During a June 2013 interview with the D.C. publication Roll Call, former Gov. Brian Schweitzer made waves when he slammed the nation’s capitol as a place with bad traffic, worse weather and an oversupply of “frauds.” During the same exchange, when asked whether it was accurate to report that he was close to jumping into the U.S. Senate race, Schweitzer said no, but added, “That shouldn’t stop you. You know, it’s yellow journalism. Say whatever you want.”
Oh, those yellow journalists. For those unfamiliar, yellow journalism refers to sensational, or overdramatized, or distorted news. The term was coined during the newspaper wars between William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer II in the late 1800s.
Schweitzer is not shy about criticizing the media, especially Fox News and MSNBC, which he referred to in a December 2012 interview with The Montana Pioneer as “Shout TV.”
“They are places where the far left and the far right try to influence the middle electorate … and that’s not news,” Schweitzer told the newspaper. “That’s yellow journalism … that is propaganda. And that’s where a lot of people get their information.”
During an October 2013 interview with the Billings Gazette, when Schweitzer was one of the rotating hosts on CNN’s “Crossfire” show, he again took a shot at the other two major cable news networks. “I don’t aspire to be on Fox or MSNBC,” the former governor said. “They’re hair on fire. You’re always wrong. You’re always right. At CNN, they want to have longer form discussion so it’s not just talking points.”
Last week Schweitzer confirmed that he was joining the liberal leaning MSNBC as a contributor and that the network would be building a studio at his home on Georgetown Lake, from which he would appear once or twice a week. Everyone has the right to change their mind and Schweitzer vowed to scrutinize his own party in his new role. “When Democrats have it wrong, I’ll say it,” he told the Associated Press.
But it’s also interesting that Schweitzer, who has been discussed ad nauseam as a potential presidential candidate (and hasn’t done much to tamp down the speculation) is following a similar course other candidates have before him, although many of their paths bisected the conservative Fox News.
In the run-up to the 2012 presidential election both former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum were contributors at the network. Fox News eventually suspended both as their intentions to enter the race became apparent. Gingrich, ironically, now works for CNN.
A former politician contributing to cable news shows, and newspapers for that matter, is not unusual. And, in a way, it’s a good match. While former governors and members of Congress have healthy egos, so do the organizations where they end up working.
Erik Wemple, a media columnist with the Washington Post, recently published a roundup of news outlets “implausibly praising colleagues” as once-in-a-lifetime leaders. Here’s a small sampling of the dizzying collection:
A Washington Post new hire: “One of the smartest, most original journalists of her generation.” A Politico writer: “One of the most exceptional journalists of his generation.” An MSNBC journalist: “A leading voice of her generation.”
Those are some bold descriptions, and some of them certainly deserve credit for their work. But it’s at once doubtful that this generation somehow has the best journalists of all time. Conventional wisdom suggests that media, especially cable news, is as polarizing as ever.
In previous interviews, Schweitzer largely agreed with that. But like so many politicians before him, he decided to join a media organization anyway.