Journalist Joy Reid has never been afraid to call out President Donald Trump and his supporters. Perhaps that’s exactly what got her fired from MSNBC, although the network claimed it was due to ratings. Now that the company has made a shocking rebrand, Reid is calling them out big time for catering to the president… and she might have a point.
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Just last month, the network announced it would be changing its name to My Source News Opinion World– MS Now for short– and as typical for most major rebrands, the move caught flak from folks claiming the network is attempting to appease Trump. Well, Reid, who was fired back in February, surely thinks this is true, and while on the “On with Kara Swisher” podcast, she aired it all out.
“The logo — the red, white, and blue — is giving a little Newsmax,” she said referring to the conservative cable company. MSNBC’s old logo– a colorful peacock– will be replaced with a more boring, less colorful white and red flag in front of a royal blue background.
Reid continued, “It’s a little America, you know? I feel like they’re like, ‘Will Trump like this?’” It’s no secret the president has been going after news networks and journalists with “unfavorable” views of him since returning to office. “I kind of feel for the new corporate suits that are running that place,” Reid added. “They’re under a lot of pressure… Donald Trump is a vengeful, vicious, vindictive man.”
In December, Trump settled a lawsuit against ABC News for $15 million, NPR reported. And just in July, Paramount Global agreed to pay the president $16 million in another settlement, CNN reported. He’s threatened to go after companies like PBS, NPR, CNN and MSNBC, so the latter network’s rebrand seems to be perfect timing.
But according to Reid, the decision to become MS Now could come back to bite. “The name has value to MSNBC fans,” she said. “It’s like ‘The Muppet Show’ to them. It’s ‘Sesame Street.’ It is such a brand that is meaningful to people.” And many folks online agree with her.
“I can’t explain it but that’s a conservative rebrand,” @Jalexandria22 said on X.
Another user, @JAMAiwuyor, said MSNBC’s choice is “interesting” considering all that’s happening in American politics right now. “We have a rising fascist gov and instead of resisting it – too many people, institutions, and entities are leaning in. And draping themselves in red, white, and blue,” she said.
“It’s their conservative era,” @TevonBlair tweeted. “They said the rainbow has to go.”
Meanwhile, the network stands by their decision. In a company-wide memo, Prospective Chief Executive Officer of VERSANT Mark Lazarus said, “The peacock is synonymous with NBCUniversal, and it is a symbol they have decided to keep within the NBCU family.” Instead, the network is looking to set themselves apart from NBCU going forward. “This gives us the opportunity to chart our own path forward, create distinct brand identities, and establish an independent news organization following the spin,” he said.
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