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News Networks Pass on Spicer for Paid Contributor Role

Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer speaks onstage during the 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer speaks onstage during the 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards / Getty Images
September 20, 2017

The big five news organizations have passed on former White House press secretary Sean Spicer for a paid contributor role.

CBS News, CNN, ABC News, and Fox News confirmed to NBC News that they weren't interested in hiring the former press secretary.

Spicer's representatives have been holding individual conversations about the possibly of joining a TV network, but "they won’t touch him," according to a media executive familiar with the conversations.

"The news organizations might use him on round tables, but [a paid exclusive contributor job] is not happening," he said.

Network insiders, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said networks aren't interested in hiring Spicer due to a perceived "lack of credibility."

Since leaving the White House Aug. 30, the former press secretary already has a role as a visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, and has signed with Worldwide Speakers Group for paid speaking engagements.

Spicer garnered attention this past weekend when he made a public appearance at the Emmy Awards. He entered the stage on a mobile podium similar to the one Melissa McCarthy used on "Saturday Night Live" to mock him. This time around, Spicer took the opportunity to mock himself, and joked that the 2017 Emmy's would have the "largest audience ever," in reference to his earlier claim that President Donald Trump's inauguration had the biggest audience. The appearance was criticized by a large portion of the main stream media.