Joyless (ok, I’ll be a good boy, her name is Joy) Reid is out at MSNBC. TrumpHating fanatic Jim Acosta was relegated to a dismal timeslot at CNN, so he took his ball and went home. He resigned and is now doing podcasts that have less production quality than “Wayne’s World.” Chris Wallace, who left Fox News for greener pastures at CNN, announced his departure from that network less than a week after Trump’s November election win. Norah O’Donnell "voluntarily" gave up the anchor chair made famous by fibbing Dan Rather, delivering her last broadcast on January 23. Former “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd left NBC in January.
They’re dropping like flies.
And now, there’s another one gone: after ten years manning the anchor’s desk at NBC News, Lester Holt is saying goodbye:
Holt will now spend his time at “Dateline,” which certainly seems like a major step down:
Holt, 65, will remain with NBC in a full-time role at “Dateline,” where he has been the principal anchor for nearly 15 years, according to a memo shared with staffers.
Holt said he would continue anchoring the evening news until “the start of summer.”
“As a 20-year-old radio reporter on the police beat chasing breaking news around San Francisco, I could never have imagined my career path would unfold in the way it has,” Holt wrote in a note to staffers. “What an amazing ride.”
He won’t be missed by conservatives:
NBC News and Lester Holt to Help the Biden Rehab Effort and the Timing Shows More Media Collusion
NBC News' Executive Vice President of Programming Janelle Rodriguez posted an update to the NBCUniversal News Group website Monday [emphasis mine]:
A short time ago, Lester shared with his team that after 10 years as the NBC Nightly News anchor, he’s taking on a dedicated full-time role at Dateline, his second home. Lester will continue at the helm of Nightly until early summer before he devotes his energy to the rapidly-expanding powerhouse that is Dateline.
Because of Lester’s steady and thoughtful leadership, Nightly News has sustained its perch as a trusted and top news destination for millions of viewers across America. He has led the network during some of the country’s most fraught and challenging times in the past decade, most notably during the early days of the pandemic when Lester’s voice was a source of comfort each night for so many. He’s taken viewers to the frontlines of every major story and sat down with world leaders, skillfully eliciting answers on consequential issues.
Quite simply, Lester is the beating heart of this news organization.
If he’s the "beating heart" of the news organization, why is he stepping down from the most prominent spot? Inquiring minds want to know.
The reality is that the Trump-bashing, “danger to democracy!” ratings bonanza of old is not working anymore—Americans are tuning out. As the corrupt/corporate/legacy media struggles to adapt, more and more veteran journalists are either being fired or “looking for new opportunities.”
It’s a reckoning that’s long overdue.
I feel compelled to leave you with this: