MSNBC’s Joy Reid Apologizes After Hot Mic Incident
MSNBC’s journalist Joy Reid has issued an apology after being caught swearing on a hot mic during her show on Monday.
The incident occurred during a segment where President Biden was expressing his frustration over Republicans who are stalling a bipartisan agreement to address the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Emmy-nominated anchor was heard saying “Starting another fucking war” while the clip was playing. It is unclear what Reid was referring to with her comment.
The apology came at the end of her show, where Reid addressed the incident and took full responsibility for her actions. She stated, “Before we go, I just want to apologize very quickly. I was chatting during a clip that was playing, and you know we try to keep this show very PG-13, so I just want to apologize to anyone who was listening to my ‘behind-the-scenes’ chatter.” She continued, “I deeply, deeply apologize for that.”
This is not the first time Reid has attracted controversy surrounding her language. In June of 2018, old blog posts surfaced where she made homophobic remarks about former Republican politician Charlie Crist. Reid initially claimed her blog was hacked and refused to take responsibility, but later apologized for her remarks and acknowledged that they were “insensitive, tone-deaf, and dumb.” She also addressed the issue during her broadcast on MSNBC.
Reid’s behavior has been called into question multiple times by both viewers and her colleagues. In April 2020, CNN’s Brian Stelter criticized Reid’s “unprofessional” use of Twitter during her show and advised her to “save the outrage for your show.” Back in November of 2018, Reid was accused of promoting a false immigration story and was forced to issue a correction on air and on her social media accounts.
Joy Reid was caught on a hot mic saying that Joe Biden is “starting another f*cking war”
— ALX (@alx) January 30, 2024
Despite numerous controversies, Reid’s show, “The ReidOut,” has still maintained its spot as one of MSNBC’s top-rated programs. The show premiered in July of 2020, filling the 7 p.m. weeknight slot previously held by “Hardball” with Chris Matthews. Reid is known for her strong opinions and no-nonsense attitude, making waves in the world of political commentary.
The incident has raised questions about the use of hot mics in live television and how they can easily capture unscripted moments. Many viewers have recognized that moments like these can happen to anyone, regardless of their profession. However, others have criticized Reid for her lack of professionalism and the fact that she has had multiple incidents like this in the past.
Reid’s apology has been met with mixed reactions, with some viewers accepting and appreciating her sincerity, while others are still calling for her to be fired. Some have also pointed out the double standard in the media industry, where women and people of color are often held to a higher standard and punished more severely for their mistakes.
Despite the controversy, MSNBC has yet to make a statement about the incident. It is unclear if there will be any consequences for Reid's actions or if the network will take any measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. As for Reid, it is likely she will make a conscious effort to be more mindful of her language on air and ensure that her “behind-the-scenes” comments stay behind the scenes.