with Rachel Maddow and Eugene Robinson, the two will lead the cable news channel’s coverage of inaugural events for eight hours on Jan. 20.

That’s no surprise, considering that Olbermann and Matthews are central figures in the cable channel’s revitalized lineup, which scored record ratings in 2008. But it also represents a quiet shift in MSNBC’s approach since September, when network executives made then-Chief White House Correspondent David Gregory the lead anchor during political news events after criticism that its outspoken commentators were helming the channel’s news coverage.

MSNBC weathered a storm of complaints throughout the campaign that the left-leaning viewpoints expressed by Olbermann and Matthews were tainting the cable channel and its sister broadcast network, NBC. The protests reached a peak during the Republican National Convention, when delegates angrily chanted “NBC! NBC!” after Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin complained about media bias in her speech.

At the time, MSNBC President Phil Griffin insisted he wasn’t swayed by the critique. Nonetheless, he said he concluded that Olbermann and Matthews “were being restrained” from sharing their opinions when they served as news anchors. To allow them to converse more freely, he made Gregory the lead news anchor for major politics events for the rest of the campaign. Olbermann and Matthews remained a major part of the coverage of the presidential debates and election night but were considered analysts, not news anchors.

Now that the election is over, that distinction seems to have blurred. Gregory, the new moderator of “Meet the Press,” will be contributing to the broadcast network’s inauguration coverage, while Olbermann and Matthews will once again be leading MSNBC’s coverage.

In an interview today, Griffin said he’s comfortable with the role that Olbermann and Matthews will play at the inauguration because it’s “a whole day of color commentary.”

“This is a day of watching the festivities and the pomp and circumstance,” he said. 

Griffin said he has “no problem putting our guys out to host programs on big events,” adding: “I want to highlight them.”

The MSNBC president said he would consider having someone like Gregory step in again as news anchor on a “case-by-case” basis, adding that he thought that would only be needed during political events like elections.

“There was a sense at the time that we wanted Keith and Chris to be able to be themselves and not hold back, and that’s why David was put in,” Griffin said. “And it worked beautifully, and if we’re ever in a situation like that, I would do that again.”

-- Matea Gold

Photo: (l-r) Chris Matthews, Keith Olberman.  NBC News

Comments

[KJ NYC]

As a lifelong liberal (all the way back to McGovern), I will admit to watching FOX during the presidential election and especially on election night. They appeared to be trying their best to actually be "balanced" -- not neutral, but presenting a multiple of viewpoints. It probably helped that a) they were on the losing side; b) Brit Hume seems like a real pro; and c) even they understood the historic nature of the eelection. Perhaps the "blow-hards" on both sides- Olberman, O'Brien, Matthews, Hannity, etc still can learn how to be profesional.

[Yoli]

I'll watch as long as Buchanan is not commentating. If I see his face I will immediately change the channel, of yes and Scarborough also.

[Bob D NY]

The damage done to this country by Bush et al., was unreported for the first 3 and a half years of his presidency. The roaring early incompetence, remember the flu vaccine debacle, of this cabal went unchallenged and misreported by EVERYONE. It was clear by the first mid-term election that we were headed toward dismemberment of stablized institutions such as Children's healthcare, tax policy and playing nice with our ALLIES. I told my wife, that election night - following a reconstitution of the Republican senate, that the good news was how bad it was going to get. From that moment on - the final touches of undoing Lyndon Johnson were prepared. Next it was Roosevelt - Social Security, Bank deregulation, Greed is good politics. It was open and there for everyone to see. Throw in a treasury looting under the guise of war and you have a recipe for the decline of American Empire and standard of living.
Keith, Chris, Tom Freidman, Bob Woodward and others wrote love letters to this administration while this institutional dismemberment was gleefully administrated.
Come-lately conversions AFTER swift-boat and obvious bad faith by the administration AND declining poll numbers led to, what is now the MSNBC standard of truth.
Thanx for getting here, but you are about 6 and half years late.

[Chicago joe]

There is NO difference between Olbermann, O'Reilly , Matthews, Hannity , Scarboro. If you are to the right the you will like the guys to the right. If you are to the left then you like the guys on the left. However if you are like me and need real news you shouldnt waste your time watch cable news at all.

[Conservative]

Not even Hannity matches up to the BS Olbermann spews. Sure Hannity rails on Obama and some of the key liberal hypocrites but Olbermann's hate for anything not liberal is disturbing. I guess that is the luxury of having TV show near the bottom of viewership that only his fellow communist actually watch. Keith is smooth I will that, but he is the definition of hate.

[James Benson]

Republicans: Democrats are idiots. I love Fox News
Democrats: Republicans are idiots. I love MSNBC

Same crap. Different day.

[DaveInFla]

...useful idiots.

[Jeff]

I will not be watching MSNBC on Inauguration Day, because it's the only major news network not to have an HD channel.

Once they pony up the bucks for it I may turn to it for big news events. But for now, no.

[baron]

Yet not a peep when Karl Rove, Hannity & co. are spreading propaganda on another network.

I think this outrage is bias.

Shame on u!

[Sharon]

Keith keep up the good work, dont worry about them haters on fox news, there is no one more hateful than sean hannaity and bill oriley. I dont waste my time on then, by the way i remember when sean had nancy polysie daughter on fox and she commented that when Obama become president, and Hannaity comment was in your dream, well i guess that she is still dreaming. Hannaity and Oriley eat your heart out, Keith stay true to your self and msnbc love your show also christ and maddow.

[Joe(not Joe the plumber)]

Keith Olbermann talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk. He didn't even vote. What a hypocrite

[Grammy]

Obama wants change in this country. It will NEVER come as long as you have hate filled people like Mathews and Olberman and the left radical blacks and whites spewing their unkind retoric. Hate is in every word not affiliated with Obama and the Democrats. The unkind way they have watched Bush leave the White House with such glee and unkindness tells me what I have known all along. The left leaning Democrats are really bad people with no intention of changing. Obama can call for change all he wants but these people will be the first to sabatoge his wish. Bush is gone--you got your wish--now show some adult actions and words. You are not credible anymore. We can all decipher your thoughts before you even utter them. You've set journalism back 50 years. NOT a repectable career al all.

[HARRY LUTZER]

MY NAME IS DR. HARRY LUTZER. I AM A PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY. BUT THAT IS IRRELEVANT. I WATCH, EVERY DAY, CHRIS, KEITH AND RACHAEL. HERE IS MY HUMBLE SUGGESTION: PLEASE DISTINGUISH BETWEEN "IS AND ARE." EG. "THERE IS STILL A LOT OF TROUPS IN...." NO, THERE "ARE" STILL A LOT OF TROUPS IN....EG. 2 THERE "WASN'T MANY PEOPLE TO BID GEORGE BUSH GOODBYE (OR WE ARE DISABUSED OF HIM FINALLY). EG.3 YOU CANNOT "GROW THE ECONOMY", "YOU CANNOT GROW A TREE.) YOU CAN PLANT
A TREE, WATER IT, AND HELP IT GROW! EG.4: DO NOT SAY "LET US REFER BACK TO.."

YOU ARE SUCH INTELLIGENT PEOPLE!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!

SINCERELY, HARRY, FROM EDMONTON CANADA

[r0msypoo]

Keith Olbermann doesn't claim to be a news reporter, he claims to be a political commentator, because that's what he is. Of course he's biased. How could you be a political commentator without an opinion? There would be no point. Also, to say that Keith Olbermann is Bill O'Reilly or Sean Hannity's counterpart isn't fair to Keith. They're both opinionated yes, but Olbermann actually bases his opinion on facts. That doesn't mean his opinion on the facts is right, because by definition an opinion can't be proven true or false, but Hannity bases his opinion on exaggerations of the truth, and even sometimes blatant lies.

[consersuck]

SOO many whiners..........so little substance. What is funny is that it's you same shiners who religiously defend the likes of Coulter, a vicious nasty hateful witch and Limpy.....a drug addicted self absorbed liar...............and you expect to be taken SERIOUSLY?

Not even close. Olbermann is taking O'Reilly's viewers and will continue to do so. Maddow too.

Your hold on this country is over; you showed EVERYONE just how "moral" and "values oriented" you really are when you defended these hateful morons you call important. They aren't; they're idiots and most folks with a 3rd grade education know it.