Rachel Maddow publicly criticized MSNBC for canceling Joy Reid’s The ReidOut and other shows hosted by non-white anchors, calling the network’s decision “a bad mistake.” During her show, Maddow expressed frustration over the shakeup, saying, “I do not want to lose her as a colleague… It is not my call, but I think it is a bad mistake to let her walk out the door.”
Maddow also pointed out that MSNBC’s primetime lineup had only two non-white hosts, both of whom lost their shows. “That feels worse than bad, no matter who replaces them. That feels indefensible, and I do not defend it,” she said. Weekend host Katie Phang also had her show cut, while former Biden press secretary Jen Psaki will now take over Alex Wagner’s 9 p.m. slot.
Beyond the on-air changes, Maddow also condemned MSNBC’s decision to make staff from canceled shows reapply for jobs instead of being reassigned, saying, “That has never happened at this scale, in this way before… It’s inefficient, unnecessary, and kind of drops the bottom out of whether or not people feel like this is a good place to work.”
MSNBC has not publicly responded to Maddow’s remarks. However, the network assured affected staffers that more positions would be available in the coming months. Despite the backlash, Reid and Wagner are expected to remain with MSNBC in new roles.
