Former MSNBC presenter Joy Reid recently commented on the cancellation of her show, conjecturing that her race and the network’s apprehension towards Donald Trump might have contributed to her dismissal. She attempted to not delve too much into assumptions, mentioning it’s impossible to accurately decipher others’ motives. However, Reid mentioned that even though many at MSNBC were critical of Trump, there was an undeniable uneasiness regarding him, echoing across various media platforms.
Reid pinpoints instances like CBS, where anxiety has bubbled up in response to a legal case brought by Trump over a ’60 Minutes’ interview with Kamala Harris. A similar situation is observable at ABC, where hosts of ‘The View’ were allegedly advised to tone down criticisms on Trump and focus more on entertainment aspects, rather than direct political discussions.
The former television host pointed out her unique standpoint as she belonged to a demographic not commonly represented on screen – a black woman expressing her views. She believes that criticisms originating from black women seem to stir Trump more than others, arousing a unique, racial discomfort in him.
Recounting her efforts, Reid revealed how she consistently strived to expose America’s racial history, clashing with the erstwhile president’s agenda. Her perspective as a black woman and coming from immigrant parents, who belong to what Trump might disdainfully consider ‘countries’, granted her distinctive insights regarding racial matters.
Replacing Reid’s show was ‘The WeekNight’, a diversified program that includes former Kamala Harris spokesperson Symone Sanders-Townsend, and Alicia Menendez, the daughter of the scandal-ridden former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez. Another notable name is Michael Steele, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee who now firmly objects to the GOP’s tactics.
MSNBC’s new roster, however, has not found success in capturing audiences. Broadcasting to half the viewership of its predecessors in its initial month, it seems too much of a hurdle to win the viewers’ hearts. As for the other freshly introduced content, it elicited little interest from audiences.
Reid reflected on the moments leading up to her show’s termination, claiming she was informed her show had experienced less of a ratings drop than all other MSNBC shows, the exception being Rachel Maddow’s show. It seems intriguing considering her show seemed to be doing relatively well in a climate of dwindling ratings.
Post Trump’s election victory, Reid and her primetime cohorts suffered a substantial viewer drop. Her show ‘The ReidOut’ lost almost half of its audience, reaching a mere 759,000 viewers instead of its former average of 1.4 million viewers in the run-up to Election Day.
Despite this significant drop, Reid maintained that her show had fared better than most in primetime. In fact, only Rachel Maddow’s show had seen less of a decline. And yet, she was still told that her show was ‘holding on pretty well.’ The reason for its cancellation remains a mystery to her.
She characterized MSNBC’s explanation behind her show’s axing as ‘scripted’ and superficial. But she admitted she had begun adopting a cautious approach on social media, recognizing the prevailing unease.
Reid stressed that she was very cautious about her conduct on social media as she recognized there was considerable concern surrounding it. Her spectral presence on the internet was one of meticulousness and restraint.
The former TV host confessed she was particularly careful with her social media engagements. The atmosphere of stress over the impact of statements issued on platforms like Twitter and Facebook was palpable and profound, Reid noted.
Despite her efforts to dial down her social media presence, Reid was still left in the dark about the reasons for the cancellation of her show. The network’s ‘anxiety’ over social media didn’t seem to factor in because she was diligently being careful in that aspect.
Despite being on tenterhooks about her online actions, including anything posted on social media, Reid confessed she was baffled by the decision to terminate her show. This absence of clear reasons continues to leave her in a state of perplexity.
Throughout this inexplicably tumultuous journey, Reid was left grappling with vague reasons behind her ousting. Despite carefully maneuvering her way through the perilous paths of social media, taking every precaution, her termination emerged as a startling reality.
The frothy remains of a cipherous reasoning, presented as ‘anxiety about anything on social media,’ Reid notes, left her bewildered. Evoking a sense of dignified uncertainty, she admitted, ‘I genuinely was not told.’