Watching cable desperately scramble for the remains of a dying demographic is like watching rats in a silo fighting over the last kernels of corn before the orgy ends and they ALL die
Cable is already DEAD and this is just them picking the bones when they SHOULD be burying the body
"...as part of the its bold new push toward irrelevance." Hilarious. And, great work. Yuppers: Why can't hugely powerful and wealthy institutions that are part of the money-power-prestige superstructure take a real honest-like look at themselves and address the problems they co-created? Capitalism won't solve capitalism. Thanks Stephen!
I find it interesting that Black women are portrayed as “angry and loud” while white men are considered passionate with a megaphone.
She is good at her job and someone you’d want in your corner. I hope she gets the appropriate platform so we can keep listening to what she has to say. It’s important.
I have some bad news for you, President Rebecca Kutler of MSNBC. Your purging of outspoken minorities will not save MSNBC, Trump will not be satisfied until all the free press is destroyed. It’s not a question of your network surviving, but rather how long will it survive as a result of your actions/choices. You must know, not only will you lose viewership of the shows you cancelled, but you will lose a larger audience who doesn’t wish to endorse politically/racially motivated firings.
Stephen, that you lost subscribers during the stunned aftermath of the election is a cryin’ shame. That’s their loss. I’m grateful you hung in there and had ‘Wicked’ to help fill in the gaps during our collective trauma. ❤️
That's what I'm hoping for...She and O'Donnell are their top two moneymakers which is why their progressive positions are tolerated by MSNBC...Without those two, MSNBC will LITERALLY fold...I truly hope they use their poser to put an end to MSNBC
Frankly Joy Reid could do very well going indie just like Don Lemon did. He seems to be thriving and unleashed too.
I could even see her with some coattails.
Now wouldn't that be something if folks could work out having her being one of the anchors of Chorus Media? Let's all get Brian Tyler Cohen to get that going!
Has BTC said anything about that lately? Its SUCH a great idea and I'm not sure why it couldn't at LEAST be kickstarted through some crowdsource mechanism...Even with my very limited income I would GLADLY alter my buying habits for a while to help fund that
Seems like it would be the elephant in the room right now...I mean its SO time to get that rolling...We need something like that to create and spread coherent SHARED messaging to get everyone on the same page
I’m no media expert but it’s hard to imagine that there’s no audience for a straight up liberal leaning news channel. CNN and MSNBC are trying for some “balance” that results in losing ratings to Fox, while Fox just outright goes for the right leaning audience and thrives.
And if there’s a liberal audience looking for something to watch there’s money in it, even for a purely mercenary media mogul. I haven’t heard a good reason why no one has tried this yet.
1) There are some very rich liberals who’d invest, and non-liberals who want to make money would too.
2) Previous failures of similar ventures (ugh, Air America) doesn’t mean the audience doesn’t exist, only that it hasn’t been satisfied yet.
3) Liberals aren’t this “complicated” group that’s too sophisticated for TV news. They want to watch something!
"I’m no media expert but it’s hard to imagine that there’s no audience for a straight up liberal leaning news channel."
Oh, there IS...It just won't be on cable networks...Its CABLE that's the problem, its a dying medium and all of the bad decisions made by MSNBC and CNN have EVERYTHING to do with cannibalizing the remains of a dying demographic that still watches cable...People over 65...Its akin to people thinking they could revive radio's influence as late as 1962...TV had already won that war...And like SER noted...Reid was a wasted resource on MSNBC...She will find a home with a much smarter engaged viewership...
I think a big part of the problem is that those of us who are left of center do not want to be spoon fed propaganda. We actually want to think for ourselves. If you look at comment sections of right wing media, there isn't much discussion. It's just mindless repetition of the latest buzz words they've been trained to say.
Also, the Democratic party has too many varying viewpoints. It's more of a political party than a cult. I would be open to media that has genuine discussions between those view points, but I don't think many people would. Bluesky is the first social media I have tried, and what I see is an endless feed of "Don't you hate Trump" memes. Once anyone starts talking about what they're for instead of what they're against, it all falls apart.
I think also that media-savvy libs are turning increasingly to independent online media for their news and commentary. MSM are dying a slow, agonizing death as more viewers get turned off by their corporate owners’ propagandizing of our traditional news sources.
All things must pass, as George Harrison told us half a century ago. And by the way, My Sweet George would have been 82 years old today, just thought I’d throw that in.
I know I am...Meidas Touch, Brian Tyler Cohen being the top two but far FAR not the ONLY ones...What I'd like to see is a kind of merger and umbrella identity that while allowing for loose affiliations, still has a BRAND so to speak
But whatever it is it will emerge organically which is THE best path....Still hoping BTC starts really focusing on building the Chorus Network
Thanks for the reminder that today is George's birthday! There is so much going on in my life (father in rehab and birth of a granddaughter) that it slipped my mind.
I watched Nicole Wallace and Joy Reid every day after Harris became the Democratic nominee. I liked Nicole's kind of passive-aggressive calling out of Trump, and many of her guests. I liked Reid for her DIRECT calling out of liars and fools (skipped Ari as I find him VERY annoying).
Joy brought, well, JOY to the fight and I liked that. But, after the election, it all seemed so very irrelevant. I stopped watching any new (ABC, MSNBC, 60 minutes) and got my news here, Wonkette, Evan Hurst, and sometimes NPR.
I watched her last show and plan to assign her book to our book club. Lawrence read a passage from it that was particularly relevant, and it reminded me that we've been through some TERRIBLE times in this country in the 20th century (not even going back to the Civil War), and have stood together against evil.
I hope that Joy will continue to make her voice heard- maybe LOUDER now that she isn't confined to a 40 minute slot.
MSNBC should have fired Joe and Mika - two chattering, clueless twits.
So. I don't watch MSNBC that much because, as it is said, it is *almost* as much an echo chamber of the left as Fox is of the right.
But. Rachel and Joy and Stephanie and ~sometimes even Joe and Mika~ get it right and do weigh in on the side of truth and the American way, whereas Fox has only Jessica Tarlov, and what's that about anyway?
We're floundering. Our eyes are on one side of our head.
This is just bad. This tilt-a-whirl between the constant uneasiness and downright dread will surely end in tears, another shot heard 'round the world, and death, at best figuratively, and at worst...we know how to spell C- RT- -NS, even without any of he vowels.
Unless one is a MAGAT, it is impossible to maintain the level of outrage necessary to consume the constant outpouring of suck that is the nightly news format. We all engaged heavily leading up to the election, realizing that engagement was crucial for a very consequential election. Now that the worst possible outcome has arrived, it's normal to step back and recuperate.
Of course, viewership has dropped away from a network that seemingly can't make enough wrong decisions fast enough. Unlike Fox News viewers, we can tell the difference between lies and truth, between propaganda and fact. MSNBC executives can't seem to get it through their pointy heads that speaking truth to power is what their viewers want, so they keep trying to insinuate a both sides narrative with disgruntled Republicans and blow-in-the-wind liberals.
Maybe the fractured media landscape makes it impossible to return to a standard TV news format any longer anyway? Once the old baby boomers like myself all die off, there won't be anyone left to even mourn the loss of a reliable Cronkite-like voice to guide us through the daily events. It's a new media landscape now.
I think you’re right on about the “constant outpouring” of rage-inducing news blasts these days. It’s unbearable to try to follow ALL the strands of horror we are exposed to daily. I try to reduce most of it, in my mind, to background noise, and stay focused on the two or three main topics I feel are most important.
Online liberal news and opinion outlets are doing very well. In fact, Medias Touch has surpassed Joe Rogan as the #1 podcast in the nation. Maybe Joy Reid can go that route, either on her own, or join up with an established online outlet. I never was big on watching cable news, but Morning Joke sucking up to trump after the election ensured that I'd never watch MSNBC again.
Watching cable desperately scramble for the remains of a dying demographic is like watching rats in a silo fighting over the last kernels of corn before the orgy ends and they ALL die
Cable is already DEAD and this is just them picking the bones when they SHOULD be burying the body
"The statement just reads like “we’re no longer doing DEI so Reid should take her content elsewhere.”
TBH, that's the way I read it. And I see no reason to read it otherwise.
Like you pointed out...The drop in viewership was across all platforms and segments AND the cause for the drop was KNOWN
"...as part of the its bold new push toward irrelevance." Hilarious. And, great work. Yuppers: Why can't hugely powerful and wealthy institutions that are part of the money-power-prestige superstructure take a real honest-like look at themselves and address the problems they co-created? Capitalism won't solve capitalism. Thanks Stephen!
Thank you!
I find it interesting that Black women are portrayed as “angry and loud” while white men are considered passionate with a megaphone.
She is good at her job and someone you’d want in your corner. I hope she gets the appropriate platform so we can keep listening to what she has to say. It’s important.
I have some bad news for you, President Rebecca Kutler of MSNBC. Your purging of outspoken minorities will not save MSNBC, Trump will not be satisfied until all the free press is destroyed. It’s not a question of your network surviving, but rather how long will it survive as a result of your actions/choices. You must know, not only will you lose viewership of the shows you cancelled, but you will lose a larger audience who doesn’t wish to endorse politically/racially motivated firings.
Stephen, that you lost subscribers during the stunned aftermath of the election is a cryin’ shame. That’s their loss. I’m grateful you hung in there and had ‘Wicked’ to help fill in the gaps during our collective trauma. ❤️
My prediction: Rachel will last a few more weeks and then bail. And MSNBC will officially be dead and buried.
That's what I'm hoping for...She and O'Donnell are their top two moneymakers which is why their progressive positions are tolerated by MSNBC...Without those two, MSNBC will LITERALLY fold...I truly hope they use their poser to put an end to MSNBC
Nicolle Wallace will be shown the door soon as well, I bet. Right color but wrong genitalia.
Frankly Joy Reid could do very well going indie just like Don Lemon did. He seems to be thriving and unleashed too.
I could even see her with some coattails.
Now wouldn't that be something if folks could work out having her being one of the anchors of Chorus Media? Let's all get Brian Tyler Cohen to get that going!
right on!!!
Has BTC said anything about that lately? Its SUCH a great idea and I'm not sure why it couldn't at LEAST be kickstarted through some crowdsource mechanism...Even with my very limited income I would GLADLY alter my buying habits for a while to help fund that
I asked under one of his pinned comments but I'm just a rando subscriber so I doubt he would reply to me.
Seems like it would be the elephant in the room right now...I mean its SO time to get that rolling...We need something like that to create and spread coherent SHARED messaging to get everyone on the same page
I’m no media expert but it’s hard to imagine that there’s no audience for a straight up liberal leaning news channel. CNN and MSNBC are trying for some “balance” that results in losing ratings to Fox, while Fox just outright goes for the right leaning audience and thrives.
And if there’s a liberal audience looking for something to watch there’s money in it, even for a purely mercenary media mogul. I haven’t heard a good reason why no one has tried this yet.
1) There are some very rich liberals who’d invest, and non-liberals who want to make money would too.
2) Previous failures of similar ventures (ugh, Air America) doesn’t mean the audience doesn’t exist, only that it hasn’t been satisfied yet.
3) Liberals aren’t this “complicated” group that’s too sophisticated for TV news. They want to watch something!
"I’m no media expert but it’s hard to imagine that there’s no audience for a straight up liberal leaning news channel."
Oh, there IS...It just won't be on cable networks...Its CABLE that's the problem, its a dying medium and all of the bad decisions made by MSNBC and CNN have EVERYTHING to do with cannibalizing the remains of a dying demographic that still watches cable...People over 65...Its akin to people thinking they could revive radio's influence as late as 1962...TV had already won that war...And like SER noted...Reid was a wasted resource on MSNBC...She will find a home with a much smarter engaged viewership...
I think a big part of the problem is that those of us who are left of center do not want to be spoon fed propaganda. We actually want to think for ourselves. If you look at comment sections of right wing media, there isn't much discussion. It's just mindless repetition of the latest buzz words they've been trained to say.
Also, the Democratic party has too many varying viewpoints. It's more of a political party than a cult. I would be open to media that has genuine discussions between those view points, but I don't think many people would. Bluesky is the first social media I have tried, and what I see is an endless feed of "Don't you hate Trump" memes. Once anyone starts talking about what they're for instead of what they're against, it all falls apart.
I keep hoping "Free Speech TV" will take off, but nope.
I think also that media-savvy libs are turning increasingly to independent online media for their news and commentary. MSM are dying a slow, agonizing death as more viewers get turned off by their corporate owners’ propagandizing of our traditional news sources.
All things must pass, as George Harrison told us half a century ago. And by the way, My Sweet George would have been 82 years old today, just thought I’d throw that in.
I know I am...Meidas Touch, Brian Tyler Cohen being the top two but far FAR not the ONLY ones...What I'd like to see is a kind of merger and umbrella identity that while allowing for loose affiliations, still has a BRAND so to speak
But whatever it is it will emerge organically which is THE best path....Still hoping BTC starts really focusing on building the Chorus Network
Thanks for the reminder that today is George's birthday! There is so much going on in my life (father in rehab and birth of a granddaughter) that it slipped my mind.
Oh Linda, sorry about your dad, but congrats on the granddaughter! As a lifelong Beatlemaniac, I consider each of their birthdays as high holy days. 🙂
I watched Nicole Wallace and Joy Reid every day after Harris became the Democratic nominee. I liked Nicole's kind of passive-aggressive calling out of Trump, and many of her guests. I liked Reid for her DIRECT calling out of liars and fools (skipped Ari as I find him VERY annoying).
Joy brought, well, JOY to the fight and I liked that. But, after the election, it all seemed so very irrelevant. I stopped watching any new (ABC, MSNBC, 60 minutes) and got my news here, Wonkette, Evan Hurst, and sometimes NPR.
I watched her last show and plan to assign her book to our book club. Lawrence read a passage from it that was particularly relevant, and it reminded me that we've been through some TERRIBLE times in this country in the 20th century (not even going back to the Civil War), and have stood together against evil.
I hope that Joy will continue to make her voice heard- maybe LOUDER now that she isn't confined to a 40 minute slot.
MSNBC should have fired Joe and Mika - two chattering, clueless twits.
It’s why Joe and Meeka [sic] went to Mardo Lardo right after the election and bent the knee. They saw what was coming. Opportunistic little weasels.
So. I don't watch MSNBC that much because, as it is said, it is *almost* as much an echo chamber of the left as Fox is of the right.
But. Rachel and Joy and Stephanie and ~sometimes even Joe and Mika~ get it right and do weigh in on the side of truth and the American way, whereas Fox has only Jessica Tarlov, and what's that about anyway?
We're floundering. Our eyes are on one side of our head.
This is just bad. This tilt-a-whirl between the constant uneasiness and downright dread will surely end in tears, another shot heard 'round the world, and death, at best figuratively, and at worst...we know how to spell C- RT- -NS, even without any of he vowels.
Unless one is a MAGAT, it is impossible to maintain the level of outrage necessary to consume the constant outpouring of suck that is the nightly news format. We all engaged heavily leading up to the election, realizing that engagement was crucial for a very consequential election. Now that the worst possible outcome has arrived, it's normal to step back and recuperate.
Of course, viewership has dropped away from a network that seemingly can't make enough wrong decisions fast enough. Unlike Fox News viewers, we can tell the difference between lies and truth, between propaganda and fact. MSNBC executives can't seem to get it through their pointy heads that speaking truth to power is what their viewers want, so they keep trying to insinuate a both sides narrative with disgruntled Republicans and blow-in-the-wind liberals.
Maybe the fractured media landscape makes it impossible to return to a standard TV news format any longer anyway? Once the old baby boomers like myself all die off, there won't be anyone left to even mourn the loss of a reliable Cronkite-like voice to guide us through the daily events. It's a new media landscape now.
I think you’re right on about the “constant outpouring” of rage-inducing news blasts these days. It’s unbearable to try to follow ALL the strands of horror we are exposed to daily. I try to reduce most of it, in my mind, to background noise, and stay focused on the two or three main topics I feel are most important.
Online liberal news and opinion outlets are doing very well. In fact, Medias Touch has surpassed Joe Rogan as the #1 podcast in the nation. Maybe Joy Reid can go that route, either on her own, or join up with an established online outlet. I never was big on watching cable news, but Morning Joke sucking up to trump after the election ensured that I'd never watch MSNBC again.