MSNBC’s prominent host Joy Reid encountered a professional hurdle recently, following the resurgence of former President Donald Trump. The leftist network decided to shelve ‘The ReidOut,’ and instead are proposing a new show operated by a panel featuring Democratic strategist Symone Sanders-Townsend, articulate host Alicia Menendez, and Michael Steele, the ex-chairman of the Republican National Committee. Reid has seemingly validated the cancellation of her show on her own accord.
However, let it be reiterated that Reid isn’t a solitary example of a liberal-leaning network anchor experiencing hiccups in a Trump-led era. At the start of this year, Jim Acosta, a CNN anchor known for his provocative inquiries towards Trump during his initial tenure, announced his departure from the network – an association that lasted almost two decades.
More so, this goodbye from Acosta was precipitated by CNN’s decision to reassign his morning slot to a less favorable late-night slot. This alteration is a part of a grander restructuring taking place in the CNN realm following organizational layoffs that stagnated 6 percent of its workforce. However, these changes also started appearing in tandem with Trump’s return, hinting at a shift in network demeanor.
John Pitney, political scientist of considerable repute and a former Republican National Committee official, suggested that this relocation of Acosta’s show may not be exclusively because of ratings. Rather, the narrative may encompass few political subtleties as well. Pitney contended that Acosta’s confrontational style might be off-putting to viewers who lean right in their political outlook.
Interestingly, Donald Trump never refrained from voicing his discontent towards news outfits that portrayed him unfavorably. Despite this, there isn’t concrete evidence proving that Reid’s critical commentary on Trump precipitated the termination of her show. Key decision makers, such as MSNBC’s new president, Rebecca Kutler, have played significant roles in these strategic network makeovers.
Alongside, Danielle Vinson, esteemed politics and international affairs professor at Furman University, observed that MSNBC’s viewership has taken a significant tumble after November’s election. She attributed this slump to Democrats reducing their reliance on the news, in an attempt to maintain mental equilibrium. The ReidOut’s ratings have significantly dwindled in the post-election phase.
Providing tangible numbers to this claim, Nielsen Media Research divulged that Reid’s show could only attract about 759,000 viewers at the beginning of December, marking a massive 47% decline from the 1.4 million average it boasted leading up to the Election Day. Highlighting a stark contrast, Laura Ingraham at Fox News pulled in an estimated 3.4 million views in the very same slot on February 20, putting the ReidOut’s dwindling popularity into perspective.
Despite these challenges, Reid has persistently maintained her assertive stance towards Trump -both on television and online platforms. She has, without wavering, questioned Trump’s political trajectory, amplifying her criticism over time.
In December, Reid proceeded to equate Trump’s governance style to the clearly fictitious Tony Soprano, a character from the popular HBO series ‘The Sopranos’. Donald Trump’s unique approach towards foreign policy was at the center of this comparison. Reid particularly poked at his radical proposal of imposing a 25% tariff on multiple countries, and the audacious suggestion of inducting Canada as the 51st state.
However, Vinson rebuffed the notion that the discontinuation of The ReidOut marks the direction of MSNBC’s future offerings. The network has brought on board Michael Steele – a vocally, humorously anti-Trump character – following the departure of Reid.
MSNBC’s evening lineup continues to express their anti-Trump sentiments unabashedly. Vinson has restated, ‘With new leadership stepping at MSNBC, some adjustments were inevitable. It seems like a stretch to assume this indicates a significant shift in their political coverage philosophy.’
Unsurprisingly, the cessation of Reid’s show was celebrated by Trump. Trump envisions Reid as minimal contribution to television, on top of calling her out for her negatively skewed commentary.
Furthermore, it is essential to underline that all this hullabaloo is not a vindication of one view against another. It’s merely the industry’s propensity to adapt – to provide what the viewers seek, to shape and reshuffle in line with political currents, and most importantly, to thrive in a dynamic marketplace that news broadcasting really is.