According to a report from Oliver Darcy’s Status newsletter (note that it’s behind a paywall), the left-of-center MSNBC news network is apparently toying with shaking up its business model so it can be on “better terms” with Republicans.
Darcy reported that Mark Lazarus, the newly installed leader of SpinCo, a new company comprising networks like CNBC, MSNBC, and E!, indicated that he would like the outlet to incorporate “more GOP voices on its air.” Darcy cited people familiar with Lazarus’ thinking but said that no formal directive or editorial guidance has been given to MSNBC anchors or producers.
“To be clear, Lazarus has signaled that he wants the channel to retain its core progressive identity," Darcy reported. Lazarus has also stated he intends to keep top talent, including Rachel Maddow.
But there’s evidence that some of the network’s other well-known anchors want a better working relationship with Trump. In mid-November, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, cohosts of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” were widely criticized after they visited Mar-a-Lago to visit the president-elect.
Perhaps Lazarus’ thinking is merely business-driven. After all, according to data from Nielsen, which was cited in reporting by the Wall Street Journal, MSNBC averaged 603,000 prime-time viewers from Nov. 6 to Dec. 8—down by more than half from the network’s year-to-date average. CNN’s ratings tumbled after Election Day, too, while Fox News was up by 12%.
There’s also the looming threat of mega-billionaire Elon Musk. In November, the Tesla CEO teased that he could buy MSNBC. “How much does it cost?” he asked in a post to his social media network X.
His question was in response to a re-post by Donald Trump Jr. that falsely stated Comcast is putting MSNBC up for sale. (Comcast instead plans to spin off NBCUniversal’s cable networks into a separate company, but this change is not expected to affect individual channels or assets.)
Of course, MSNBC might have a hard time finding a GOP audience—even if it does pivot slightly to the right. According to 2023 research coauthored by UC Berkeley, a striking number of Americans are in “partisan echo chambers.” By that phrase, researchers were referring to the fact that party affiliation affects where you get your news. They found that 32% of Fox News viewers identify as “strong Republicans.” Another 42% ranged from “less partisan Republicans to independents.”
Meanwhile, viewers of CNN and MSNBC tended to hold more progressive politics. Thirty-six percent of viewers of both networks reported having a “strong Democratic identity,” with 42% being “less partisan Democrats and independents.”
Moving forward, Republicans might also find solace in other right-wing networks, especially now that disgraced former Rep. Matt Gaetz is set to host a cable show on the far-right propaganda network One America News.
But if MSNBC moves forward with this plan it wouldn’t be the first outlet to preemptively bow to Trump before his next term in the White House starts.
On Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump met with Jeff Bezos, the owner of The Washington Post, at Mar-a-Lago. According to reports, Bezos and his fiancee Lauren Sanchez were seen at Trump’s Florida estate, walking behind Trump and his wife, Melania. The quartet also dined at the same dinner table.
This meeting happened, of course, after Bezos pulled the plug on his newspaper’s planned endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris in October. And despite their turbulent professional relationship, Bezos now seems to have taken a liking to Trump. Notably, he was one of the first billionaires to congratulate Trump on his November win.
Other media moguls have also seemingly caved to Trump. This past weekend, ABC News, which is owned by Disney, announced that it would pay out $15 million in a donation to Trump’s presidential library to settle a defamation suit brought forth by Trump—a move that angered employees at ABC.
Patrick Soon-Shiong, the owner of the Los Angeles Times, is seemingly kissing Trump’s ring, too. According to The New York Times, Soon-Shiong killed an op-ed that was critical of Trump’s wildly unqualified Cabinet picks.
While it’s unclear if MSNBC will actually move forward with its plans to include more Republicans on air, the news is somewhat of a concession from the left-wing news outlet that has leapfrogged past its erstwhile rival CNN in ratings.
Even if it doesn’t, Trump seems to be loving the attention he’s getting. In a post to his social media network, Truth Social, on Thursday morning, the president-elect wrote: “EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE MY FRIEND!!!”
