In keeping with a report from Oliver Darcy’s Standing publication (word that it’s behind a paywall), the left-of-center MSNBC information community is outwardly toying with shaking up its enterprise mannequin so it may be on “better terms” with Republicans.
Darcy reported that Mark Lazarus, the newly put in chief of SpinCo, a brand new firm comprising networks like CNBC, MSNBC, and E!, indicated that he would love the outlet to include “more GOP voices on its air.” Darcy cited folks accustomed to Lazarus’ considering however mentioned that no formal directive or editorial steerage has been given to MSNBC anchors or producers.
“To be clear, Lazarus has signaled that he desires the channel to retain its core progressive identification,” Darcy reported. Lazarus has additionally acknowledged he intends to maintain high expertise, together with Rachel Maddow.
However there’s proof that among the community’s different well-known anchors need a greater working relationship with Trump. In mid-November, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, cohosts of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” had been broadly criticized after they visited Mar-a-Lago to go to the president-elect.
Maybe Lazarus’ considering is merely business-driven. In spite of everything, in line with information from Nielsen, which was cited in reporting by the Wall Avenue Journal, MSNBC averaged 603,000 prime-time viewers from Nov. 6 to Dec. 8—down by greater than half from the community’s year-to-date common. CNN’s scores tumbled after Election Day, too, whereas Fox Information was up by 12%.
There’s additionally the looming risk of mega-billionaire Elon Musk. In November, the Tesla CEO teased that he might purchase MSNBC. “How much does it cost?” he requested in a submit to his social media community X.
His query was in response to a re-post by Donald Trump Jr. that falsely acknowledged Comcast is placing MSNBC up on the market. (Comcast as a substitute plans to spin off NBCUniversal’s cable networks right into a separate firm, however this modification shouldn’t be anticipated to have an effect on particular person channels or belongings.)
After all, MSNBC may need a tough time discovering a GOP viewers—even when it does pivot barely to the suitable. In keeping with 2023 analysis coauthored by UC Berkeley, a hanging variety of Individuals are in “partisan echo chambers.” By that phrase, researchers had been referring to the truth that celebration affiliation impacts the place you get your information. They discovered that 32% of Fox Information viewers establish as “strong Republicans.” One other 42% ranged from “less partisan Republicans to independents.”
In the meantime, viewers of CNN and MSNBC tended to carry extra progressive politics. Thirty-six % of viewers of each networks reported having a “strong Democratic identity,” with 42% being “less partisan Democrats and independents.”
Transferring ahead, Republicans may also discover solace in different right-wing networks, particularly now that disgraced former Rep. Matt Gaetz is about to host a cable present on the far-right propaganda community One America Information.
But when MSNBC strikes ahead with this plan it wouldn’t be the primary outlet to preemptively bow to Trump earlier than his subsequent time period within the White Home begins.
On Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump met with Jeff Bezos, the proprietor of The Washington Put up, at Mar-a-Lago. In keeping with reviews, Bezos and his fiancee Lauren Sanchez had been seen at Trump’s Florida property, strolling behind Trump and his spouse, Melania. The quartet additionally dined on the identical dinner desk.
This assembly occurred, in fact, after Bezos pulled the plug on his newspaper’s deliberate endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris in October. And regardless of their turbulent skilled relationship, Bezos now appears to have taken a liking to Trump. Notably, he was one of many first billionaires to congratulate Trump on his November win.
Different media moguls have additionally seemingly caved to Trump. This previous weekend, ABC Information, which is owned by Disney, introduced that it will pay out $15 million in a donation to Trump’s presidential library to settle a defamation swimsuit introduced forth by Trump—a transfer that angered staff at ABC.
Patrick Quickly-Shiong, the proprietor of the Los Angeles Occasions, is seemingly kissing Trump’s ring, too. In keeping with The New York Occasions, Quickly-Shiong killed an op-ed that was vital of Trump’s wildly unqualified Cupboard picks.
Whereas it’s unclear if MSNBC will truly transfer ahead with its plans to incorporate extra Republicans on air, the information is considerably of a concession from the left-wing information outlet that has leapfrogged previous its erstwhile rival CNN in scores.
Even when it doesn’t, Trump appears to be loving the eye he’s getting. In a submit to his social media community, Reality Social, on Thursday morning, the president-elect wrote: “EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE MY FRIEND!!!”
