Time for a Do-Over on MS Now Rebrand?

A functioning definition of insanity.

The major relaunch of MSNBC as MS NOW (My Source for News, Opinion, and the World), took place this weekend, and the rebrand effort raises a whole host of fascinating questions. Suffused with anti-Trump and pro-Democratic Party pieces, the new model seems much like the old model, and in fact, a keen observer might consider the notable definition of insanity being a repetitive act with expectations of differing outcomes.

MS NOW What?

According to AdWeek’s examination of October Neilsen Ratings, “MSNBC was down -34% in total viewers and -52% in the [advertiser-coveted demographic]. During total day, the network was down -41% in total viewers and -54% in the demo.” Indeed, compared to other networks, MSNBC was the sinking ship among other rallying vessels.

MS NOW has a host of on-air talent, a hefty budget, and until recently, solid name recognition. So why was it failing? And more importantly, with an opportunity to rebrand entirely, why did it not take a moment of self-reflection?

On its digital masthead the organization proudly boasts “Welcome to MS NOW, our new digital home. Same mission. New site.” One might assume that with the same mission and roughly the same line up, that the changes are all cosmetic, and that’s probably a fair analysis. But rather than being a call for celebration, all the talk of “same mission” could end up being an epitaph for a mission that is well and truly over. Here’s the MS NOW sales pitch:

“The same familiar and trusted hosts and journalists who make sense of what is happening in Washington, across the country, and around the world will still be here — on the same channel, at the same time.

“Our mission remains unchanged. You’ll find the same commitment to justice, progress, and the truth.”

MS WHY?

Opportunities lost are rarely regained, and MS NOW appears to have heard the knocking of chance and determined to pretend no one is home. A few of the headlines on today’s edition include:

• Everything about Trump’s very bad week comes back to the same cause
• Trump doesn’t just have an Epstein problem. He has a Ghislaine Maxwell problem.
• Trump’s reticence around reporters is a sign that he’s rattled by the Epstein crisis

And yet this merely scratches the surface of the coverage. Looking at the number of stories above the digital fold that concern the 47th president: a full 53% are directly Trump-based. Of the remaining 47% all but two are not Trump-centric.

But is MS NOW an outlier in the left-leaning media world?

Here’s a breakdown of the digital editions today, November 18:

• The Washington Post has a mere third of its above-the-fold coverage devoted to Trump.
• The New York Times boasts a light 28% of Trumpian stories.
• CNN’s politics page has a whopping 57% of its content directly about Donald Trump.

Based on the tallies, we can see that MS NOW is more on the fringes when it comes to focusing on Trump, dedicating significant time and treasure to its imaginary battle. And this was always the case.

The original MSNBC was “spun off” to Versant amid fears that it would harm the NBC/Comcast stock price. NBC hosts stopped appearing, and official ties were effectively cut. It was, in fact, a very large hint that things were not going well. But it seems introspection and self-evaluation are not within the MS NOW skill set.