Rashida Jones to Exit MSNBC; Rebecca Kutler Named Interim President

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As a great admirer of media prowess, I am sharing the news that Rashida Jones, revered figure in journalism, will be stepping away from her esteemed role as head of MSNBC after four successful years. In a meeting with executives and colleagues on Tuesday, she announced her decision to explore new ventures.

Rebecca Kutler, an experienced news executive known for her talent management skills and innovative programming ideas, will temporarily step in to replace the current individual. As MSNBC grapples with the tasks of reporting on the Trump administration for its disheartened liberal viewers, as well as potential changes due to Comcast’s plan to spin off the network into a new publicly traded company, Kutler assumes the leadership position.

In 2022, Kutler took on the position of senior vice president for content strategy at MSNBC, following several years with CNN. While working at the channel supported by Warner Bros. Discovery, she served as executive producer for various shows including Don Lemon’s and John King’s, and contributed to the rise of personalities like Abby Phillip, Van Jones, Chris Wallace, Audie Cornish, and Kasie Hunt within the network. She was set to assume a leadership role at CNN+’s streaming platform, but its launch was ultimately cancelled by CNN’s parent company.

A source close to the situation stated that Jones was contemplating a shift in positions, as she found herself managing a high-pressure prime-time schedule following Rachel Maddow’s reduced involvement, and simultaneously pursuing digital initiatives and live events due to the shift of traditional viewers towards streaming platforms. Some, however, expressed concerns that she wasn’t actively engaged enough with a group of assertive anchors who have become more vocal in criticizing decisions made by higher-ups at NBC News.

The leadership change happens at MSNBC amid a substantial drop in their viewership ratings. By the election and the end of 2024, the primetime audience aged between 25 and 54, which is the most valued demographic for advertisers in news broadcasts, had decreased by 65%, as per Nielsen’s data. There are concerns that the network, renowned for its progressive opinion programs, may be experiencing viewer burnout after Donald Trump won a second term. Meetings between MSNBC morning hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski and the President-elect have sparked speculations about potential backlash from MSNBC’s liberal audience.

At NBC News, Jones swiftly climbed the ranks, earning recognition for creating captivating events and special features, such as a 2019 town-hall discussion held at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. During this event, Lester Holt served as moderator, facilitating a discourse on criminal justice reform. Reflecting on the unique nature of the event, Jones remarked to EbMaster: “This is not something we’ve ever done before. We’re really amplifying that town-hall conversation to a whole new level.

At MSNBC, creativity flourished, leading to the extension of “Morning Joe” by an hour and the introduction of what they call “The Avengers,” a temporary program. In this show, Rachel Maddow presides over a panel of MSNBC’s opinion hosts during significant national news events.

At MSNBC, she managed to attract Jen Psaki, former Biden White House Press Secretary, to the network, and her presence is still growing there. Furthermore, she aimed to create a daytime programming block focused on news that wouldn’t overlap with MSNBC’s opinion shows. Notably, during major news events, MSNBC has often outperformed CNN, which wasn’t always the case in the past.

On a Tuesday morning call, employees were informed that Kutler intends to appoint new leaders for news gathering and talent recruitment. Additionally, it was made clear that the MSNBC name will persist when the network merges with the new company. Lately, there has been apprehension about the upcoming split of MSNBC and CNBC from NBC News, as there were fears that this separation could lead to significant changes that might compromise the networks’ identity and appearance.

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2025-01-14 17:48