MSNBC Had Its Best Year Ever As Americans Tune Out Trump's Lies

[highplainsdem]

https://www.politicususa.com/2018/12/12/msnbc-best-year-ever.html

With Donald Trump‘s presidency sinking and the American people increasingly craving fact-based journalism, MSNBC’s ratings over the past year have been earth-shattering.

According to Nielsen Media, the cable news network had its most-watched year since it was created in 1996.

The Hill reported on Wednesday that MSNBC finished “in second place among the news networks with 1.8 million viewers in primetime, an increase of 12 percent from 2017. Those numbers make the year the best in the history of MSNBC, which launched the same year as Fox News in 1996.”

-snip-

While Fox News did edge out MSNBC in the number one spot, MSNBC viewership is growing at a faster rate, led by Rachel Maddow in the 9:00 p.m. timeslot.

The 2.5 million primetime viewers that tuned into Fox News over the past year represented a 3 percent increase from 2017. MSNBC, on the other hand, saw it’s primetime viewership climb by 12 percent.

While Fox News frequently boasts about being the most-watched cable news network on TV, it shouldn’t really be all that shocking that it has high ratings.

-snip-

If you want to keep living in Trump‘s reality, Fox is the channel to watch. If you want actual reporting, you have more than one option.

Ultimately, though, it’s clear that MSNBC is tapping into something in the Trump era. The American people see an unhinged, corrupt president and they want truth and accountability.

[BigmanPigman]

1. We still need to get back to the pre-Reagun days and the

killing of the FCC Fairness Doctrine. What do we need to do to accomplish this?

[summer_in_TX]

5. In grad school I studied the method used to take down the Fairness Doctrine.

In 1969 SCOTUS had unanimously upheld it in FCC v. Red Lion, but a clever campaign (headed up through an organization set up with American Enterprise Institute funding, if I remember correctly).

Not sure we can get it back intact, but perhaps we could get something with some of its core provisions, with rebranding. But it's going to take huge funding, planning, Congressional hearings, academic buy-in, etc., imo. That's what was used to take it out.

[BigmanPigman]

10. I think it is worth the money and effort.

Thanks for the info!

[summer_in_TX]

11. I agree.

I think it will take steps like:

• Deconstruction of the role propaganda has played in America electing a kleptocratic narcissist like Trump, and exposing the techniques used by Faux News and RW talk radio.

• Congressional hearings that detail the propaganda and its role in electing Trump etc.

• Curricula to study media policies' impact on national and state democratic institutions and policies in journalism departments at institutions of higher learning across the country.

• A blue-ribbon commission to recommend ways to prevent that from ever happening again.

• A permanent funding source of money for public media, independent of appropriations.

• A major grassroots campaign to lobby for legislative action. (The Fairness Doctrine was FCC regulations, but was not enacted into law.)

[BigmanPigman]

12. Hear hear!

[GWC58]

2. I tune into MSNBC

@ 8:00 through 11:00. Also @ 4:00 for Deadline White House w/Nicolle Wallace.

[watoos]

8. Nicole is my favorite, she has passion, and smart guests.

[Hekate]

3. Kudos to MSNBC. We appreciate it very much. nt

[crazycatlady]

4. I don't watch cable news anymore

But considering that with my cable company, MSNBC is in the premium tier which Faux is not, this is even more impressive.

[elmac]

6. I get basic cable only because its cheaper to get a package deal, MSNBC is the only one on basic

which is fine with me, I only watch Maddow.

[former9thward]

7. Cable news numbers are tiny.

Doesn't matter if it is Fox or MSNBC. Two million or so out of 340 million is nothing.

[2naSalit]

9. They deserve the recognition.

I discovered Rachel Maddow at the laundromat, the teevee was on and she was on it and I was amazed to hear someone talking about W that way on the teevee. So I found ways to watch online since. Don't catch it every day but in times like these, it's hard to miss it and not feel like I missed something important.