Some NBC News journalists, despite the fact that their network’s record has triggered outlets to say they lean politically to the Left, are complaining about their sister network MSNBC hiring White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
“Noah Oppenheim, the NBC News president, even held an impromptu phone call Friday so that he could address the matter with vexed staffers from the Washington bureau, some of whom have complained to their superiors that the tentative hiring tarnishes the NBC News brand,” CNN reported.
CNN reported that “one of the people who was on the call” claimed, “Here’s what he was saying: They have perspective programming. This was done on the perspective programming side. Not anything that reflects on NBC News.” The person added, “People wanted answers on what NBC’s role was in this and NBC News had no role in this. This is MSNBC’s perspective programming.”
Former White House press secretaries Sarah Sanders and Kayleigh McEnany both became Fox News contributors after they left the White House, but MSNBC reportedly has plans to make Psaki the host of a show.
Puck reported in February:
The discussions with CNN and MSNBC are in early stages, which means that the contours of Psaki’s television career are still taking shape. But sources familiar with these early conversations say there could be a natural progression from Psaki’s role in the briefing room to her job as cable news host. …which of the two cable networks would be a better fit? MSNBC is, of course, unapologetically liberal, and arguably a better home for a longtime Democratic operative. That said, Psaki is also a card-carrying member of the political establishment, and far closer to the political center than MSNBC’s most outspoken liberals. She also spent three years as a CNN political contributor, from 2017 to 2020.
On April 1, Psaki was asked at a White House press briefing, “How is it ethical to have these conversations with media outlets while you continue to have a job standing behind that podium?”
“Well, there are a range of stringent ethical and legal requirements that are imposed on everybody in this administration and many administrations past about any conversations you’re having with future employers,” Psaki answered. “That is true of any industry you’re working in. And I have abided by those, and tried to take steps to go beyond that as well.”
Then Psaki was asked, “Broadly speaking, is it the policy of this White House to allow staffers to have discussions, even indirectly, with institutions that impact and affect their jobs and your job here?”
“Well, it is the policy of this White House to ensure that anyone who is having conversations about future employment does so through consultation with the White House Counsel’s Office and ensuring they abide by any ethics and legal requirements,” Psaki replied. “And those are conversations that I have taken very seriously and abided by every component of.”