• by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, December 1, 2014

The Rev. Al Sharpton enjoys a distinction unique among national TV personalities: Not only is he a talk-show host on one of our major cable news channels, but he is also a firebrand civil-rights activist who, at the moment, has placed himself at the center of the Michael Brown case.

This position leads to accusations that Sharpton -- who hosts a show called “Politics Nation” seen weekdays at 6 p.m. Eastern on MSNBC -- is using his high profile to incite rioting and looting or, at the very least, to cheer on and encourage the violence.

For example, there was this blatant accusation on the New York Post Web site: “On Sunday,” the paper reported, “the Rev. Al Sharpton spoke at the Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis, where he cheered on protestors who have looted and burned Ferguson [italics added]. ‘They’re doing right by [the] protests,’ Sharpton said. ‘Let a federal grand jury read the transcript … We lost a round, but the fight ain’t over’.”

Of course, the quotation cited by The Post seems open to interpretation, to say the least. Nowhere in the quote (and presumably anywhere else in his remarks at this church on Sunday) does the reverend specifically seem to come out in support of rioters and looters. His support is more likely aimed at the “peaceful” demonstrators who have disrupted shopping malls and the like with marches, signage and chants.

Last week on “Politics Nation,” Sharpton seemed ebullient about the protests. “Tonight’s lead: Michael Brown sparking a national movement!” said the Rev when he opened the show last Wednesday. “Nearly 48 hours after a grand jury declined to indict Officer Darren Wilson, we’re witnessing protests from coast to coast,” he enthused (at least, that’s what it seemed like). And again, he didn’t seem to come out in favor of out-and-out rioting.

The fact is, Sharpton comes across as a very capable -- and, dare I say, even-handed-- interviewer in segments related to the Michael Brown case that I watched on MSNBC.com over the last few days. Although you already know how he feels about the situation, he does seem especially careful to tone down his rhetoric and measure his words when he’s playing the role of talk-show host on his TV show.

In his other life, however, not so much. On Saturday, for example, he convened a media event under the auspices of his National Action Network (NAN) in which he appeared with members of Eric Garner’s family. Garner was the Staten Island man who died last July after he was subdued by New York City police officers who wrestled him to the ground with a chokehold.

Sharpton’s event on Saturday was designed to remind the world of the Garner case and to point out that a grand jury in that case is due to render a decision “in days” whether or not to indict New York City police officers, according to Sharpton. (Actually, a decision is expected before the end of the year.)

“I want people to know that it’s not just Ferguson!” Sharpton declared. “It’s right here, and we are going to watch this grand jury!”  He then led a chant of “Countdown! Countdown!” -- referring to a “countdown” of the days until the Garner decision would be announced.

Since no such actual “countdown” was possible due to the uncertainty over when this announcement will come, the chant felt like rabble-rousing. Indeed, to a casual viewer watching this event on the local news, it seemed as if Sharpton was implying -- if not warning -- that a “wrong” decision in the Garner case would result in the kinds of violence and mayhem that followed the announcement in Missouri. One could be excused for wondering if Sharpton was not entirely against this form of protest. Again, it should be emphasized that he never referred specifically to the prospect of rioting.

But the fact remains: He’s the only talk-show host on the news channels with his own “action network.” Bill O’Reilly doesn’t have one (the O’Reilly Action Network, or OAN), Sean Hannity doesn’t have one (the Hannity Action Network, or HAN), Rachel Maddow doesn’t have one (the Maddow Action Network, or MAN). 

But Sharpton does have one -- which makes you wonder if he’s using his TV show to promote the views and activities of his National Action Network. Or can the two simply coexist, as long as he avoids mentioning NAN on his TV show? Does this present a problem for a “news” network like MSNBC, which is supposed to be impartial (though everyone knows it’s not, and neither is its rival on the right, Fox News)?  I have to be honest: I don’t have an answer to this one.