The media is a turbulent place these days, not only because of the wild and raucous nature of American politics, but also thanks to the undulating landscape of acceptance and tolerance.
Those who were born in a generation in which the internet did not exist have struggled somewhat in adjusting to this new, exponentially smaller world. We no longer have any excuse for ignorance, as all of the information we could ever want is right there at our fingertips.
Nowadays, if you don’t know that a certain phrase or stereotype is offensive, not only are you being a jerk, but you’re being an ignorant jerk at that.
Amid his own run-ins with the political correctness police, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews is stepping down from his longstanding post.
Matthews, 74, said he and MSNBC had mutually agreed to part ways. The decision followed a series of events that resulted in criticism of the host’s statements about Bernie Sanders, African-American lawmakers, and comments he had made to female journalists and coworkers.
“I’m retiring,” Matthews said. “This is the last ‘Hardball’ on MSNBC.”
Matthews was due to retire in the near future with the events of the past week playing a factor in the timing of the move, an MSNBC spokesperson said.
The suddenness of the switch came as a bit of a surprise to some, including Matthews’ coworkers.
After MSNBC aired a commercial following the announcement, Matthews did not return to the program. Steve Kornacki, a political reporter for the network, took over the rest of the hour, and seemed shocked by the news. “That was a lot to take in,” he said, saying it had been an honor to work with Matthews, and then beginning a discussion about the coronavirus response.
The media has been under particularly heavy pressure in this new digital world, as citizen journalists unhindered by the corporate wiles of the mainstream media have continuously forged their own, purer path for the truth to travel on.
