Within the two years main as much as the disastrous 2024 election, I grew to become hooked on MSNBC. As an early riser, I watched Jonathan Lemire on “Method Too Early,” then the primary hour of “Morning Joe.” Within the afternoon, I usually took a espresso break with Nicolle Wallace. At evening, there was Rachel Maddow, Pleasure Reid, together with former White Home Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
The hosts and their “specialists” appeared to have a deep understanding of the polls and the voters. They seized on each Donald Trump outrage to remind viewers of the potential risks of a second Trump presidency. They have been so assured that Trump couldn’t win that I wasn’t too involved, regardless of the tight polls. When a late ballot emerged displaying Kamala Harris with a nine-point edge within the reliably pink state of Iowa, I believed it was over.
However the day earlier than the election, one of many “Morning Joe” regulars, John Heilemann, predicted that both Trump or Harris would win all seven of the swing states. Huh? Properly that’s a daring prediction. Somebody goes to win large nevertheless it may go both manner? What sort of prognosticating is that this? It will be just like the meteorologist telling us that tomorrow it’s both going to snow a foot or it’s going to be 100 levels.
Then election evening arrived with giddy scenes on MSNBC of a crowded polling place in Philadelphia the place younger folks thronged and expressed enthusiasm for electing the primary girl president. Lots of the MSNBC speaking heads, led by Mika Brzezinski, predicted that the abortion situation would propel Harris to victory and ladies would take cost and rule the day.
As an alternative, Harris misplaced seven factors amongst girls in comparison with President Biden in 2020, whereas Trump gained assist amongst males by 4 factors in comparison with 2020.
The opposite key situation of the 2024 election, in keeping with the MSNBC “specialists,” was immigration, which was anticipated to gas an awesome Latino turnout for Harris given Trump’s guarantees of focus camp-like detentions for immigrants.
As an alternative, Latino males broke for Trump. “Biden received their assist by 23 factors in 2020 and Trump received them in 2024. Latina girls nonetheless favored Harris, however by smaller margins than they supported both Clinton or Biden,” CNN reported from its exit polls.
Even amongst college-educated voters of colour, one of many Democrats’ most dependable constituencies, Harris led Trump by 33 p.c. However Biden received that group by 43 factors and Hillary Clinton received it by 50 factors.
How may all of those so-called specialists, bloviating for almost 24 hours a day on MSNBC, get all of it so incorrect? The outcomes demonstrated simply how painfully out of contact the community has turn into, current in a fantasy land the place progressives are infallible and Trump is a racist discovered answerable for sexual assault with no shot at profitable. Reporting selective polls and specializing in “blue” bubbles whereas reassuring the viewers that Individuals would by no means elect a twice-impeached felon as president amounted to a dereliction of obligation. As an alternative of reporting the laborious information and scrutinizing unfavorable polls, MSNBC seemed for empty seats at Trump rallies after which reported breathlessly that his assist was waning.
But it surely will get worse. After the election, marquee hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski flew to Mar-a-Lago to fulfill privately with Trump. What did they talk about? We don’t know as a result of cameras weren’t allowed and the dialog was off the document. Actually? After spending two years calling Trump each title within the guide, they jetted off to Palm Seaside to kiss the ring. This was the antithesis of journalism. Joe and Mika usually are not journalists however they actually masquerade as such. These kinds of conferences between reporters and sources are frequent however they need to be totally disclosed and on the document.
Years in the past in the course of the Maryland marriage battle, I used to be writing columns important of then-Gov. Martin O’Malley. His employees reached out and stated the governor needed to fulfill with me privately. I accepted on one situation: that the assembly was on the document and I may document it. I went to the assembly after which wrote about it so Blade readers knew what was stated.
Joe and Mika betrayed their viewers and I’ve not watched a minute of MSNBC since. I’m not alone. After the election, MSNBC’s rankings fell by half. In the latest rankings for January, MSNBC was down 34% to 506,000 common whole day viewers; MSNBC additionally fell to final place within the adults 25-54 demo when remaining rankings interval information was launched, coming in at 45,000 for whole day, in keeping with Newscast Studio. They needed to carry again Maddow 5 nights per week to goose the numbers however that received’t be sufficient. The injury is finished.
The 2024 election must be a lesson for the mainstream media. Report the details wherever they lead so voters could make knowledgeable choices. What number of voters stayed dwelling as a result of they thought Harris would win in a cake stroll? Knowledge exhibits that just about 90 million eligible voters didn’t vote, about 36 p.c of the voters.
MSNBC is appropriate that Trump is a racist and deplorable and a felon, amongst different monikers. However that doesn’t imply the U.S. voters is sensible sufficient to beat huge Russian disinformation campaigns or that almost all voters have the sources to beat voter suppression efforts within the South.
Voter suppression legal guidelines and Russian disinformation undoubtedly swung this election to Trump. Too unhealthy the mainstream media like MSNBC have been too busy with their smug title calling to note.
Today, I discover higher, extra dependable reporting from the BBC and NPR. And my blood stress has dropped. Good riddance MSNBC. I extremely advocate my new media eating regimen.
Kevin Naff is editor of the Washington Blade. Attain him at knaff@washblade.com.
The publish I ended watching MSNBC and it’s best to too appeared first on Washington Blade: LGBTQ Information, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Homosexual Information.
