Heidi Gutman/NBCUniversal Media, LLC
MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry is going on strike from her eponymous weekend morning talk show over what she alleges to be a loss of editorial control. In an email sent to staff this week, obtained by The New York Times, Harris-Perry said she feels “worthless” to NBC executives because of recent pre-emptions in coverage, adding, “Our show was taken—without comment or discussion or notice—in the midst of an election season.” Moreover, she wrote, “After four years of building an audience, developing a brand and developing trust with our viewers, we were effectively and utterly silenced.” Harris-Perry confirmed to the Times that she will not be in the hosting chair this weekend, and that she does not know the fate of her show. The leaked email also contained direct jabs at some of her most high-profile bosses: “I will not be used as a tool for their purposes. I am not a token, mammy, or little brown bobble head. I am not owned by Lack, Griffin or MSNBC. I love our show. I want it back.”