MSNBC Elevates Rachel Maddow To News Anchor

Viewers’ dreams of Rachel Maddow someday hosting Meet The Press took another step forward as new MSNBC advertising refers to as a news anchor.

According to TVNewser,

You won’t likely see MSNBC host Rachel Maddow filling in for Brian Williams on “NBC Nightly News.” While Maddow is usually described as the “host” of a cable news show, she is rarely called a “news anchor.” Her own NBC bio describes her as a “host”-and never even uses the word “journalist.”

So it’s worth noting that a new MSNBC promo flips the script, describing Maddow as a “news anchor with a big personality. She’s smart, funny and passionate.”

It is an interesting change, and one that reaffirms MSNBC’s commitment to Maddow being the center of the network. Maddow has been anchoring the network’s election night and other big event coverage, so it isn’t inaccurate to refer to her as MSNBC’s news anchor.

The problem is that Rachel Maddow continues to lose viewers because she is surrounded by a lot of shows that people aren’t watching on MSNBC. The network managed to lose 6% of its total viewers and 8% of its younger viewers during the midterm election last month.

Chris Hayes’ 8 PM show has been sinking the entire primetime lineup and pushing cable news viewers towards CNN by the thousands. It is a good idea to make Rachel Maddow the center of the network. It was a bad idea to remake the network in her image by hiring a group of low rated Maddow clones who have caused the ratings to plunge.

Instead of highlighting and emphasizing Maddow’s uniqueness, the network has watered down her impact by trying to recreate her success with several other hosts.

NBC News has held the position that Rachel Maddow can’t host Meet The Press because she is too partisan, but the elevation to news anchor is another step into journalistic territory.

The MSNBC ship continues to sink, but Rachel Maddow’s star is still shining bright.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association