MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry, whose show airs on weekends, has been officially declared persona non grata at the liberal news network. Perry, who felt that her show’s editorial control was taken away, coupled with the allegation that she was being shut out of the 2016 election coverage; publicly aired her grievances in an email to her staff that was published on Medium. The New York Times pick it up, where she clarified that she doesn't know if there was untying racial at the heart of her dispute with executives; that email to her staff contained racially charged rhetoric. With this little war now public, there were rumors that her show might never return, which were confirmed on Saturday; executives intend cut ties with Perry, who is under contact until October (via WaPo):
MSNBC intends to part ways with host Melissa Harris-Perry after she complained about preemptions of her weekend program and implied that there was a racial aspect to the cable-news network’s treatment, insiders at MSNBC said.Harris-Perry refused to appear on her program Saturday morning, telling her co-workers in an email that she felt “worthless” to the NBC-owned network. “I will not be used as a tool for their purposes,” wrote Harris-Perry, who is African American. “I am not a token, mammy or little brown bobble head. I am not owned by [NBC executives] or MSNBC. I love our show. I want it back.”
The rebuke, which became public when it was obtained by the New York Times, has triggered discussions involving the network, Harris-Perry and her representatives about the terms of her departure, said people at MSNBC, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the talks with Perry have not been finalized.
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MSNBC executives said they were surprised by Harris-Perry’s blast on Friday and that it may have stemmed from her perception — incorrect at the time, but now virtually inevitable due to her actions — that her weekend program was about to be canceled. “She’s a brilliant, intelligent but challenging and unpredictable personality,” one executive said. “There was no plan to cancel her.”
He added, “It’s highly unlikely she will continue” at MSNBC. Her email “is destructive to our relationship.”
CNN’s media correspondent Brian Stelter added that this kerfuffle came to a head over a segment about Beyoncé’s Super Bowl performance.
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