Eulogies are reserved for the departed. But what do you do when a force in media isn’t truly *gone*, merely…rebranded? MSNBC, soon to be MS NOW, is undergoing a transformation, a $20 million attempt to reshape its image. Yet, as Rachel Maddow insists, “We are not going anywhere and we are not changing anything other than our name.”
The network’s first rebranding commercial feels less like a fresh start and more like a carefully constructed narrative. Maddow’s recitation of the Preamble to the Constitution, framed with images of protests and the MS NOW team, evokes a peculiar sense of patriotic fervor. Network President Rebecca Kutler described watching the ad as feeling “all the feels of hope, of community, of unity.” It’s a carefully curated emotional response.
The impending arrival of Martin Sheen, reprising his role as President Jed Bartlet from “The West Wing,” further underscores this attempt at a hopeful, unifying image. But beneath the surface lies a 30-year history, a legacy defined by a singular, unwavering focus: opposition. MSNBC wasn’t simply a news outlet; it was a platform dedicated to dismantling the right.
The network’s past is littered with moments that pushed the boundaries of political commentary. Comparisons to Hitler, accusations of dictatorship – the rhetoric was often inflammatory. It became a haven for figures like Keith Olbermann, Joy Reid, and Jim Acosta, and even a landing spot for Brian Williams after his journalistic failings.
One defining moment arrived with Chris Matthews’s candid admission during the Obama presidency. While covering a speech, he confessed to feeling “a thrill going up my leg.” It was a raw, unfiltered expression of the almost reverential coverage Obama received, a visual halo effect carefully crafted by news outlets. The quote became a symbol of that era’s journalistic fervor.
Then there was Keith Olbermann, whose vitriol was legendary. He famously blamed Rush Limbaugh for the Oklahoma City bombing, declaring, “You have that blood on your hands now.” Years later, Limbaugh would be remembered as a great American, while Olbermann became the subject of a memorable Ben Affleck impersonation on “Saturday Night Live.”
“Morning Joe” offered a different, yet equally striking, example. During the Biden presidency, host Joe Scarborough vehemently defended a president whose cognitive abilities were increasingly questioned. He declared Biden “far beyond cogent,” even claiming he was “the best Biden ever,” a statement he later walked back, but not before inflicting lasting damage to his credibility.
The network’s animosity extended to conservative figures like Charlie Kirk. A former MSNBC analyst lost his job after making inflammatory comments about Kirk, accusing him of promoting “hate speech.” Joy Reid, meanwhile, compared the “American evangelical right-wing movement” to the “American Taliban” and likened Trump to cult leaders like David Koresh and Jim Jones.
MSNBC’s departure won’t be mourned by many on the right. But even its detractors can acknowledge its role as a source of…entertainment. And with the launch of MS NOW, that entertainment, in a new package, is likely to continue.
