Newspaper corrects 'Jackass' Keith Olbermann mix-up (updated)

(UPDATE: An update and video have been added to this item below.)

Thank goodness The Times is the forthright, ethical institution that it is.

And when a mistake happens, the newspaper rushes to set the journalistic record straight with an honest repair.

Here is an actual correction from Page A4 of today's print edition:

FOR THE RECORD

 TV listings: The Prime-Time TV grid in Thursday's Calendar section mistakenly listed MTV's "Jackass" show on the MSNBC cable schedule at 7 and 10 p.m. where instead MSNBC's "Countdown With Keith Olbermann" should have been listed.

It's not the Worst Mistake in the World.

But without this kind of correction, online too, a few thousand people might have tuned into MSNBC, the Obama administration's favorite cable channel, expecting to see a "Jackass" show, and instead they'd have found Olbermann.

Worse, what if nobody noticed the difference?

(UPDATE 11:24 p.m.: It was only the bronze worse person of the day, but nearly half of Keith Olbermann's Friday night audience rushed to notify us on Twitter that in honor of this tiny little Ticket item the recovering sports announcer had declared us one of the day's three worst people in the world.

The TV host himself, like the techno-challenged John McCain last year, is afraid to Twitter. And, by his comments here, confuses the olde newspaper print world with online blogs. Which is understandable for his generation.

But both of those Friday Olbermann viewers said they were amused and suggested we add the video clip here. So for the millions of all ages who were watching Fox News and CNN, the Cartoon Network and everyone else we did:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

-- Andrew Malcolm

Click here for Twitter alerts on each new Ticket item. Or follow us @latimestot

Comments

[BluGrass]

"...what if nobody noticed the difference"?

Oh, Andrew, I don't think anyone would be confused. But if a viewer tuned in for "Jackass" and got one of the many wingnuts ranting about birth certificates, or "death panels" or the "right" to bring assault rifles to political meetings... well, then, yeah. I bet the viewer might be confused at that point. Because there's whole lot of jackassery coming from the right these days.

[steveegg]

I'll bet that Olby's ratings went up a few orders of magnitude last night.

[tommyd]

Probably be the best ratings for viewership the jackass has all year....

[mj loehrer]

Andrew: You da man!

[Glen S. Fleetwood]

I miss the days when people could admit a mistake, without having to qualify it. Olberman is in large part responsible for bringing the country back toward democracy from its Florida 2000 fascism.

[howard decker]

Some people I know were very disappointed. They tuned in to view "Jackass." They were hoping to get the Bill O'Reilley show, of course. A naturtal mistake.

[Nick in Virginia]

Well, your final line stole my thunder.

I don't think it was a mistake. You should check the political affiliation of whoever compiled that listing, and report him to the 0bama administration. Report it to "flag@whitehouse.gov".

[carla123]

What were the ratings? Did they go up??

[Tim Lincoln]

I can't tell which one's the Jackass?

[Phil Sheehan]

Sometimes, the line between "zinger" and "cheap shot" is hard to find. It is not, however, impossible to find. I suggest you look more carefully next time.

[David Neste]

I don't think this was a mistake.

[Mille]

There's a difference?

[Jerome Melgar]

You guys had it correct before.

[LoveFreedom]

You mean :O I was not watching "Jackass" Show...!!!!!!!I'm confused, HE SEEMED to BE A JACKASS!!???

[fred]

What is the difference?

[fairfact]

Keith Overbite, Rachel Madcow and Mouth Matthews: The toast of MSNBC?

Morning Joe (rational discourse representing a solid cross-section of political opinion) is the only "fair and balanced" program on the cable outlet.

[Steve]

Maybe they were correct the first time?

[daveinboca]

Johnny Knoxville is much more articulate and intelligent, so they'd have noticed the difference right away. Plus Johnny is much less obnoxious!

[True American]

Clear-thinking people would know this was no mistake.

[JWF]

Jackass, Olberfraud, what's the difference?

[Dan Dennis]

ROTFLMAO!

"It's deep, and I don't think it's playable."

[Tone Dagger]

There's a difference? Hmm.

[Demetrius]

"...what if nobody noticed the difference?"

Meee-Oowww!

[Anita Bonghit]

When ever I saw Count Down I thought it was the Jackass show.

[killdemoslime]

they should have apologized to "Jackass" as Olbermann is the stuff that comes out of one.

[GATORBOB]

I have far more respect for a Jackass than I have for "Dropped on head" keith oldermann...

[Lynne]

Andrew, if you are really interested in seeing a Jackass, just take a look in the mirror.

[Dave]

there would be no difference!

[bob]

Many great discoveries come about as a result of serendipitous events.
GREAT story.

[David Garver]

I thought Olberman was the Jackass!

[C R]

Sounds like they got it right to me! Keith Olberman is definitely an a$$!

[Bruce]

Call Olbermann whatever you want - but he calls out the bums who screw things up and gives them what they deserve.

[malclave]

It's not just Olbermanic. Everyone at MSNBC is a jackass. The video they doctored to support their report promoting racial violence proved that.

[paco]

SOUNDS TO ME THEY GOT ALL THEIR NAMES ON MSNBC RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.
BUT WHY TRY TO HIDE IT? AS LONG AS THEY KEEP INSULTING THEIR VIEWS, THEIR RATINGS WILL KEEP GOING DOWN TO THE TOILET.
WHO IS IN CHARGE OVER AT THAT T.V. STATION ANYWAY? THEY NEED TO STUDY WHAT FOX NEWS IS DOING RIGHT, THAT THEIR VIEWS KEEP GROWING EACH NIGHT. OR MAYBE THEY NEED TO FIRE ALL OF THE TALK SHOW HOST AND BRING IN FRESH PEOPLE WHO REALLY UNDER STAND POLITICS. BUT I DOUBT IF THAT WILL EVER HAPPEN. MSNBC IS LIKE THE TITANIC AND THEY SAW THE ICEBERG TOO LATE AND DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH LIFE BOATS.
ALL I CAN SAY IS GOOD LUCK .
PACO

[Edward]

I am wondering if Andrew Malcolm is over thirteen?

[john a. saah]

Keith Olbermann is one of the few honest and intelligent news reporters left on TV today. He follows in a long line of great anchormen including Peter Jennings and Chris Matthews.

The rest seem to be either a mixture of ignorant men who only seem to care about their ridiculous appearances -or- the porn star type ladies such as the ones on Fox News or CNN and CNN Headline News.

Substance and intelligence in the media industry really does matter and Keith exudes it well.

[J. Smith]

"But without this kind of correction, online too, a few thousand people might have tuned into MSNBC, the Obama administration's favorite cable channel, expecting to see a "Jackass" show, and instead they'd have found Olbermann.

Worse, what if nobody noticed the difference?"

Grow up, Andrew.

[Lew Archer]

But without this kind of correction, online too, a few thousand people might have tuned into MSNBC, the Obama administration's favorite cable channel, expecting to see a "Jackass" show, and instead they'd have found Olbermann.

Worse, what if nobody noticed the difference?
------------------------
They made the same mistake with swapping Maddow with reruns of Ugly Betty.

[Robert]

Andrew Malcom is the real jackass. Mr. Malcom, you're are a real peach.

[Tom in Raleigh]

Most people would be far less surprised to see Lou Dobbs, Glen Beck, or Rush Limbaugh in the "Jackass" slot.

[Dr. Robotnik]

An honest mistake. If you consider it a mistake at all.

[Max Power]

The Times should immediately issue an apology to any jackasses that were offended.

[Timely]

You know what they say, if the shoe fits where it.
I think Mr olbermann you wear it well.
Olbermann and Jackass same thing.(Trash TV)

[some guy]

So the listing said "jackass", and the show was olbermann. Where is the mistake?

[nat turner]

At least with Jackass , they take fair turns at kicking each other in the private zone .

[Harry Schell]

Seems to me the labeling slip up was definitely a Freudian slip into accurate disclosure of Olbermann's aspirations.

[Chris]

Actually... you probably would have helped their ratings had you not corrected it. His audience would have doubled with all 10 people who would have tuned in expecting Jackass.

[JLMealer]

No.. I think the TV ad writers were correct the first time.

[money]

At 7 PM watch Fox News for the REAL 'Jackass'

[Doug from PA]

Well, anyone who watched Olbermann is watching a jackass anyway, so I don't know why they needed to run a correction.