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- Some of NBC’s most prominent journalists are opposed to the station’s hiring of Ronna McDaniel.
- Chief political analyst Chuck Todd said Sunday that many NBC employees were “uncomfortable” with McDaniel’s appointment.
- On Monday, “Meet the Press” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski said McDaniel would not appear on their show.
When NBC News announced late last week that it had hired former Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel as a paid contributor, the backlash from media critics was immediate.
McDaniel, who chaired the RNC from January 2017 to earlier this month, supported former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, which led him to make comments on the network. This has worried observers who believe it lacks the credibility needed to do so.
In a highly unusual move, NBC News reporters, including former “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd, and “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, joined McDaniel. publicly criticized his hiring.
This development is what CNN’s senior media correspondent Oliver Darcy called the “Big Five” to NBC News on Sunday.
“This is a complete disaster,” Darcey said in an on-air interview with CNN. “I don’t think they expected the kind of shock they would have to deal with this on Sunday.”
“When they hired her, they basically said they wanted to represent the other side because she’s an important voice, and, you know, Trump Republicans should be represented on the network. “I said that,” he continued. “Of course, there were a lot of holes in that argument, and it really hurt people within NBC News and even within MSNBC.”
Darcy went on to note that McDaniel said: Previously launched a ‘really ugly and vile attack’ against MSNBC host During her time as RNC chair, she evaluated “the entire network and organization.”
Todd, who is currently NBC News’ chief political analyst, criticized McDaniel’s hiring after Sunday’s interview with current “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker. The interview had already been scheduled before the former RNC chairman was hired by the news organization.
“I think our boss owes you an apology for putting you in this situation.” Todd told Welker on Sunday in a series of unusual remarks. So he called his employer.
“There’s a reason why many journalists at NBC News are uncomfortable with this, because much of their professional dealings with the RNC over six years have been met with gaslighting and character assassination,” he said. added.
Politico reported that McDaniel’s salary is expected to approach $300,000, but some within NBC have expressed doubts about the amount, especially after the network made a series of news department layoffs in January. has been criticized.
“Across MSNBC, they’ve been cutting back on posters,” one of the network’s hosts told Politico. “So you guys… found her 300 for her?”
On Monday, Scarborough and Brzezinski said they were “inundated with calls” over the weekend regarding McDaniel’s hiring.
“I was not asked for my opinion on the hiring, but if I had been, I would have strongly opposed it for several reasons,” Scarborough said on air, pointing to McDaniel’s role in the 2020 election. .
“Let me be clear: I believe NBC News should seek out conservative and Republican voices to balance our election coverage,” Brzezinski said. “But the person appearing should be a conservative Republican, not someone who used his position of power to deny an anti-democratic election. We hope NBC reconsiders its decision.”
Brzezinski then said McDaniel would not appear as a guest on Morning Joe.
Business Insider has reached out to NBC News for comment.
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