Russell Brand has said that MSNBC is also “propaganda,” just like Fox News.
Brand made his point of view to MSNBC journalist John Heilemann as he appeared Friday night on HBO’s Real Time.
Heilemann, who appears frequently on both NBC News and MSNBC, discussed with Brand how several Fox News hosts have been accused of deliberately reporting on election fraud conspiracies when they knew they were false.
But Brand questioned the effectiveness of condemning Fox News without acknowledging MSNBC’s participation in the exact same game, noting how both networks exhibit bias and act as a mouthpiece for their affiliate owners, BlackRock and Vanguard.
Brand emphasized the futility of bickering over which network is worse, with the comic and podcaster suggesting that instead of attacking other networks, efforts should be refocused on improving MSNBC to make it a better and more effective platform.
Make MSNBC better. Make MSNBC Great Again!” Brand stated, echoing former President Trump’s oft-repeated chant.
Comedian and podcast host Russell Brand, right, argued with journalist John Heilemann, left, that MSNBC is no less biased than Fox News calling both networks “propaganda” mouthpieces for their owners.
Brand argued that Heilemann, for example, should be more open about MSNBC’s biases rather than just attacking the conservative outlet.
“It’s hard to suggest this is because these companies operate as anything other than mouthpieces for their affiliated owners in BlackRock and Vanguard,” Brand told Heilemann. ‘We have to take responsibility for our own perspective.’
“I was on that MSNBC. Man, it was a propagandistic nutcracker right there,” Brand added while referring to his own experiences on MSNBC’s Morning Joe show.
“Nobody could concentrate, they didn’t understand the basics of journalism,” Brand shouted.
“Nobody was willing to stand up for real American heroes like Edward Snowden. No one was willing to talk about Julian Assange and what he suffered – in an effort to bring real journalism to the American people.
Brand argued that Heilemann, for example, should be more open about MSNBC’s biases rather than just attacking the conservative outlet
“You don’t really know anything about the organizations you’re talking about,” Heilemann replied. “You’ve been on MSNBC once, big f***ing deal! You don’t have any factual fact.’
“I think it’s ridiculous to sit in MSNBC’s castle and throw rocks at Fox News,” said Brand.
“Simply spiritually, mate — if I may use that word in your great country — we need to take responsibility for our own perspectives,” Brand said.
Heilemann was finally able to get word to refute some of Brand’s accusations.
“It’s not about bias, it’s a false equivalence because you really don’t know anything about the organizations you’re talking about,” he began. “You’ve been on MSNBC once, big f***ing deal! You don’t have any factual fact.’
Brand appeared on MSNBC in June 2013.
During the panel discussion in which Bill Maher remained unusually quiet, Brand tried to come up with “evidence” to support his argument and cited MSNBC’s coverage of alternative COVID-19 treatments as an example of the network’s failure to report the facts.
Brand described MSNBC’s condemnation of Joe Rogan’s advocates for using the drug Ivermectin as “ridiculous, outrageous” and accused the network of “deliberately calling this an equine drug when they know this is an effective drug.”
Brand then brought up MSNBC host Rachel Maddow, who he says told her audience, “If you take this vaccine, you’re not going to get it.”
Brand did not elaborate on why he believed such incidents were similar to Fox hosts repeatedly broadcasting conspiracy theories about President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory over former President Donald Trump. Pictured above, a protest outside Fox News last month in NYC
Heilemann dismissed Brand’s examples as simply overly conservative “talking points.”
Brand continued to rant, advocating “new political systems that truly represent ordinary Americans so that we can overcome cultural differences.”
Brand did not elaborate on why he believed such incidents were similar to Fox hosts repeatedly broadcasting conspiracy theories about President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory over former President Donald Trump.
Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch has admitted in a statement that some of the station’s top executives “endorse” baseless allegations, which are now the basis of a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems against the conservative channel.
