Martin Bashir resigned from MSNBC today after comments he made about Sarah Palin. The anchor basically someone should sh!t in her mouth during a long commentary bashing the former Vice Presidential nominee.
Bashir released this statement to
Mediaite:
“After making an on-air apology, I asked for permission to take some additional time out around the Thanksgiving holiday.
Upon further reflection, and after meeting with the President of MSNBC, I have tendered my resignation. It is my sincere hope that all of my colleagues, at this special network, will be allowed to focus on the issues that matter without the distraction of myself or my ill-judged comments.
I deeply regret what was said, will endeavor to work hard at making constructive contributions in the future and will always have a deep appreciation for our viewers – who are the smartest, most compassionate and discerning of all television audiences. I would also wish to express deepest gratitude to my immediate colleagues, and our contributors, all of whom have given so much of themselves to our broadcast.’”
No matter how you feel about Sarah Palin, a respectable newsperson should never ever say anything like that on the air. I miss the days when journalists were supposed to be unbiased, but those days are gone. If they are going to have a bias, then they need to be respectful of the people they cover and remember we are tuning into them because we trust them. This goes for all journalists. We need to go back to the old days. We need to keep news with the newsanchors and the opinions to the people who give editorials and/or critics.
When it comes to Bashir, personally there was just something I didn’t like about him since I saw him do that interview with Michael Jackson all those years ago. I am now a critic and no longer a journalist, so I can give my opinion.
