Rashida Jones, the president of MSNBC, has announced her decision to step down after leading the liberal news network for four years. This announcement comes just before the potential commencement of a second Trump administration and follows recent changes in corporate ownership.
In a memo addressed to her team on Tuesday, Jones expressed her intent to leave to explore new opportunities. Rebecca Kutler, a former CNN executive who joined MSNBC in 2022, will serve as her interim replacement.
During Jones’ leadership, MSNBC managed to surpass CNN as the second highest-rated cable news network, trailing only behind Fox News Channel. However, the network has witnessed a significant decline in viewership since Donald Trump’s election win.
MSNBC’s programming lineup has remained largely unchanged since Jones took charge in 2021, making her the first Black executive to head a cable news network after transitioning from NBC News. One of her most notable additions to the network is former Biden administration press secretary Jen Psaki.
In November, Comcast announced that MSNBC and CNBC would be separated from NBC News, forming a new company under the leadership of executive Mark Lazarus. This shift meant that Jones was now accountable to a new corporate leadership structure.
During a morning gathering on Tuesday, Jones shared her enthusiasm for her achievements at MSNBC and expressed excitement for what lies ahead. While she did not elaborate on the exact timing of her departure, it is common for significant corporate and political changes to instigate transitions within the news industry.
Lazarus expressed surprise at Jones’ announcement the previous week, stating he felt a mix of sadness for the company and happiness for her decision to take a bold step following personal reflections.
Despite speculation about potential changes, Lazarus confirmed that MSNBC will retain its name, which has been established since its inception in 1996 as a collaboration with Microsoft. At this point, viewers have yet to see any major changes following the separation from NBC News.
Throughout her tenure, Jones maintained a relatively low public profile. She did implement significant changes to the weekend schedule of the network, as well as extending the airtime of popular weekday shows such as “Morning Joe” and Nicolle Wallace’s afternoon program.
Jones faced internal challenges after NBC News hired former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel as a paid contributor, a decision that was swiftly reversed amid backlash from several MSNBC hosts.
Since Trump’s election, MSNBC’s viewership has dropped by 57%. The network points out that it is typical for cable networks associated with a defeated candidate to experience reduced audiences after an election. However, there are indications that viewership may be rebounding, although whether it will replicate the surge seen in 2017 remains uncertain, especially as many people shift away from traditional cable services.
Recently, MSNBC announced that its most prominent figure, Rachel Maddow, will return to hosting her show five nights a week during the initial months of the new administration after previously scaling back to one night a week since 2022.
