MSNBC’s Project 2025: Rebuilding Itself In the Trump Era

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On January 14th, key figures from MSNBC convened for their morning editorial meeting on the 15th floor conference room at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. To their surprise, they found Mark Lazarus, the future CEO of “SpinCo,” seated at the head of the table.

Of course, SpinCo represents the tentative title for a fresh enterprise, which will primarily consist of many NBCUniversal’s cable networks, such as MSNBC among others.

At the front of the table, Lazarus sat beside MSNBC president Rashida Jones and senior vice president Rebecca Kutler. In an unexpected move, Jones announced her intention to resign from her position as president. Lazarus promptly appointed Kutler as the interim president, effective straight away, just days before President Trump’s inauguration.

Despite persistent whispers about Jones’ potential departure for several weeks, those present at the meeting were still taken aback. Emotions ran high, and some people even wept in the gathering.

Rachel Maddow, a prominent host on MSNBC, took the moment to express her appreciation to Jones, stating “one aspect of your leadership that I highly respect,” which she hoped would carry on through Kutler and Lazarus.

It was about “the culture in our building and the way we treat each other,” Maddow said.

She explained that having someone at the top who listens to us, is a colleague, but also maintains some distance is beneficial. This setup allows them to absorb criticism and stress, preventing it from being passed down to us. As a result, we can create a culture among ourselves where there’s no office politics like backbiting or gossip, everyone is treated with respect, and we have a protective barrier at the top to shield us from the pressures that come our way.

For quite some time, Maddow has served as an influential figure at MSNBC, effectively functioning as the network’s informal power hub. A seal of endorsement from her on a documentary can significantly boost its visibility, while her comments often set trends, causing others to take notice and respond accordingly.

As she prepares to regain her prominent role on the network during the upcoming months, concurrently with Donald Trump’s anticipated return to the White House, it seems she is well aware of the potential scrutiny and public expectations that the channel might encounter.

For several weeks prior to Jones’ departure, MSNBC had been generating headlines. The channel experienced a dip in ratings following Trump’s victory in the 2024 election, although executives have pointed out that ratings seem to be picking up slightly over the past couple of weeks. Moreover, the news that hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago raised eyebrows among some viewers. Earlier this year, the short-lived employment of former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel ignited a rebellion among MSNBC’s on-air personnel, including Maddow.

The team members at the network were grappling with the anxiety that typically accompanies a shift in ownership, pondering the potential implications of the spin-off to SpinCo. Questions such as: Would MSNBC’s identity or brand be altered? What might happen to the news programs? Where would it relocate? were on their minds.

Lazarus sought to assuage some of those concerns in the Tuesday morning meeting.

Initially, he confirmed that MSNBC would retain its name as MSNBC for the near term.

He mentioned that there had been talks about the MSNBC matter, but now you can cross that concern off your list.

Furthermore, it’s worth noting that he endorsed the strategic shift at MSNBC, led by Jones and Kutler, as being on the right track. In recent times, MSNBC has been actively expanding into podcasting (with a number of them spearheaded or produced by Maddow), and more recently, they’ve launched a live event division, spearheaded by Luke Russert.

To this day, it continues to maintain its influence within the Democratic party. In essence, on Thursday night, Lawrence O’Donnell is set to conduct an exit interview with President Biden, which emphasizes the network’s significance to the Democratic power structure.

Lazarus remarked, “The one point I want to make is that a leader’s greatest mistake is altering something that’s functioning smoothly merely because they have the ability to do so.” In other words, if something is currently effective, then there’s no need for modification.

Additionally, as some transformation was unavoidable, he assured the audience that Jones had positioned MSNBC well for its next phase of development, suggesting a positive trajectory for the network’s future.

At a pivotal juncture, MSNBC faces the simultaneous departures of Jones and promotions for Kutler. The network, on the verge of separating from NBC News to join Lazarus’ SpinCo, also plans significant changes in its programming lineup as it enters the early phase of the Trump administration – a period Jones refers to as “an important next chapter in American politics.

Rachel Maddow is coming back to hosting her show during the 9 p.m. time slot from Monday through Friday. Meanwhile, Alex Wagner, who had been filling in for that hour quite often, will embark on a journey across the country to investigate “the effects of Trump’s early policies and pledges on the electorate.

Moreover, it appears that MSNBC, under SpinCo, plans to invest, as Kutler is actively seeking a talent executive and newsgathering leader to ensure the channel maintains its news programming following the transition. The exact future of this aspect of the business remains undecided for now.

Lazarus informed meeting participants that he fully supports her in making decisions she believes will benefit us.

A person who collaborated with Kutler characterized the executive as a savvy news producer adept at developing digital news entities (having previously served as an EP and executive at CNN). Within MSNBC, there was a general air of optimism regarding her promotion, though she currently holds an interim position.

2025 could be a pivotal year for MSNBC, as it shapes its unique character under fresh management, amidst an increasingly challenging television news industry struggling with cord-cutting and criticism from influential tech entrepreneurs and political figures.

The upcoming year, 2025, might be significant for MSNBC, as they find their own style under new bosses, during a period when TV news is having difficulties due to people canceling their cable subscriptions and facing criticism from tech giants and politicians.

When Maddow talks about a culture that values respect, where leaders shield the creative workforce from criticism, this idea holds significance, and it’s particularly relevant now.

Maddow encouraged Jones on Tuesday morning, suggesting that they should all attempt to lift something as a tribute to them, believing this action strengthens and fortifies us for the future.

That resilience will likely be needed over the next few years.

This tale was initially published in the January 17 edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. If you’d like to get the magazine, you can do so by clicking here to subscribe.

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2025-01-16 20:55