Jen Psaki’s Transition to MSNBC: A Mixed Reception

It’s been two months since Jen Psaki started her new role at MSNBC, and opinions seem to vary quite a bit. Previously a spokesperson for President Joe Biden, she mentioned that during her time at the White House, she didn’t really notice any signs of decline in his administration. However, she noted an increased profile after the shake-up in programming earlier this year.

Pskai took over the 9 PM time slot on Tuesdays after Friday, coinciding with the return of “The Rachel Maddow Show,” which is now airing only once a week. Maddow temporarily expanded her show to five nights a week during Trump’s initial hundred days, which might have affected viewership dynamics.

Since its debut on May 6, “Briefing with Jen Psaki” has averaged about 1.1 million viewers, which is quite a bit lower than the show hosted by Maddow and Alex Wagner at the same time, receiving about 44% of the audience from their January shows.

Fox News Stands Out in Viewership

In a surprising twist, Fox News secured impressive second-quarter ratings, beating ABC, NBC, and CBS in terms of viewership. Psaki didn’t set out to compete directly with Maddow but struggled against Alex Wagner, who also aired during the 9 PM slot and attracted more viewers—about 1.2 million—over the same period last year. That’s roughly 17% higher than Psaki’s average.

In terms of demographics, Psaki’s show also fell short, attracting only 90,000 viewers in the coveted 25-54 age range, whereas “Alex Wagner Tonight” had an impressive 123,000 in that category. There’s some contention about whether Melissa Maddow’s guest appearances helped boost Wagner’s ratings during that time.

Over the last couple of months, Psaki has managed to attract less than half the audience of Fox’s “Hannity,” which averaged around 2.9 million viewers during the same stretch. It seems like she’s gained some ground with CNN’s audience, but still trails in key demographic groups.

Viewers’ Insights and Expectations

Even among younger viewers aged 18-49, Psaki averaged just 62,000 compared to “Hannity,” which brought in 219,000, and CNN’s “The Source,” which had about 70,000. MSNBC staff claim that despite these numbers, “Briefing” has become the network’s third most-watched daily program in its short run—evidence of some success, I guess.

Interestingly, the show saw some improvement in its second month, with an average of 973,000 viewers in May, growing to over 1 million by June. MSNBC insiders note that this may point to potential for growth, especially since it’s still relatively early in its airing.

The Road Ahead for Psaki

It’s hard to predict if she can really fill Maddow’s shoes. The latter’s decision to only air her flagship show on Mondays might create an opening for Psaki, but the pressure is on. Psaki’s launch coincided with some pretty unflattering narratives surrounding former Biden officials, which might make capturing an audience even tougher.

Overall, while progress has been made, it remains to be seen how she will fare when pitted against established stars, like Maddow, in the long run.