NBC has walked back its decision to hire Ronna McDaniel as a political contributor. The network fired her after top NBC and MSNBC personalities publicly aired grievances on their programs over the new addition to their team.
This isn’t the first time newsrooms have revolted over who and what should be allowed on their platforms.
In 2020, the decision to run an op-ed by Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., in The New York Times led to staffers being fired following criticism from fellow employees.
In the piece, Cotton said the military should be deployed to George Floyd protests. Times employees condemned their own paper on social media over publishing a divisive op-ed that they said put their lives at risk. This led to an editor’s note in the paper days later that said the piece never should have published.
Two opinion staffers were fired for letting it hit the press and another staffer resigned, criticizing the Times for bending the knee.
In another example of newsroom conflict, CNN staffers condemned the network for allowing former President Donald Trump to participate in a 2023 town hall. CNN’s Anderson Cooper and Christiane Amanpour were among those questioning former CEO Chris Licht over the decision to give Trump a platform, openly expressing concerns Trump “spread lies” to their audience — specifically over the 2020 election. Licht was fired weeks later.
Like Trump, McDaniel raised questions about election fraud in 2020. While she ultimately said Joe Biden won fair and square, she is still broadly seen as an “election denier.” It was for that reason NBC and MSNBC personalities said her affiliation with them would hurt their credibility.
MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow said McDaniel would not be featured on the channel for the same reason Trump isn’t allowed on the cable outlet either: their stance on election fraud claims surrounding the 2020 election.
Some Republicans are critical of NBC for firing McDaniel. They argue it’s the continuation of cancel culture and silences an important perspective.
NBC hosts said they welcome Republican voices but there’s a difference between a conservative and someone who is an “election denier.”
