Howard Kurtz's continuing dishonesty about MSNBC

Here's Howard Kurtz today:

If you look at MSNBC's lineup after 6 p.m., Fox isn't the only network that goes heavy on the opinionated hosts.

That's a reference to Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, and Ed Schultz, all of whom Kurtz considers to be liberals.  They combine to host three hours of television every evening.

What Kurtz didn't mention -- what he never mentions -- is that if you look at MSNBC's lineup before 6 pm, you'll find an opinionated host there, too.  Former Republican congressman Joe Scarborough.  Guess how many hours a day he hosts?  Yep: Three.

Kurtz does this all the time: He portrays MSNBC as a liberal cable channel by, among other things, pretending Joe Scarborough doesn't exist.  It would be one thing for Kurtz to acknowledge Scarborough's existence while arguing that he thinks on balance the channel leans left.  But that isn't what he does.  Instead, he dishonestly ignores Scarborough entirely.  There's absolutely no reason to only look at MSNBC's lineup "after 6 p.m.," other than to exclude Scarborough -- and Kurtz knows this.

Take another look at Kurtz' wording today:

If you look at MSNBC's lineup after 6 p.m., Fox isn't the only network that goes heavy on the opinionated hosts.

There is absolutely no justification for limiting the discussion to "after 6 pm."  It does nothing to further Kurtz's ostensible point that Fox isn't the only network that has "opinionated hosts."  It does nothing to further the reader's understanding of the situation.  All it does is obscure the fact that MSNBC has an opinionated host who is a conservative.  It's deeply, wildly dishonest.

Oh, and by the way: CNN has an opinionated host, too: right-wing nut Lou Dobbs. Kurtz didn't mention Dobbs, perhaps because he moonlights for Dobbs' employer.