MSNBC host Keith Olbermann has been placed on indefinite suspension without pay in the wake of a
Politico report (
11/5/10) that revealed Olbermann had donated $7,200 to three Democratic candidates, in violation of
NBC's standards barring employees from making political contributions.
If the concern is about how giving money to politicians threatens journalistic independence, then companies like
NBC should explain why their parent companies can lavish so much money on political candidates or causes with no concern about conflicts of interest or the need to disclose these donations to viewers. The lesson here would seem to be that some of the workers shouldn't make political donations, but the bosses are free to give as much as they'd like. Anyone who watches Olbermann's show knows what his political views are. So what do the far larger contributions from
GE tell us?
Please explain your inconsistent standards regarding political donations.
IT IS UNFAIR TO SUSPEND KEITH OLBERMANN, PLEASE BRING HIM BACK!
