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MSNBC President Rashida Jones to Step Down
Media-ite ^ | January 14, 2025 | Aidan McLaughlin

Posted on 01/14/2025 9:41:17 AM PST by Red Badger

Rashida Jones is stepping down as president of MSNBC.

Jones, who has led the progressive cable news network since 2021, announced her decision to leave in a call with network staff on Tuesday morning, a source told Mediaite.

Rebecca Kutler, who left CNN in 2022 and was quickly hired by Jones to serve as senior vice president of content strategy at MSNBC, will be appointed interim president of the network. Kutler has overseen dayside programming and non-linear content (live events, streaming, digital platforms, films and podcasts) at MSNBC.

Media reporter Oliver Darcy reported in December in his Status newsletter that Jones was considering an exit after the inauguration of incoming President Donald Trump.

After an election year that saw MSNBC notch a series of ratings successes — including beating CNN for the first time for some major political news events — the network has seriously struggled since the Trump beat Vice President Kamala Harris and its mostly liberal audience tuned out in droves.

Jones has been credited for much of that success at the helm of MSNBC, where in 2021 she earned the distinction of being the first Black executive to lead a major television news network. She has also fielded criticism — there was the Ronna McDaniel mutiny, memorably, and huge paydays for Rachel Maddow and other stars fueled the perception that talent is in charge at the network.

According to a source, Jones first shared her decision to lead MSNBC with Mark Lazarus, the former chairman of NBCUniversal and the future CEO of SpinCo, the new company made up of Comcast’s cable properties, including MSNBC and CNBC, which are being spun off.

She then told top anchors and talent at the network before informing the full staff on Tuesday morning.

In a memo to staff, Jones said, “After four incredible years at the helm of MSNBC and 11 years at NBCU, I have made the decision to pursue new opportunities.”

“I came to this decision over the holidays while reflecting on our remarkable journey and the many successes we’ve achieved together as a team,” she said. “This has been the most rewarding chapter of my professional career and I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished, which has been made possible only by you.”

She added that she will stay on with MSNBC for the “next few months” to help with the transition.

In his own memo, Lazarus extolled Jones’s tenure at the network and hailed Kutler as “a highly respected industry veteran with decades of experience in executive producing, news programming, and business development.”

The departure comes at a precarious time for MSNBC. Beyond the post-election ratings woes, staffers are panicked about the future of the network under SpinCo, a company borne out of Comcast’s desire to rid itself of cable assets seen as ever-shrinking businesses.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: aidanmclaughlin; cnbc; comcast; domesticterrorist; goodriddance; kutler; marklazarus; mediaite; msdnc; mslsd; msnbc; msnbo; nbc; nobrainscollectively; oliverdarcy; pmsnbc; rachelmaddow; rashidajones; rebeccakutler; ronnamcdaniel; spinco
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1 posted on 01/14/2025 9:41:17 AM PST by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

deckchairs starting to slide at SpinCo’s MSNBC?


2 posted on 01/14/2025 9:43:44 AM PST by catnipman ((A Vote For The Lesser Of Two Evils Still Counts As A Vote For Evil))
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To: Red Badger

Gee, she’ll be homeless in a week right? Wonder what her severance pkg includes? Bye! Not that I have clue who she is.


3 posted on 01/14/2025 9:44:39 AM PST by rktman (Destroy America from within ? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this💩? 🚫💉! 🇮🇱👍!)
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To: Red Badger

Different Rashida Jones.


4 posted on 01/14/2025 9:44:43 AM PST by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to sell)
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To: Red Badger
How sad.

Who will they get to replace her?

5 posted on 01/14/2025 9:45:15 AM PST by mcenedo (lying liberal media, our most dangerous and powerful enemy)
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To: mcenedo
"Who What will they get to replace her?"
6 posted on 01/14/2025 9:46:18 AM PST by Da Coyote
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To: rktman

Getting out while the getting’s good.

Get a head start on all the others that will be fired soon................


7 posted on 01/14/2025 9:47:24 AM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: ifinnegan

How many are there?..............


8 posted on 01/14/2025 9:47:46 AM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: mcenedo

Meet the new boss.

Same as the old boss............


9 posted on 01/14/2025 9:48:41 AM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger

“..How many are there?..............”

DEI hires at MSNBC???? Likely hundreds of em...


10 posted on 01/14/2025 9:49:55 AM PST by lgjhn23 ("On the 8th day, Satan created the progressive liberal to destroy all the good that God created..." )
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To: lgjhn23

No, Rashida Joneses. He said wrong Rashida Jones....................


11 posted on 01/14/2025 9:50:59 AM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger

No mention of any DEI golden parachutes?

I am sure they exist though not mentioned.


12 posted on 01/14/2025 9:51:50 AM PST by Biblebelter
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To: Red Badger
Don't you hate it when that happens? Damn market-share! Awful viewers NOT watching us anymore! Can't be any progressive's fault, but....
MSNBC's Audience Sliced in Half as Viewers Flee Post-Election Yahoo, 27 November 2024.

>CNN And MSNBC Ratings Plunge By Half, Reaching 30-Year Lows Yahoo Finance, 15 December 2024.

MSNBC Has Lost Nearly Half Its Audience Since the Election Daily Beast, 27 November 2024.

So "stepping down?" Like that Titanic captain "stepped down!" Like the boys in that bunker "stepped down?" Yup. Stepping down = being taken down.
13 posted on 01/14/2025 9:52:23 AM PST by Worldtraveler once upon a time (Degrow government)
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To: Red Badger

…she earned the distinction of being the first Black executive to lead a major television news network…


14 posted on 01/14/2025 9:53:54 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money)
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To: Red Badger

Go WOKE go broke!


15 posted on 01/14/2025 9:53:56 AM PST by Brandonmark (November 5, 2024 - A New Day in America!)
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To: Red Badger

Who watches MSNBC?
I don’t know anybody that will admit to doing so.
Most of television or cable is just a rich mans
propaganda arm that he loses money on just to get his
views forced on the weak brained.

Full disclosure I am in rural Hawaii and am on Satellite
which is very expensive so I’m very selective on what I watch.


16 posted on 01/14/2025 9:54:12 AM PST by rellic (no such thing as a moderate Moslem or Democrat )
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To: Red Badger

There’s an actress with the same name.


17 posted on 01/14/2025 9:56:15 AM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: Red Badger
"...and the many successes we’ve achieved together as a team"

formetopoopon

18 posted on 01/14/2025 9:58:01 AM PST by RckyRaCoCo (Time to throw them out of the Temple...again)
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To: Jamestown1630

Never heard of her, either!...................😁


19 posted on 01/14/2025 9:58:48 AM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger

“Jones has been credited for much of that success at the helm of MSNBC”

Yes.. Just look how WELL MSNBC has done since she assumed a leadership role!!


20 posted on 01/14/2025 10:01:49 AM PST by uranium penguin
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