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Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates - Ta-Nehisi Coates is a senior editor for The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues for TheAtlantic.com and the magazine. He is the author of the memoir The Beautiful Struggle. More

Born in 1975, the product of two beautiful parents. Raised in West Baltimore—not quite The Wire, but sometimes ill all the same. Studied at the Mecca for some years in the mid-’90s. Emerged with a purpose, if not a degree. Slowly migrated up the East Coast with a baby and my beloved, until I reached the shores of Harlem. Wrote some stuff along the way.

Olberman yanked from the election anchor chair

By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Sep 8 2008, 11:00 AM ET Comment

I'd love to pitch a fit about MSNBC changing their election coverage, and rant about the weakness of media executives, or the hilarity of this notion of "liberal media." But I think, more than any ideological move, it all comes down to this:

Although MSNBC nearly doubled its total audience compared with the 2004 conventions, its competitive position did not improve, as it remained in last place among the broadcast and cable news networks.
I liked Olberman and Matthews, if only from an entertainment perspective. But had MSNBC done better in the ratings, I doubt they'd be making this change.


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