Matthew Dowd is out at MSNBC

[TheBigA]

Cable news ratings spike after Charlie Kirk killing. The majority of the audience is for Fox News:

TV Ratings: Cable News Spikes With Coverage of Charlie Kirk Murder

Fox News, MSNBC and CNN all drew larger audiences than usual on Wednesday and Thursday.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

However, a WNBA game on ESPN and the Yankees-Detroit baseball game on TBS attracted more viewers than MSNBC.

The TV Ratings Guide: Tuesday TV Ratings 9/9/25: Big Brother Stays Strong on Special Night, Alien: Earth Hits Series High, Songs & Stories with Kelly Clarkson Rises for Finale [+ Analysis]

xxxxx

www.thetvratingsguide.com

Which makes sense to me, since I was watching TBS.

 

[davideduardo]

Wow. Did you do a survey of them? Because it seems like this is the second-biggest item of interest to everyone regardless of political leanings right now, right behind releasing the Epstein files.

I don't know anyone, in any political category, that is very concerned about the Epstein files.

In conversations prior to this Wednesday, most discussions covered things like the border, cost of living, and even tariffs while international topics were all about Palestine and the Ukraine.

Any mentions of Epstein have been in the "Monica Lewinsky" zone.

 

[davideduardo]

Traditionally more people would tune into CNN for breaking news. Good or bad news I’m sure they made money off of it.

That "breaking news... turn on CNN" happened when CNN was pure "Headline News". That meant "just the news" without the extensive commentary opinion shows and commentary even in the so-called news segments.

 

[tall_guy1]

That "breaking news... turn on CNN" happened when CNN was pure "Headline News". That meant "just the news" without the extensive commentary opinion shows and commentary even in the so-called news segments.

CNN has kind of had an identity crisis ever since the Discovery acquisition and the ratings are well below their direct competitor MSNBC. Don't follow them exactly, but viewers on both sides of the aisle don't seem too fond of them in comparison.

 

[Theater of My Mind]

I don't know anyone, in any political category, that is very concerned about the Epstein files.

Ha ha, it was a joke making fun of Trump World and Conservative media that only wants to ignore the subject. Try watching something besides Fox News

 

[davideduardo]

Ha ha, it was a joke making fun of Trump World and Conservative media that only wants to ignore the subject. Try watching something besides Fox News

I mostly watch the BBC and some international news channels in Spanish, plus some "print" sources like Infobae and Reuters. Again, I don't see that subject getting much attention.

 

[ted chittenden]

I mostly watch the BBC and some international news channels in Spanish, plus some "print" sources like Infobae and Reuters. Again, I don't see that subject getting much attention.

If your summation is correct, then the survivors of the Epstein affair (which is much worse than anything that Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky ever did) have really fallen short in their efforts to bring justice to their cause.

 

[Don CT]

Charlie Kirk was not an “Unknown” but he was known among people who attended Trump rallies around the country and watch the cable talk shows where he appeared as a pundit to know him. Sure those that don’t watch Cable talk shows or attend Trump rallies would not know him. He had the same influence as Steve Bannon or Stephen Miller did at one time among the people advising Trump.

Most of that is fringe. It’s the hard core fans who will follow every word. Kirk was not a household name to most of the country.

 

[TheBigA]

Kirk was not a household name to most of the country.

He is now.

 

[Don CT]

He is now.

Will that help or hurt the movement.

 

[TheBigA]

Will that help or hurt the movement.

Which movement?

 

[TheBigA]

Bringing this back to broadcasting, Lindsey Graham was on NBC's Meet The Press today saying this shooting is a reason to repeal Section 230 of the communications act, which shields media companies from lawsuits over user generated content:

Sen. Lindsey Graham says Charlie Kirk's killing is 'an attack on a political movement'

The senator also called for the repeal of Section 230, which shields internet companies from liability for what users post.

www.nbcnews.com

“Section 230 needs to be repealed,” he said. “If you’re mad at social media companies that radicalize our nation, you should be mad.”

Section 230 has been a high-profile target of social media critics who note how the provision allows tech companies to avoid lawsuits for messages that spread on their platforms.

The Utah governor said the shooter was "radicalized" by social media. The irony is that Kirk used the same social media to further his cause. So what the government wants to do is find a way to shut down only one side of the conversation.

My view is that taking away more rights, including the rights to free speech, isn't going to defuse the situation. The social media companies aren't "radicalizing our nation." It's the people who use them.

 

[tall_guy1]

Bringing this back to broadcasting, Lindsey Graham was on NBC's Meet The Press today saying this shooting is a reason to repeal Section 230 of the communications act, which shields media companies from lawsuits over user generated content:

Sen. Lindsey Graham says Charlie Kirk's killing is 'an attack on a political movement'

The senator also called for the repeal of Section 230, which shields internet companies from liability for what users post.

www.nbcnews.com

The Utah governor said the shooter was "radicalized" by social media. The irony is that Kirk used the same social media to further his cause. So what thee government wants to do is find a way to shut down only one side of the conversation.

My view is that taking away more rights, including the rights to free speech, isn't going to defuse the situation.

I still don't know whether the shooter was liberal or MAGA at the time of it? There have been conflicting reports.

 

[TheBigA]

I still don't know whether the shooter was liberal or MAGA at the time of it? There have been conflicting reports.

He could be neither or he could be both. It doesn't matter. The question is should the government define what is "radical?" Because that's what's happening here. The government is saying the shooter was "radicalized by social media." Therefore the social media companies are to blame. The president owns one of those social media companies. How does he feel about his company being made responsible for what users say?

Repealing Section 230 will turn the social media companies into arbiters of speech. Because they will be held liable for a post by one of their users. In the way gun companies should be held liable if one of their guns is used to kill someone.

 

[Time Warp]

Which movement?

Alleged Charlie Kirk assassin's roommate 'shocked' by shooting, has been 'very cooperative,' governor says

Republican Gov. Spencer Cox also said the suspect is not cooperating with authorities.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Don CT]

Which movement?

Bringing this back to broadcasting, Lindsey Graham was on NBC's Meet The Press today saying this shooting is a reason to repeal Section 230 of the communications act, which shields media companies from lawsuits over user generated content:

Sen. Lindsey Graham says Charlie Kirk's killing is 'an attack on a political movement'

The senator also called for the repeal of Section 230, which shields internet companies from liability for what users post.

www.nbcnews.com

The Utah governor said the shooter was "radicalized" by social media. The irony is that Kirk used the same social media to further his cause. So what the government wants to do is find a way to shut down only one side of the conversation.

My view is that taking away more rights, including the rights to free speech, isn't going to defuse the situation. The social media companies aren't "radicalizing our nation." It's the people who use them.

Repealing 230 basically shuts down all forums such as this one.

 

[TheBigA]

Repealing 230 basically shuts down all forums such as this one

I think this board is already taking responsibility for posts. It has an active moderation system. Other sites do not.

 

[Don CT]

I think this board is already taking responsibility for posts. It has an active moderation system. Other sites do not.

Doesn’t matter, if a lawsuit is filed they can’t fight it. These sites don’t have the lawyers to fight these
claims that would come up.

 

[fybush]

I don't own these boards, but I think it's pretty safe to say that if Lance faced legal liability for anything anyone here posted (which is basically what would happen if 230 is eliminated), this site would be gone pretty quickly. There are no deep pockets here to handle that level of risk.

 

[Don CT]

I don't own these boards, but I think it's pretty safe to say that if Lance faced legal liability for anything anyone here posted (which is basically what would happen if 230 is eliminated), this site would be gone pretty quickly. There are no deep pockets here to handle that level of risk.

Sites like Twitter and Facebook don’t care, they have deep pockets. It’s the other forums that can’t deal with it. Repealing 230 does a lot of damage to the internet.