During their coverage of the Republican National Convention (RNC), MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, Joy Reid, Jen Psaki, and other hosts were seen seated in front of a large LED video screen. This setup was designed to create the illusion that they were broadcasting live from the event in Milwaukee. However, it was later revealed by the New York Times that the MSNBC personalities actually covered the four-day convention from the convenience of their Manhattan headquarters.
“If news organizations don’t represent where they are clearly, then how is the audience to have faith and confidence in the actual content of the reporting?” media veteran and former CNN Washington Bureau Chief Frank Sesno told the outlet.
“It can feel like a frivolous thing — oh, well, gee, we’re just using the pictures behind them — but there’s something profoundly important here.”
Rachel Maddow, Jen Psaki and other MSNBC hosts use LED screen to make it look like they’re at RNC in Milwaukee https://t.co/uUTdbYiPsl pic.twitter.com/LCtjYO6fxX
— New York Post (@nypost) July 18, 2024
MSNBC dispatched Katy Tur, the anchor of “Katy Tur Reports” airing at 2 p.m., and Stephanie Ruhle, the host of “The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle” airing at 11 p.m., to provide on-site coverage at Fiserv Forum.
MSNBC correspondent Jacob Soboroff was also present at the RNC, where Donald Trump Jr. criticized him as a “clown” on Monday for inquiring about “family separation” and instructed him to leave. Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio criticized MSNBC for giving the false impression that Maddow, Reid, and Psaki were physically present at the RNC on Thursday evening during an interview with CNN.
Sen. Marco Rubio and CNN’s Jake Tapper take a swipe at MSNBC for using an LED screen to make it look like they're at the RNC in Milwaukee when they're actually just in a studio in NY.
RUBIO: "And you're actually here live!"
TAPPER: "We are here live, as opposed to some other… pic.twitter.com/Hh1n9kwaIW
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 19, 2024
