‘Are We Going to Be Pressured Into Silence?’ MSNBC Launches Campaign For Jen Psaki’s New Prime Time Show
Jen Psaki, the former White House press secretary for President Joe Biden, is set to take over MSNBC’s 9 p.m. time slot Tuesdays through Fridays, the network announced Wednesday. The Briefing with Jen Psaki will debut on May 6.
Mediaite obtained the ads set to air promoting the new show, which is an expansion of Psaki’s Monday night duties on the network. One spot, which can be seen above, centers the progressive activism that has become MSNBC’s brand. “Are we going to speak out or are we going to be pressured into silence?” Psaki asks.
The other, which can be seen below, touches on Psaki’s work in the Obama administration. “I’ve faced the tough questions from the press and even threats from the Kremlin,” she said. “And if there is one thing I have learned, it’s that you can’t cower to bullies. That’s how they win. We don’t need to be hopeless. Because there are reasons to be hopeful. We are not powerless. We have our voices. And I will continue using mine.”
“Jen’s robust experience in government and politics makes her uniquely qualified to offer her insight during this critical time,” Maritza Berta, vice president of marketing at MSNBC, said in a statement to Mediaite. “It’s not just the tremendous amount of expertise she carries, but how she communicates with her audience – serving as a conduit for their questions and concerns.”
Psaki’s expanded show at the network is part of a lineup overhaul at the network which was announced earlier this year and saw the exit of Joy Reid and return of Rachel Maddow, the network’s biggest star, to hosting just on Monday nights.
Alex Wagner had replaced Maddow in the 9 p.m. hour for the rest of the week, but was reassigned as a senior political analyst as part of the latest shakeup.
Psaki’s show, previously known as Inside with Jen Psaki, launched in March 2023 as a Sunday program. It later expanded to include Mondays. This renamed show will be executive produced by Alex Lupica.
