MSNBC boss holds ‘tense’ meting with Joy Reid's staff, reveals if Donald Trump contributed to show cancellation

Joy Reid, who started working with the network in 2014, has been hosting a show on MSNBC at 7 pm since 2020.

Published on: Feb 24, 2025, 16:04:58 IST

By Shweta Kukreti

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As MSNBC terminated Joy Reid's evening news show The ReidOut, a new report claims that her staff held a “tense meeting” with network's President Rebecca Kutler.

According to media journalist Oliver Darcy, Reid's team learned they were fired during a heated and emotional 30-minute spontaneous “tense and emotional” digital confab on Sunday morning. Employees were apparently disappointed that they didn't hear directly from management about the show's closure, but rather from media sources, Variety reported.

Reid, who started working with the network in 2014, has been hosting a show on MSNBC at 7 pm since 2020.

The ReidOut's final episode will premiere this week, as per The New York Times. Her place will be taken over by a program hosted by journalist Alicia Menendez, former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele, and Democratic strategist Symone Sanders Townsend. They currently host The Weekend, which gets aired on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Also Read: Kamala Harris takes veiled dig at Trump as President mocks former VP saying ‘I haven’t heard that name in a while’

Reid staffer held meeting with Kutler

The Times reports that Kutler took the decision as part of broader plans to restructure MSNBC's programming.

“Staffers expressed frustration and disbelief, outraged that they had learned of their show's fate from reports in the press rather than leadership,” Darcy stated. The employees urged network's leadership to provide an explanation for the cancellation of the show and the implications for their employment.

The bad news arrived swiftly, as Kutler confirmed that “the entire staff had been laid off,” Darcy states. However, the employees were invited to send in applications for other positions inside MSNBC and were informed that they would get severance salaries through April.

While Kutler told the staff that over 100 new positions will be advertised this week, the meeting ended on a disappointing note for those who worked on “The ReidOut” as “their future at the progressive network” is uncertain.

Kutler reveals if Trump was behind Reid's show cancellation

Meanwhile, Kutler expressed her disappointment that the news was leaked in this manner, leaving staff members furious, with one individual informing the MSNBC boss that it was a “terrible, terrible way to learn about our fate.”

According to Darcy, Kutler “insisted” that “Donald Trump was not a factor” in cancellation of her critic's show.

Kutler said, “No, it did not,” in response to a staffer who asked if the US President contributed to the move to cancel The ReidOut.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shweta Kukreti
Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

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