NBC News Journalists Reportedly Frustrated With MSNBC-Jen Psaki Talks, Grilled Network Boss Noah Oppenheim in Staff Call

Some journalists at NBC News are reportedly frustrated at the prospect of White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki being hired by MSNBC.

According to a report from CNN’s Oliver Darcy, NBC News president Noah Oppenheim got an earful from a number of irate staffers who believe that MSNBC signing Psaki would taint the NBC News brand.

Darcy quoted an anonymous source on the call as saying Oppenheim asserted that MSNBC and NBC News are separate entities, with the former more focused on left-leaning opinion shows.

“Here’s what he was saying: They have perspective programming. This was done on the perspective programming side. Not anything that reflects on NBC News,” the source told Darcy.

Of course, many NBC News personalities, from Chuck Todd to Andrea Mitchell, to Hallie Jackson, have a major presence at both NBC News and MSNBC. The idea that the brands are completely separate from each other strains credulity.

In light of the report that this call between perturbed NBC News staffers and Noah Oppenheim took place on Friday morning, it’s interesting to note that NBC’s Kristen Welker grilled Psaki about her reported talks with MSNBC later in the day at the White House press briefing.

“How is it ethical to have these conversations with media outlets while you continue to have a job standing behind that podium?” Welker asked.

“There are a range of stringent ethical and legal requirements that are imposed on everybody in this administration and many administrations past about any conversations you are having with future employers,” Psaki replied. “That is true of any industry you’re working in and I have abided by those and tried to take steps to go beyond that as well.”

Darcy reports on a growing discontent from numerous NBC News journalists with what they see as MSNBC’s increased focus on partisan opinion programming — citing MSNBC’s recent hire of Symone Sanders, the former spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris, as a move that rankled NBC News staffers.

Yet while the network has recently added to its opinion programming with an additional hour of Morning Joe, MSNBC’s focus on opinion shows is a train that seems to have long ago left the station.

NBC News declined to comment to Mediaite for this post.