The ten greatest liberal media controversies of 2024

2024 was a very momentous yr in information between the historic victory of President-elect Donald Trump, the 2 assassination makes an attempt in opposition to him and the sidelining of President Biden from the White Home race along with devastating hurricanes, mysterious drones and unrest world wide.  

It was, nevertheless, additionally a giant yr in information in regards to the information business. 2024 was full of newsroom turmoil, scrutinized editorial selections, and even an inappropriate election romance.   

Listed below are ten of the largest media controversies of 2024:

NBC’s hiring (and firing) of Ronna McDaniel

NBC Information was engulfed in a firestorm fueled by its personal staffers after the community introduced in March it had employed former Republican Nationwide Committee chair Ronna McDaniel as a contributor.

The observe of main information organizations hiring ex-lawmakers, authorities officers and political insiders has existed for many years and has largely been non-controversial. However a refrain of NBC expertise, significantly from its liberal cable arm MSNBC, publicly disavowed McDaniel’s hiring, citing her assist for Trump and alleged actions in making an attempt to dam the certification of Michigan’s election ends in 2020.

“We weren’t requested our opinion of the hiring, but when we have been, we’d have strongly objected to it for a number of causes together with, however not restricted to, as legal professionals would possibly say, Ms. McDaniel’s function in Donald Trump’s faux elector scheme and her pressuring election officers to not certify election outcomes whereas Donald Trump was on the telephone,” MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough mentioned on “Morning Joe” on the time.

NBC’S CHUCK TODD EXPLODES ON NETWORK BOSSES ON THE AIR FOR HIRING RONNA MCDANIEL AS ANALYST, CALLS FOR APOLOGY

NBC Information sparked backlash throughout the community over its transient hiring of former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel. (Screenshot/NBC)

Rachel Maddow, MSNBC’s greatest star, blasted NBC’s “inexplicable” determination to rent McDaniel and expressed hope that the community would reverse its determination.

The community’s liberal expertise, together with Chuck Todd, Nicolle Wallace, Pleasure Reid and Jen Psaki, additionally spoke out in opposition to the transfer in a coordinated on-air marketing campaign. Todd memorably fumed on “Meet the Press” proper after colleague Kristen Welker interviewed McDaniel, in what turned out to be her solely look as a contributor.

“I believe our bosses owe you an apology for placing you on this state of affairs, as a result of I do not know what to consider,” he mentioned.

One insider instructed Fox Information Digital on the time, “I have never spoken to a single one who thinks it is a good suggestion.”

MSNBC STARS SHOOT INSIDE THE TENT, ATTACK NBC FOR HIRING EX-RNC CHAIR RONNA MCDANIEL: ‘INEXPLICABLE’

Simply 4 days after McDaniel’s hiring, she was terminated, placing an finish to the embarrassing saga.

“There isn’t a doubt that the final a number of days have been tough for the Information Group,” NBCUniversal Information Group Chairman Cesar Conde instructed employees in a memo. “After listening to the reliable considerations of a lot of you, I’ve determined that Ronna McDaniel is not going to be an NBC Information contributor.”

Conde acknowledged McDaniel’s hiring had undermined the objective of a “cohesive and aligned” newsroom and provided an apology to his employees. 

“I need to personally apologize to our workforce members who felt we allow them to down,” Conde wrote. “Whereas this was a collective suggestion by some members of our management workforce, I authorized it and take full accountability for it.”

Veteran NPR editor blows whistle on left-wing takeover of newsroom

Some of the gorgeous media sagas of 2024 got here courtesy of Uri Berliner, a veteran NPR editor who blew the whistle on the liberal dogma that had captured his information group. 

In a tell-all essay printed in The Free Press in April, Berliner wrote about how NPR turned a “blind eye” to the Hunter Biden laptop computer scandal, its rejection of the COVID lab leak idea, its “troubling” avoidance of the rising antisemitism following the Oct. 7 terrorist assault in opposition to Israel, and the way it turned to Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., as an “ever-present muse” throughout Russiagate. 

Berliner additionally put a highlight on the shortage of ideological range amongst its editorial employees, claiming registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in its Washington newsroom 87-0 in accordance with his analysis of voting data. A spokesperson for NPR beforehand disputed his characterization and methodology to attract such conclusions.

NPR EDITOR REBUKES OUTLET’S OWN COVERAGE OF HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP, COVID LAB LEAK AND RUSSIAGATE

Uri Berliner was a longtime NPR editor who spoke out in opposition to the liberal groupthink gripping the outlet. After a suspension for violating NPR insurance policies, he resigned. (Getty Pictures)

Berliner was initially suspended for violating NPR’s insurance policies on searching for permission to talk to the press. Nevertheless, his colleagues lashed out in opposition to him and he was publicly rebuked by his boss, NPR CEO Katherine Maher, prompting his resignation. 

Berliner has since joined The Free Press as a senior editor.

ABC debate moderators’ slanted fact-checking in opposition to Trump

All eyes have been on ABC Information on Sept. 10 because it secured the primary and solely presidential debate between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Debate moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis fact-checked Trump on 5 separate events whereas letting every part Harris mentioned go unchallenged. 

At one level, Muir even challenged Trump on whether or not the previous president was being sarcastic as he claimed after he was requested about previous feedback admitting his 2020 defeat. 

“I did watch all of those items of video. I did not detect the sarcasm,” Muir mentioned to Trump. 

ABC DEBATE MODERATORS SPARK FURY FOR AGGRESSIVE FACT-CHECKING OF TRUMP, EASY TREATMENT OF HARRIS

ABC Presidential Debate co-moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis have been closely criticized for consistently fact-checking former President Trump however declining to right Vice President Kamala Harris.  (ABC Information)

Critics blasted the controversy for showing like a 3-on-1 sparring match. Even the liberal writers of NBC’s “Saturday Night time Dwell” teased their rival community for being “biased.” 

Olivia Nuzzi’s ‘sexting’ relationship with RFK Jr.

In September, New York journal’s star reporter Olivia Nuzzi discovered herself on the heart of a media controversy after it was found that she had been personally concerned with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom she lined throughout his impartial presidential bid. RFK Jr. is married to actress Cheryl Hines. 

The alleged “sexting” relationship emerged as tabloid fodder, dominating media business gossip when it turned public information. Among the many chatter was a much-circulated Puck report that Nuzzi despatched “demure” nude photographs to Kennedy. 

NEW YORK MAG PUTS REPORTER OLIVIA NUZZI ON LEAVE FOR ALLEGED ‘PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP’ WITH RFK JR.

“Earlier this yr, the character of some communication between myself and a former reporting topic turned private,” Nuzzi mentioned in her preliminary assertion. “I didn’t instantly report on the topic nor use them as a supply. The connection was by no means bodily however ought to have been disclosed to forestall the looks of a battle. I deeply remorse not doing so instantly and apologize to these I’ve disillusioned, particularly my colleagues at New York.”

A Kennedy spokesperson additionally beforehand denied any type of bodily relationship and mentioned he had solely met Nuzzi as soon as.

It was additionally revealed that Nuzzi’s engagement with Politico’s chief Washington correspondent and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza was referred to as off amid the revelations. Lizza had taken a depart of absence from Politico. 

Politico’s chief Washington correspondent and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza and Olivia Nuzzi have been engaged till the star New York journal author started a relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  (Getty Pictures)

Nuzzi was suspended by New York journal because it performed an investigation into whether or not her protection of the 2024 presidential race was affected by her inappropriate relationship with RFK Jr. Each the journal and an enlisted regulation agency concluded they discovered “no inaccuracies nor proof of bias.”

Nuzzi and the journal parted methods in October. 

CBS Information’ inside uproar over the Dokoupil-Coates interview

In October, left-wing staffers at CBS Information lashed out at their colleague, “CBS Mornings” co-host Tony Dokoupil, over his robust interview trade with progressive writer Ta-Nehisi Coates. 

Dokoupil, who’s Jewish and has youngsters dwelling in Israel, grilled Coates, whose vehemently anti-Israel ebook “The Message” has been rebuked by the Jewish state’s defenders for its shallow evaluation of an advanced battle.

“The content material of that part wouldn’t be misplaced within the backpack of an extremist,” Dokoupil instructed Coates about one portion about his journey to Israel and the Palestinian territories, asking him, “Why miss a lot,” and “What’s it that so significantly offends you in regards to the existence of a Jewish state that could be a Jewish secure place?” 

CBS HOST GRILLS TA-NEHISI COATES ON ANTI-ISRAEL VIEWS IN NEW BOOK: LOOKS LIKE IT CAME FROM AN ‘EXTREMIST’

“CBS Mornings” co-anchor Tony Dokoupil angered liberal colleagues for his dealing with of an interview with anti-Israel writer Ta-Nehisi Coates. (CBS/Screenshot)

CBS management reassured offended employees members that following a overview, they concluded that the interview didn’t meet the corporate’s “editorial requirements,” the Free Press reported, which obtained audio of the employees assembly. 

Whereas a supply accustomed to the matter instructed Fox Information Digital that Dokoupil wouldn’t be punished over the interview, he was compelled to fulfill with the community’s in-house Race and Tradition Unit following complaints. In keeping with The New York Instances, the dialog “targeted on Mr. Dokoupil’s tone of voice, phrasing and physique language” in the course of the interview.

The New York Publish additionally reported that Dokoupil expressed remorse to staffers at a gathering, with one community insider describing it, “There have been tears. [People were] very upset.”

Some rallied to his protection, like CBS Information authorized correspondent Jan Crawford, who went to bat for him throughout a community convention name, and Shari Redstone, chair of CBS Information’ mother or father firm Paramount International, who referred to as the community’s dealing with of Dokoupil a “mistake.” CBS CEO George Cheeks issued a memo standing by the information community’s management. 

‘60 Minutes’ sparks confusion with Kamala Harris interview

CBS’ long-running journal present “60 Minutes” was affected by an odd controversy involving its interview in October with Vice President Kamala Harris and the 2 responses she appeared to present to the identical query.

In an trade with veteran correspondent Invoice Whitaker, Harris was requested why it appeared like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasn’t listening to the U.S. because the Gaza battle rages. A preview clip that aired on “Face The Nation” confirmed one response, which was mocked by conservatives as “phrase salad.” The primetime election particular that aired the next night time confirmed a wholly completely different reply.

“Properly, Invoice, the work that we now have performed has resulted in quite a lot of actions in that area by Israel that have been very a lot prompted by, or a results of, many issues, together with our advocacy for what must occur within the area,” Harris responded within the “Face the Nation” clip that aired Oct. 6.

CBS ‘60 MINUTES’ AIRS TWO DIFFERENT ANSWERS FROM VP HARRIS TO THE SAME QUESTION

Invoice Whitaker’s “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris is on the heart of a high-stakes lawsuit.  (Screenshots/CBS Information)

A shorter, extra targeted reply from the vp was proven to the identical query the next night time.

“We aren’t going to cease pursuing what is critical for the US to be clear about the place we stand on the necessity for this conflict to finish,” Harris mentioned within the primetime particular. 

CBS Information has not provided solutions to the discrepancy and refused to launch the total transcript of the Harris interview. Trump referred to as for CBS to lose its broadcasting license and even filed a lawsuit accusing the community of election interference. 

“Former President Donald Trump is accusing 60 Minutes of deceitful modifying of our Oct. 7 interview with Vice President Kamala Harris,” the present mentioned in an announcement in October. “That’s false. 60 Minutes gave an excerpt of our interview to Face the Nation that used an extended part of her reply than that on 60 Minutes. Identical query. Identical reply. However a distinct portion of the response.”

LA Instances and Washington Publish implode over non-endorsements 

A few of the nation’s most distinguished newspapers made their very own headlines by ending their decades-long observe of endorsing presidential candidates, a lot to the chagrin of progressive staffers.

The Los Angeles Instances kicked off the motion with a call made by its proprietor, Dr. Patrick Quickly-Shiong, for the paper to not make any endorsement within the 2024 race. That led to a slew of resignations, together with by Instances editorials editor Mariel Garza and editorial board members Robert Greene and Karin Klein.

Instances columnist Harry Litman provided his resignation in December, citing the paper’s “shameful capitulation” to Trump after Quickly-Shiong made overtures to average the paper, like bringing aboard conservative commentator Scott Jennings to its revamped editorial board. 

Los Angeles Instances proprietor Dr. Patrick Quickly-Shiong led a pattern of high-profile newspapers not making a presidential endorsement within the 2024 election. ((Patrick T. Fallon / AFP | Marco Tacca/Getty Pictures | Fox Information Digital ))

Days after the Instances, The Washington Publish introduced it might now not make endorsements in presidential races. The paper’s billionaire proprietor Jeff Bezos halted the editorial board’s deliberate endorsement of Harris as effectively – the Publish had endorsed the Democrat in each presidential election since 1976, aside from when it omitted any endorsement in any respect in 1988.

That transfer sparked outrage from the Publish’s union to its distinguished columnists, 20 of whom signed an open letter denouncing the paper’s determination. A number of editorial board members stepped down, and the Publish’s editor-at-large Robert Kagan resigned. 

The paper additionally reportedly misplaced 250,000 paid subscribers because of this, one other monetary blow after it was already on observe to lose $77 million this yr. 

WAPO STAFFER UNSURE PAPER CAN RECOVER AS BEZOS-OWNED OUTLET SHEDS 250,000 SUBSCRIBERS OVER ENDORSEMENT FIASCO

Billionaire Washington Publish proprietor Jeff Bezos quashed his paper’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, sparking a newsroom uproar.

Bezos penned an op-ed defending the choice, citing rising mistrust within the media. 

“By itself, declining to endorse presidential candidates isn’t sufficient to maneuver us very far up the belief scale, but it surely’s a significant step in the correct course,” he wrote. “I want we had made the change sooner than we did, in a second farther from the election and the feelings round it. That was insufficient planning, and never some intentional technique.”

Sharpton’s ‘pay to play’ scheme forward of Harris interview on MSNBC

MSNBC host Rev. Al Sharpton raised eyebrows after it was found that his nonprofit Nationwide Motion Community had acquired $500,000 from the Harris marketing campaign forward of a pleasant Oct. 20 interview with the Democratic nominee simply weeks earlier than the election. 

Following Harris’ defeat to President-elect Donald Trump, FEC filings revealed the Harris marketing campaign gave two $250,000 donations to Sharpton’s nonprofit group in September and October. Nevertheless, the MSNBC weekend host didn’t open up to viewers the obvious battle of curiosity earlier than or after the interview. Neither did he disclose the donations to his bosses on the community, in accordance with the Washington Free Beacon. 

SHARPTON’S ‘PAY TO PLAY’ SCANDAL ‘RICOHETING AROUND THE HALLS’ OF MSNBC, INSIDER SAYS: ‘CAN’T BE ACCEPTABLE’ 

MSNBC mentioned it was “unaware” that Vice President Kamala Harris’ marketing campaign paid $500,000 to Rev. Al Sharpton’s Nationwide Motion Community nonprofit. (MSNBC screenshot)

MSNBC instructed the Washington Free Beacon that the community was “unaware” of the funds to Sharpton’s nonprofit. 

Regardless of being caught in what’s been dubbed a “pay to play” scheme, Sharpton continues to host his weekend present and make common appearances on different MSNBC packages.

MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe’ hosts face backlash over Trump assembly

Within the days following the presidential election, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, the co-hosts of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” shocked their liberal viewers by revealing they met with President-elect Trump at Mar-a-Lago, the primary time they’d performed so in seven years.

“For these asking why we’d go communicate to the president-elect throughout such fraught instances, particularly between us, I suppose I might ask again — why wouldn’t we?” Brzezinski mentioned. “5 years of political warfare has deeply divided Washington and the nation. We now have been as clear as we all know how in expressing our deep considerations about President Trump’s actions and phrases within the coarsening of public debate.”

The disclosure by the MSNBC stars ignited a firestorm from their liberal viewers, a lot of them vowing to boycott the present. Even their very own colleague, MSNBC contributor Jennifer Rubin, fueled the motion and trashed the co-hosts. 

MSNBC’S JOE SCARBOROUGH UNLEASHES ON MEDIA STILL OUTRAGED OVER TRUMP MEETING: ‘GROW UP!’

“Morning Joe” hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough focus on their assembly with President-elect Donald Trump. (Screenshot/MSNBC)

Scarborough and Brzezinski remained defiant, defending the Trump assembly after one in every of their frequent friends, The Atlantic’s David Frum, advised they have been dwelling in “concern” with Trump returning to the White Home. 

“Let me let you know one thing, you possibly can speak to anyone that is labored within the entrance workplace of NBC and MSNBC over the previous 22 years, [they’ll] let you know I am not fearful. You speak to anyone who served with me in Congress, they may let you know, not frightened of management. Now? Not fearful,” Scarborough mentioned.

ABC Information pays Trump $15 million in defamation settlement 

ABC Information was compelled to pay Trump a whopping $15 million and subject an apology on account of a landmark defamation settlement. 

Trump sued the Disney-owned community earlier this yr after an trade anchor George Stephanpoulos had with Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., on the Sunday morning information program “This Week” in March. 

Throughout the interview, Stephanopoulos claimed ten separate instances Trump was discovered “answerable for rape,” when the jury within the E. Jean Carroll civil case truly decided him to be answerable for “sexual abuse,” which has a definite definition beneath New York regulation.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS AND ABC APOLOGIZE TO TRUMP, FORCED TO PAY $15 MILLION TO SETTLE DEFAMATION SUIT  

ABC Information’ George Stephanopoulos falsely mentioned former President Trump was discovered “answerable for rape” a number of instances throughout an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C.  (Screenshot/ABC Information)

Initially, Stephanopoulos was defiant within the face of Trump’s lawsuit, telling CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert that he wouldn’t be “cowed out of doing my job due to a risk.”

“Trump sued me as a result of I used the phrase ‘rape,’ despite the fact that a decide mentioned that’s in reality what did occur. We filed a movement to dismiss,” Stephanopoulos instructed Colbert. 

A decide in the end tossed ABC Information’ movement to dismiss Trump’s lawsuit and settled with the president-elect in December earlier than coming into a pricey trial. 

In keeping with the settlement, ABC Information pays $15 million as a charitable contribution to a “Presidential basis and museum to be established by or for Plaintiff, as Presidents of the US of America have established previously.” Moreover, the community pays $1 million in Trump’s legal professional charges.  

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Stephanopoulos and ABC Information additionally needed to subject statements of “remorse” as an editor’s observe on the backside of an article on ABC Information’ web site. The observe reads, “ABC Information and George Stephanopoulos remorse statements relating to President Donald J. Trump made throughout an interview by George Stephanopoulos with Rep. Nancy Mace on ABC’s This Week on March 10, 2024.”

Liberal critics from rival networks together with CNN, NBC and MSNBC accused ABC Information of “bending the knee” to Trump and setting a foul precedent. 

“This was gorgeous to me and completely a intestine punch to anyone that works at a significant media firm, as a result of I believe it does set a precedent that’s going to be very tough to get out from beneath probably,” NBC’s Chuck Todd mentioned in an interview.