Lengthy-time MSNBC anchor Ari Melber has hit again at President Donald Trump‘s claims that the information community is “near dying.”
Trump has lengthy railed in opposition to MSNBC and his assaults have solely elevated since he formally returned to the White Home on January 20. Final week, in a Reality Social submit on January 22, the president stated MSNBC “shouldn’t actually have a proper to broadcast” and referred to as it “even worse than CNN.”
He continued his rant on the right-wing social media platform on January 25, screaming, “MSNBC IS CLOSE TO DEATH.”
Talking with Forbes, Melber, who has hosted The Beat with Ari Melber at 6 p.m. ET on the information community since 2017, shot down Trump’s claims, saying, “MSNBC is doing nice.”
“We’re reaching extra individuals than ever. We’re beating ESPN and CNN in complete viewers TV rankings, and final yr we beat Fox on YouTube, which is a giant a part of the longer term,” he claimed.
The way forward for cable information has been questioned in latest months following Trump’s 2024 presidential election victory. In keeping with Nielsen, networks resembling MSNBC and CNN noticed a big drop in viewership within the first weeks after the election. MSNBC additionally confronted viewer backlash after Morning Joe hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski revealed they met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
Nevertheless, Melber has disputed the downfall of cable information, telling Forbes, “2024 was an enormous, busy yr for MSNBC,” noting that the image tells a distinct story once you have a look at the “info” throughout your complete yr and never simply “exterior occasions just like the marketing campaign or what occurs between Thanksgiving and Christmas, which has by no means been the Bonanza time, and particularly not after elections.”
Melber is correct, per Nielsen figures, as MSNBC ended 2024 with its most-watched yr since 2021 and the one high 120 cable community to submit two consecutive years of viewers positive aspects. It additionally marked its largest viewership benefit over CNN within the community’s historical past, cementing it because the No. 2 community in all of cable tv, forward of ESPN (at No. 3) and CNN (at No .4).
Commenting on the post-election viewership droop, Melber said, “Now we have at all times seen that drop off, and now we have at all times seen individuals come again to the information,” including, “I feel, over time, individuals will come again if we show to them that this isn’t a re-run. As a result of there’s loads of vital issues taking place, together with nicely past D.C.”
As for individuals who could also be feeling burnt out on politics, Melber added, “Take your time and work out the way you need to have interaction as a citizen. However MSNBC will likely be right here.”
MSNBC has gone by means of quite a few modifications in latest weeks, together with Rachel Maddow returning to MSNBC’s 9 p.m. ET slot for 5 nights per week throughout Trump‘s first 100 days in workplace. Since 2002, Maddow has solely hosted at 9 p.m. on Monday nights.
There have been experiences final month that MSNBC anchors Pleasure Reid and Stephanie Ruhle have been supplied pay cuts to stay on the community. The Ankler publication additionally reported that Jonathan Lemire, who was not too long ago moved to a everlasting co-host slot on Morning Joe’s 9 a.m. hour, has been supplied a brand new contract at a decreased wage.
Then, on January 14, MSNBC’s president, Rashida Jones, introduced that she was stepping down after 4 years on the helm of the cable information channel.