- MSNBC’s shake-up drew sharp criticism from Rachel Maddow, who condemned the network’s decision to cancel the shows of Joy Reid and Alex Wagner. Maddow highlighted concerns over diversity, noting that both non-white prime-time hosts were cut.
- Joy Reid reacted emotionally to her show’s cancellation, expressing feelings of disappointment and guilt over her team losing their jobs.
- The network overhaul, led by new president Rebecca Kutler, aims to reshape MSNBC’s prime-time lineup amid ratings challenges and the return of Donald Trump to the White House.
Full Story
MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow openly criticized her network for canceling the shows of two non-white prime-time hosts, including Joy Reid. Reid’s final broadcast of “The ReidOut” aired earlier in the evening, marking an emotional farewell joined by Maddow.
“There is no colleague for whom I have had more affection and more respect than Joy Reid. I love everything about her. I have learned so much from her. I have so much more to learn from her,” Maddow said.
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Reid responds to cancellation
Reid, visibly emotional during her sign-off, expressed deep disappointment in a Zoom call shared on X.
“I’ve been through every emotion, from anger, rage, disappointment, hurt … feeling guilt that I let my team lose their jobs. My show had value. What I was doing had value.”
Joy Reid
Despite the cancellation, Reid hinted at a new venture on Substack but stopped short of confirming future plans. She emphasized she was “not sorry” for her critical stance on former President Donald Trump and her support for Gaza.
Maddow condemns network’s decisions
Maddow did not hold back in her critique of MSNBC’s leadership, calling out the network’s decision to remove both of its non-white prime-time hosts.
“I will tell you it is also unnerving to see that on a network where we’ve got two—count them, two—non-white hosts in prime time, both of our non-white hosts in prime time are losing their shows, as is Katie Phang on the weekend. And that feels worse than bad, no matter who replaces them. That feels indefensible, and I do not defend it.”
MSNBC’s programming overhaul
The network’s shake-up comes under new MSNBC President Kutler, who took the helm earlier this month.
Alex Wagner, who previously hosted weeknights at 9 p.m., will lose her slot. Jen Psaki, former White House press secretary under President Joe Biden, will take over Wagner’s time slot.
Katie Phang is losing her weekend show and will transition into a legal correspondent role. Other anchors, such as Jonathan Capehart, are also shifting schedules as part of the network’s broader restructuring.
Maddow’s program is currently airing five days a week but will return to its original one-day-a-week slot on Mondays after Trump’s first 100 days.
Ratings and Leadership Challenges
Ratings challenges partly fueled the shake-up. Nielsen Media Research reported that “The ReidOut” lost nearly half its viewership following Trump’s re-election, contributing to a 53% decline in MSNBC’s prime-time audience a month after Election Day.
MSNBC is also preparing to be spun off by Comcast, which will require the network to expand its independent reporting operations, separating more content from NBC News, which Comcast plans to retain.
Industry-wide media layoffs
MSNBC isn’t the only media company facing upheaval. The broader industry is experiencing mass layoffs and prime-time anchor changes amid declining ratings and revenue. Cost-cutting efforts are widespread.
The Washington Post laid off 4% of its staff, Forbes cut 5% and HuffPost reduced its workforce by 22%. Reports indicate that 15,000 media jobs were eliminated last year, with the trend continuing into 2025.
Media trust in decline
Polls suggest one reason for shrinking audiences is declining public trust in media. A recent YouGov survey found that two out of every three people (67%) don’t trust the media to report facts fairly and accurately while covering the Trump administration.
This growing distrust reflects a significant portion of Americans seeking news sources that present facts without opinion or bias.
