July 20, 2020
Dear Rachel,
Are you okay? Have they gotten to you? Are you being threatened? Are you in a funk? What’s happened?
I’m writing because I’m worried about you. You seem to be in a rut. I’ve not seen the hard hitting news you used to bring to the world every day. You seem somewhat complacent to all the things happening in the U.S. right now as it seems as if 90% of your stories are now Coronavirus related.
In the past, I would pay attention to you, wanting to see your show everyday because you kept me compelled to come back with your “watch what they are doing, not what they are saying.” You seem to have lost the knack for these stories.
You used to tell us what the current administration had done that day. What lies and falsehoods had been spread. What regulations had been turned back that day and why doing so was bad for the country. What voter suppression was taking place. What this current administration was doing to children and families seeking asylum.
Now, now is it seems to be just Coronavirus updates and hot spots, which aren’t really changing that much each day. My heart breaks over the 140,000 dead, the millions testing positive for the virus, the thousands upon thousands whom are hospitalized, and the stories of our health care workers on what they have been enduring for over six months. But there is more happening in the world that is equally important.
You seem to want to present the gossip around town with snippets of sensationalized books, helping to increase the wealth of people who were not patriotic enough to testify before Congress, or a family member writing about her uncle (an entire show devoted to her no less). But, there is more happening in the world that is equally important.
You were on top of protests happening across the country speaking out against George Floyd’s death and systemic racism. You were on top of cabinet members doing things to line their own pockets or being extravagant with tax payer money. You were on top of all things primaries. You were on top of reporting on stories of police brutality. But not anymore.
I’ve not seen one lead with what is happening in Portland with the para-military force. I wonder if there will be a lead story about the Judge who appears to have been assigned to the Deutche Bank case or about moms being tear gassed in Portland? Will you tell us about the call from police to have a para-military force come to Chicago? I wonder if you will start covering Biden as much as you cover the incumbent?
What I do see as a viewer of your show (and a couple of other MSNBC shows), is you seem to be covering more fluff than the in-depth investigative reporting for which you have become respected. I’m losing interest in your show because you aren’t covering more of the infinite game stories. Instead you seem to be covering more finite game stories.
It saddens me to say if you don’t move back to your hard-hitting reporting, if you aren’t showing us the stories of the collapse of our norms and institutions for which wed can take action to change, then you will no longer be my go-to person and I won’t feel compelled to watch you every day.
Please former Rachel, please come back and help us through these times. Cover Coronavirus stories as they are still important, and don’t make them your entire show five days a week. Set a time limit to provide updates and personal stories, then move on to the other stories that matter to those of us who still believe in Democracy.
Balance is necessary, even in the news.
Please come back.
I miss you,
Frank
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 