Jen Psaki Launches New MSNBC Show

Jen Pskai sits poised at her desk for her new primetime MSNBC show: Inside with Jen Psaki. Source for photo: LA Times

Jen Psaki launched her MSNBC program, Inside with Jen Psaki, on Sunday, March 19th, 2023. This program is a new addition to the ever-growing list of Sunday Beltway–shows based in Washington, D.C. offering political commentary, programs on MSNBC, and on TV as a whole. These programs consist of a host, like Psaki, with political journalism or strategic communications experience which allows them to analyze the current political stories. Political experience -- such as Psaki’s former job as the White House Press Secretary under President Biden -- allows for TV hosts to lend their own lived experience to their shows. This experience, however, calls into question the host’s credibility, as their former boss may still be in office.

Whatever the optics of Psaki’s former employment are, this show represents the newest trend in political media and coverage. Shows with other former political operatives such as Symone Sanders’ Symone have also debuted recently. Networks like MSNBC hope these programs will help their overall numbers as they have been struggling with losing  viewers, especially among younger demographics. Since the rise of short-form content on social media, people have turned more to Instagram reels, tweets, and TikToks, rather than relying on longer, scheduled programs.

From a financial and business perspective, ratings are always paramount. From a journalistic-integrity perspective, however, it is important to look into how those high ratings are achieved. 

“I would argue that in a lot of cases on both ends of the spectrum that it’s not even unconscious bias,” said Daniel Malmer, a PhD student in the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “It’s a partisan show; by design, they’re rooting for whichever side they’re on or the political figure they want to support.”

This is a common criticism for shows of this nature: the hosts are unable to separate their personal connection(s) to their former employers.  

In the premiere of Inside with Jen Psaki, the criticism of Trump was heavy, given the news of his potential upcoming arrest. However, the criticism of Biden over issues such as the Willow Project, a newly approved offshore drilling project that has been largely protested by the environmental movement, was sparse. 

“I don’t even know if it’s gonna be her aim,” said Malmer, when asked if he thinks Psaki will be able to cover her former boss, President Biden, objectively.

While this lopsided coverage may have just been an anomaly since the show launched the week former President Donald J. Trump predicted he would be indicted by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, it could spell bad news for the state of news if it persists. However, if Psaki is able to use her political experience to enrich the analysis she offers on her show while maintaining the strong ratings she has garnered so far, this may be a different – and better – type of Sunday show.