Ousted NBC News executive who hired right-wing pundits blasted as 'stuck in another era'

[comradebillyboy]

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/05/ousted-nbc-news-executive-who-hired-right-wing-pundits-blasted-as-stuck-in-another-era/

On Monday, NBC News and MSNBC announced that Chairman Andy Lack would be “stepping down” from his role guiding the company’s news divisions.

Lack’s tenure was defined by the hiring of right-wing personalities like Hugh Hewitt, Megyn Kelly and Greta Van Susteren and was highly criticized for the scandals involving Matt Lauer and Harvey Weinstein.
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The news of his departure from the network was greeted with a great deal of celebration online.

Note: The tweets accompanying this article are well worth a look. It also lends some credence to an earlier DU post citing The Plamer Report's account of his firing.

Edit: Another post right below this has more discussion:

A

ndy Lack is “stepping down” from his long time post as Chairman of NBC News and MSNBC. He is expected to exit by the end of the month in what Axios calls a “corporate shakeup,” but The New York Times says is criticism of his leadership led by, among other, MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow.

During Lack’s tenure NBC News and MSNBC gave shows to right wing pundits like Hugh Hewitt, and former Fox News anchors including Megyn Kelly and Greta Van Susteren. He “was widely thought to have protected Matt Lauer” against grotesque sexual harassment complaints while sidelining Ronan Farrow, whose investigative work on Harvey Weinstein earned him a Pulitzer when he left and brought it to The New Yorker. Under Lack, admired journalists like Melissa Harris-Perry and Joan Walsh saw their contracts were not renewed, and it took a weeks-long social media campaign to save Lawrence O’Donnell’s show.

A brilliant 2017 editorial by Jodi Jacobson, then-president and editor in chief of Rewire.News, demanded Lack’s immediate resignation. Jacobson cited Lack’s “willingness to undermine good journalism, his desire to transform a leading network known for producing fact-based journalism [MSNBC] into Fox-Lite, and his apparent willingness to protect sexual predators for the sake of profits.”
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The Times says “Rachel Maddow was among those at NBC who had put pressure on the news division’s leadership team.”

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/05/nbc-news-chief-who-hired-hugh-hewitt-megyn-kelly-greta-van-susteren-and-protected-matt-lauer-is-out-thank-maddow/

[Me.]

1. I Too Am Happy With The Change

One big reason for criticism was his treatment of Ronan Farrow who successfully took his reporting elsewhere to acclaim.

[Cha]

2. So About Time!

Thanks for this, comradebillyboy

[Gothmog]

3. Did the #firechrishayes protest play a role in this move?

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[cwydro]

4. Matt Lauer's good bud.

Lucky to have lasted this long.

I was never a huge fan of Ann Curry, but he and his buddy Lauer treated her abominably.

No doubt he’s got a golden parachute though.

[Hekate]

5. This is really good news. And Our Rachel was involved as one leader? Nice going!

I hope we can get some of the good journalists back!

[I_UndergroundPanther]

7. I'd like to see Donahue back on.

I'd get cable just to see him.
I miss seeing Rachel,Keith Olbermann..

[UTUSN]

6. K&R