By Daniel M | January 13, 2020
Months after Shep Smith abruptly left Fox News, new reports are coming in stating that he is currently in talks with MSNBC about taking a job with their network.
Breitbart reported that MSNBC executives are planning a major shakeup of their network in 2020, as they are desperate to shed ratings dead weight in the lead up to the election. Their current plan is to move ratings-challenged Chuck Todd to a morning time slot, and they have been in talks with Smith about him possibly taking a primetime spot in their lineup.
Smith, who was known for being critical of Donald Trump’s administration during his time at Fox, has been in talks with MSNBC President Phil Griffin about a potential gig when his non-compete clause expires. However, sources say that he is asking for an extremely high salary, should he choose to join MSNBC.
“It’s unclear what slot he would take, but we’d want him in primetime,” an insider told The Daily Beast. “We are well aware [Jeff] Zucker [president of CNN] is also pursuing him, as are a number of the networks.”
Smith shocked everyone back in October when he suddenly announced that he would be leaving Fox immediately after 23 years with the network. Afterwards, CNN head Jeff Zucker said he was “very open” to hiring Smith, who he praised as “incredibly talented” and a “great journalist”
“I would be very open to talking to him,” Zucker said.
One month after leaving Fox, Smith gave a speech at the 2019 International Press Freedom Awards in New York City in which he slammed the “intimidation” of journalists.
“Intimidation and vilification of the press is now a global phenomena,” Smith said before taking a thinly veiled swipe at President Trump. “We don’t have to look far for evidence of that.”
Smith continued:
Our belief a decade ago that the online revolution would liberate us now seems a bit premature. Autocrats have learned how to use those same online tools to shore up their power. They flood the world of information with garbage and lies masquerading as news… There’s a phrase for that.
They dispatch troll armies after critical reporters, who are vilified and harassed. Their personal information – such as phone numbers, address, ID numbers – posted and published as an invitation for even more attacks.
MORE NEWS: Cannibal-Gate: Was the President’s Uncle Really Eaten by Cannibals? Or Monkeys? Not Likely.
When Smith was still on Fox, many fans said that he belonged on a liberal network like CNN or MSNBC. It will be interesting to see if he actually decides to join one of these networks at some point in the near future.
This piece originally appeared on Objectivist.co and is used by permission.
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