Former MSNBC anchor, Joy Reid, attempted to attribute her dismissal from the network to her ethnicity and claimed it was due to stress related to then President Donald Trump. Reid’s controversial show, The ReidOut, had its run cut short earlier this year, an event she played down. ‘It’s not my place to guess at the thought processes of others,’ Reid deflected in conversation with Couric. ‘However, I can share the theories that others have put forward… A number of individuals at the broadcaster have criticized Trump. I’m presuming they still do. Therefore, I don’t believe that was the issue. I am aware though of a heightened level of concern, not only there, but also across the media spectrum. It’s visible at CBS,’ she alluded to the ongoing litigation Trump has with the network following a 60 Minutes interview featuring then Vice President Kamala Harris.
Reid continued, making light of ABC’s situation, suggesting that hosts of The View had been instructed to lighten their stance on Trump. ‘There’s a general urge for people to focus less on Trump. Incorporate more light-hearted content. Take it easy on him.’ Reid put emphasis on the fact that her termination might have been because she is ‘a black woman on the job.’ Then, she used this to mock Trump saying that ‘It agitates him in a manner unlike anything else.’
Reid boasted about her emphasis on the racial history of the United States on her show, claiming she could ‘explicitly delve into it as a black woman and the daughter of immigrants hailing from countries that Trump might derogatorily describe as subpar.’ Reid went on in a rather desperate stride to deny that her show’s plunge in ratings played a part in its cancellation. She maintained that her show’s viewership was ‘less down’ than any other MSNBC program, except for Rachel Maddow’s show.
In a rather ironic turn of events, Reid’s place has been filled by The WeekNight, a diversified program that hosts an array of personalities including former Kamala Harris spokeswoman, Symone Sanders-Townsend, Alicia Menendez — the offspring of the infamous New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, and ex-Republican National Committee Chair, Michael Steele. Rumors have since surfaced that executives at MSNBC had been considering removing Reid since as far back as late 2023, a consideration actualized when the newly appointed MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler seized the opportunity earlier this year.
In contrast to Reid’s outspoken denial of the issue of audience numbers, the new lineup at MSNBC is faring poorly. A dreadful 41 percent decline in the primetime demographic and a 34 percent drop in the total day demographic was reported for last month when compared to the same period in the previous year. Capturing the attention of a mere 707,000 viewers on May 22, The Weeknight struggled to engage a miniscule 56,000 from the crucial demographic.
Adding to the misery at MSNBC, The Weeknight’s averaged viewership stands at a lowly 770,000, a drop of 36 percent from the 1.2 million viewers who were tuning into MSNBC at 7pm in the previous year. When it comes to Rachel Maddow’s replacement, Jen Psaki, the numbers spell even more doom. Seizing the 9pm timeslot from Tuesday to Friday, Psaki experienced a tremendous 46 percent dip from the same slot when hosted by Maddow during the first hundred days of the Trump term.
Sadly, Psaki’s figures have been slipping further, exhibiting a 20 percent downfall compared to the previous year. Not even Maddow, the network’s primetime veteran, seems to be compelling enough to retain audiences. The Maddow program averaged 1.8 million viewers overall since MSNBC aired its new lineup, marking a sizeable 24 percent decrease compared to her impressive audience count of 2.4 million in the previous year.
The post MSNBC’s Crushing Fall, Thanks to Biden and Harris appeared first on Real News Now.
About Author
