Joy Reid Speaks Out on MSNBC’s Behind-the-Scenes Pressure Before Show Cancellation

Former MSNBC anchor Joy Reid is shedding new light on her unexpected departure from the network earlier this year, revealing what she describes as increasing behind-the-scenes pressure to curtail her presence on social media. In a candid conversation on her Substack program Joy’s House, Reid alleged that MSNBC executives routinely urged her to step away from platforms like Twitter, expressing deep discomfort with her unscripted online voice.

“Anytime I would tweet anything, I would get calls—I would get, ‘Please get off Twitter, we hate it,’” Reid told her guest, veteran broadcaster Katie Couric. According to Reid, the issue wasn’t about what she tweeted so much as the fact that she tweeted at all—directly connecting with her audience outside of the network’s editorial filters.

“They just don’t like that it pulls their talent and their reporters out of their control because now you’re not running what you’re tweeting through Standards and Practices,” she explained. “It’s giving your personality directly to the audience, which they don’t like because it’s no longer managed and curated by them.”

Abrupt Cancellation Still a Mystery

Reid’s show, The ReidOut, aired on weekday evenings at 7 p.m. EST and was among the few primetime cable news programs led by a Black woman. The program had a loyal following and had just earned an NAACP Image Award in late January. Yet, within weeks of that win, MSNBC pulled the plug on the show without warning.

When Couric asked what led to the cancellation, Reid was blunt: “People think that I’m just saying it to B.S., but I’m being honest with you—I don’t know.”

The official line from MSNBC was that The ReidOut’s cancellation was part of a broader network revamp. The new program that replaced it, The Weeknight, is a rotating panel discussion featuring Symone Sanders Townsend, former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele, and journalist Alicia Menendez. The show has performed well in its first month, especially among adults aged 25–54, where it led the cable news pack. However, it still trails behind Fox News in total viewers.

Despite the new show’s ratings success, many of Reid’s supporters suspect that her removal had less to do with programming strategy and more to do with politics. Some have pointed to President Donald Trump’s re-election last fall as a factor, suggesting MSNBC might be shifting to appeal to a broader or more conservative-leaning audience.

A New Chapter on Her Own Terms

Reid, however, isn’t stepping away from the spotlight. On June 9, she will launch a new independent project, The JoyReid Show, streaming on YouTube every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The premiere episode will feature Newark Mayor and New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Ras Baraka, along with comedian and writer Amber Ruffin.

This pivot toward independent media gives Reid full control over her voice and platform—something she says was increasingly under threat during her final months at MSNBC.

Reid’s statements echo wider tensions within legacy news organizations as journalists and personalities build followings on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and Substack. These outlets allow for more direct engagement with audiences, bypassing traditional gatekeeping. But for networks accustomed to editorial control, it represents a challenge—and, for some personalities, a breaking point.

For Reid, who built her reputation on unfiltered political commentary and strong advocacy for racial justice and democracy, the constraints became too much.

“I’ve always believed in being honest with my audience,” she told Couric. “And if that’s something that doesn’t fit into a corporate strategy, then maybe it’s time to do things my way.”

As The JoyReid Show prepares to launch, fans are eager to see what Reid has in store. Free from network restrictions and fully in charge of her message, she may be entering her most powerful chapter yet.