(TheLibertyRevolution.com)- The reports that press secretary Jen Psaki will be leaving the White House soon to join liberal MSNBC has resulted in pushback from NBC News staffers who fear her taking a job with the cable network could tarnish the brand.
According to a report from CNN, disgruntled NBC staffers working in the DC bureau have complained to their bosses that bringing the former press secretary on board would hurt their credibility.
The grumbling got so bad, that NBC News president Noah Oppenheim had to schedule an impromptu phone call to the DC bureau, distancing NBC News from its far-left cable cousin.
One of the staffers on the call told CNN that Oppenheim assured the team that NBC News didn’t play a role in MSNBC’s decision to hire Psaki. He explained that MSNBC is “perspective programming” and doesn’t reflect on NBC News.
When the news broke that Psaki was in talks with MSNBC, White House reporters, including NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker, pressed Psaki about it at an April 1 press briefing. Reporters wanted to know how Psaki could ethically remain Biden’s press secretary while she was negotiating a salary with a media outlet.
Psaki claimed that, like every White House staffer, she has “received rigorous ethics counseling,” including regarding “any future employment.”
That doesn’t exactly address the issue.
Psaki, a future MSNBC opinion contributor, is fielding questions from the White House podium. It is a clear conflict of interest.
According to Axios, the tentative deal between MSNBC and Psaki would have her host a show on the streaming platform Peacock. She would also join MSNBC as a regular contributor.
During his call with DC bureau staff, sources told CNN that Oppenheim urged them to ignore the noise around Psaki’s deal and continue doing their job as usual.
Psaki, NBC News, and MSNBC all declined to comment on CNN’s report.
However, a White House official previously told CNN that Psaki has recused herself from interviews on both NBC News and MSNBC.
