Keith Olbermann Explains Suspension And Bashes Twitter

A few weeks ago, Keith Olbermann was suspended for his Twitter war with Penn State supporters, alum and students. The problem stemmed from the longtime anchor responding to a Penn State tweet he did not read: he assumed the message was negative and proceeded to bash the school over it. Instead, it turned out the message contained a link that showed the charity work of the university – particularly, how they raised money for pediatric cancer.

Obviously, Olbermann was horrified by what he did and it is great that during the Late Show he took the blame for his very stupid actions. There are not many days when this boisterous anchor admits he is at fault, but at least he is being an adult by apologizing.

The real problem is how he calls Twitter “the first true sign that society is disintegrating.” It makes his apology seem pointless as he blames social media for his actions. Twitter is not the problem, the idea of anonymity — which completely does not exist — is the real problem. Behind a keyboard, people suddenly gain the mystical power of confidence and say things they normally would not.

And as an individual who is awfully vocal and fairly public, Olbermann should have learned this a long time ago.