By now, you may have heard that former Joe Biden adviser and Kamala Harris chief spokeswoman Symone D. Sanders has inked a deal to host two shows for MSNBC (one of which will stream on MSNBC’s “The Choice” channel on Peacock). Nice work if you can get it!
Come on, if Fox News announced in January 2018 that it was giving Sean Spicer his own weekend show, they would get endless grief about it, and they would deserve it.
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) January 10, 2022
Oh, we’d never hear the end of it.
Can’t wait for the column dripping with distain that @brianstelter or @oliverdarcy writes because a news organization just hired an ex-government employee.
*eye roll* https://t.co/C6hGD7MhWu— JenniferW (@JenWoodruff79) January 10, 2022
Funny you should mention Brian Stelter and Oliver Darcy specifically. As it happens, they do have a huge problem with hosting gigs being awarded to people who don’t deserve them.
At Fox News, at least. Jesse Watters was recently named permanent host of Fox News’ weekday 7 p.m. hour.
JESSE WATTERS NAMED PERMANENT HOST OF FOX NEWS CHANNEL’S 7PM HOUR https://t.co/HVqbBm5uCg
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) January 10, 2022
More from Fox News’ press release:
Jesse Watters has been named host of FOX News Channel’s (FNC) 7 PM/ET hour, announced Suzanne Scott, CEO of FOX News Media. The one-hour program, entitled Jesse Watters Primetime, will launch on January 24th. Mr. Watters will remain a co-host of The Five, which is among the highest rated shows in cable news and will relinquish his weekend show Watters’ World. A new 8 PM/ET Saturday night program will be announced at a later date.
In making the announcement, Ms. Scott said, “Jesse’s versatility and hosting acumen has grown exponentially over the last five years, and he has developed a deep connection to the audience through two hit shows The Five and Watters’ World. We look forward to watching him expand his connection even further through this new solo weeknight hour.”
Mr. Watters added, “I’m thrilled to take on this new challenge and am grateful for the opportunity.”
In a shocking (read: totally predictable) turn of events, CNN hall monitors and resident Fox News experts Brian Stelter and Oliver Darcy are outraged that Fox News would reward someone like Jesse Watters with a primetime show:
Jesse Watters is a logical choice for Fox's 7pm time slot – the evening schedule is now full of flame throwers – from Watters through to Greg Gutfeld
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 10, 2022
Here's a Jesse Watters scene from https://t.co/oGOKIamS5l. Watters saw that Trump was the path to fame and fortune at Fox pic.twitter.com/hnKisJPdKE
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 10, 2022
Nice book plug, Brian!
This promotion comes less than a month after Fauci said Fox should have fired Watters "on the spot" for his "kill shot" comments. https://t.co/sjE57mCqER https://t.co/cAZZxOeQtx
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) January 10, 2022
(Recall that Watters’ “kill shot” comments were taken out of context. Weird that Oliver didn’t mention that.)
The installment of Watters into the 7pm time slot cements a strategy Fox initiated soon after Trump lost re-election: Even more right-wing commentary, even less news. https://t.co/f7CVrsVsCK
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) January 10, 2022
“Installment.” “Right-wing flame-thrower.” Guess defending racism doesn’t count as left-wing flame-throwing. Noted.
The irony of a pair of bona fide CNN hacks complaining about too much partisan commentary and not enough news is not lost on us.
Especially given the way Stelter and Darcy greeted the news about Sanders’ new MSNBC jobs:
"One of the first big programming moves by MSNBC's president, Rashida Jones:" https://t.co/EHvxjtNB6K
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 10, 2022
That’s it? That’s all they’ve got to say? Go figure.
Note the contrast in the way @OliverDarcy talks about Jesse Watters being named the 7pm host on Fox News versus a puny RT of a New York Times story about MSNBC hiring Symone Sanders fresh off the Biden-Harris White House pic.twitter.com/YIQYiigxXL
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) January 10, 2022
Symone D. Sanders worked in the Biden White House. Jesse Watters hasn’t worked in anyone’s White House. MSNBC and CNN are supposed to be the Real News networks. So why are they hiring an out-and-proud Democratic flack like Symone D. Sanders?
It's almost like CNN and MSNBC have an unwritten agreement not to criticize each other. https://t.co/n6Wc6tA66m
— RBe (@RBPundit) January 10, 2022
Almost.
Two announcements by CNN media critic Brian Stelter, one from Fox News, one from MSNBC. Which one gets a total pass, and which one is already being dumped on by Stelter & Co? The CNN-MSNBC non-aggression pact is still in effect: political allies don’t attack each other. pic.twitter.com/MI5FRSnVpi
— johnny dollar (@johnnydollar01) January 10, 2022
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