Beginning this winter, The Guardian is going to be bringing out an American edition. It’ll be a weekly magazine, not a daily newspaper, but still – cool.
In further good news, MSNBC has fired Michael Savage for his on-air homophobia (he told a gay caller to ” get AIDS and die, you pig”). As the Washington Post’s TV columnist writes, “MSNBC was shocked — shocked, I tell you — to learn that its well-known homophobe host Michael Savage is actually — gasp! — homophobic.”
MSNBC has said the decision to fire Savage was easy. But if they’re so gosh-darned anti-homophobia, then why hire Savage (who makes no secret of his loathing of gays) in the first place? Because they didn’t know, before hiring him, that his ratings would be only so-so. If Savage’s show had been the hit MSNBC was hoping for (like Savage’s hugely popular talk-radio show), then MSNBC probably would have found that they could live with gay-bashing on their network. Fortunately for American television, Savage’s ratings were mediocre.
Best quote from the Post article:
The difference in coverage — the NYTimes and Le Monde — on Chile and Vietnam during the 1970s was remarkable. On Iraq this difference continues today. If the new entry makes the “box” the US journals of record exist within more visible domestically, then yea. If not, then yawn.
A sample metric — number of column inches on US vs Indian conflicts, e.g., the Trust mess. If 2 x NYT, then distinguishable. If not, then not.
Good post, and what afds said. I’ve read that 60% of their coverage will come from their English sources, so Indian affairs may be neglected. Since they’re just setting up, though, an email reminding them why this matters might help. In the UK they do try to cover the stories others are neglecting, they’d want to do the same here. Oppression and injustice really bug the Guardian (to the extent of distorting their coverage sometimes, and I write as a fan). They also have no reason to inherit American blind spots.
I think GLAAD had something to do with getting Savage Wiener off the air, not just ratings. Every national advertiser had pulled off his show (maybe the radio show). So the finale is spectacularly appropriate. Goodbye Mr. Savage Wiener, we won’t miss you.
Be still my heart. Two pieces of fairly decent news on one day. I wish I had the money to subscribe to the Guardian but right now I may have to drop the internet and cable tv to keep my head above the waters.
Now today we hear that the Brits made Shrub talk about Niger and uranium. Just how many will buy that?
This explains the thirty-second soundbite I heard from Michael Savage on the radio yesterday driving home from work. I occasionally hit the preset just to hear what nonsense he’s spouting, and yesterday he started pulling a Niemoller:
For obviously reasons, I moved on to other presets.
Oh Mr. Moore. You masochist you. We’re proud of you for taking one for the team. More cliches follow.
Anyone have an URL where one can sign up for a Guardian mag subscription?
Marie, I’d advise dropping cable TV and keeping the internet. Unless you get HBO and watch the Ali G show — I may be putting out much more each month just so I can watch that.
As for Savage’s comment, this puts it in perspective.