It's Official: Al Sharpton Gets His Own MSNBC Show

MSNBC
Adam Clark Estes 1,047 Views Aug 23, 2011

 

 

Al Sharpton has earned himself an anchor chair at MSNBC. Network president Phil Griffin announced on Tuesday that Sharpton will host "PoliticsNation," a nightly news program at 6 p.m. set to debut August 29. MSNBC describes the show as "a lively and informed discussion of the top headlines, bringing viewers [Sharpton's] take on events in his signature style" in a press release, and Sharpton called the mission "a natural extension of my life work and growth." The news follows weeks of rumors that Sharpton and the network were negotiating a deal.

Not everybody thinks it's a good idea for Al Sharpton to play journalist. Citing Sharpton's lack of journalism experience and commitment not to criticize the president, Glenn Greenwald likened MSNBC hiring Al Sharpton to "hiring a physician who vows never to treat any diseases, or employing an auto mechanic who pledges never to fix any cars." A member of National Association of Black Journalists has similarly said that Sharpton at MSNBC would just be "another non-journalist media 'celebrity' receiving a TV show based upon their name recognition, not their years of experience, training, ability and talent."

Correction: An earlier version of this post attributed the NABJ statement to the organization. In fact, it was only one member whose statements do not represent the opinion of the entire organization.

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.

Topics: ,
Related Articles   More by Adam Clark Estes

Al Sharpton Close to Anchor Deal at MSNBC

Al Sharpton: What I Read

Keith Olbermann's New Show Has a Familiar Name

 

Amazon Is Reportedly Building a 3D Smartphone You Can Control with Your Eyeballs

New Details About North Korea's American Prisoner Are Appropriately Crazy

Elsewhere on the Web

User Comments

Please type your comment and click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be prompted to log in or register

  • The Atlantic Wire on Twitter
  • The Atlantic Wire RSS Feed
  • The Atlantic Wire iPhone App