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July 16 2024
Morning Joe: Viewers of Morning Joe were taken aback on Monday morning when MSNBC decided not to broadcast its flagship political morning show. This move happened as the Republican National Convention kicked off in Milwaukee. Instead, the network focused its coverage on breaking news following the weekend shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania.
A person familiar with the network's decision told CNN that "the decision was made to avoid a scenario in which one of the show's more than two dozen guests could make inappropriate comments on live television that could be used to attack the entire program and the network," the network reported. "Given the gravity of the situation, they felt it would be better to broadcast live updates during such a critical political moment."
It's hard to overstate the significance of the cable news network not airing one of its most influential shows at a time when audiences are highly engaged and viewership is high. Viewers expect to see the network's top host at the anchor desk during big news stories, and Morning Joe's audience includes high-profile figures from both parties, including one Joe Biden, who reportedly watches it nearly every morning.
In a brief statement posted on the Morning Joe account on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), the network said that "the regularly scheduled Morning Joe will return on Tuesday."
Cable news veteran Roland Martin said in a post on X that he was stunned by the decision to eliminate Morning Joe. "MSNBC leadership has removed their flagship morning show Morning Joe today, the first day of the GOP convention. I'm sure (co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski) and their crew are stunned by this decision. It's a total surprise to me. So are they removing all the primetime shows too?"
The suggestion that MSNBC decided that a guest on Morning Joe — which is famous for its rotating cast of politicians, former elected officials and reporters — might say something explosive or offensive that could harm the network raises questions. Isn't that a risk on any show, any day, as long as the program airs live? Are some stories so important that political commentary can't be aired?
Of course, even breaking news coverage carries the risk that someone — a reporter, an anchor or an interviewee — might say something the network doesn't want.
So what makes Morning Joe so dangerous — so risky that MSNBC would want to anger its star host, show team and loyal viewers with such a public vote of no confidence?
For a show as long-running and high-profile as Morning Joe, there are few true high-wire moments. The producers and hosts know their guests well, and can easily identify the careless people whose comments can make live television extremely entertaining, but may not be the best guests after a traumatic national event. Experienced hosts like Brzezinski and Scarborough will have no qualms about interrupting a guest who starts to say something extremely offensive.
That MSNBC did not believe its own people could maintain control of its own hugely successful show is deeply troubling. And what does the network think is going to happen by tomorrow morning? If it is safe to air Morning Joe on Tuesday, it is hard to understand why it would not be safe to air it on Monday.
The excitement of live television is its unpredictability, turning unexpected moments into powerful strengths. It's one of the things that makes a show like Morning Joe so entertaining to watch. It's not scripted. It's not edited. It's a live conversation in which often highly opinionated guests clash with other highly opinionated guests. If this is too scary for MSNBC during breaking news times or just on Mondays, maybe they should consider recording all of their shows and having them reviewed by a team of lawyers who can decide what's safe to air and what needs to be edited?
It's to play it safe. Reporting live news and politics is always unpredictable, messy, and full of risks. If you can't work with that level of risk, maybe consider a home renovation show instead?
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