The Errant Æsthete

For those of you with “leftist” tendencies, you can come out of hiding. According to today’s New York Times, following the success of such liberal-leaning programs as Countdown with Keith Olbermann, and other recent moves — including yesterday’s news that Rosie O’Donnell is in discussions about getting her own primetime talk show — signal a decision by MSNBC executives to actively court viewers on the left. {It cheers the EA to know Keith’s going to be around lambasting “W” and “Bill-O” in the days ahead.}

MSNBC’s new approach stands in strong contrast to the one of its rivals CNN and Fox News, which both claim neutrality — regardless of whether they practice it. It also marks a change from 2003 when, in a very different political climate, MSNBC canceled Phil Donahue’s show and brought in Michael Savage and Joe Scarborough. Jeff Bercovici, media blogger for Portfolio, examines the ups and downs of changing course.