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Liberal Backlash as MSNBC Drops Joan Walsh as Paid Contributor

Update: CNN hires Walsh for new year

Joan Walsh / Getty Images
December 23, 2017

MSNBC dropped far-left political commentator Joan Walsh from its list of paid contributors on Friday, prompting an online backlash from angry progressives about what they deemed the sidelining of a prominent feminist voice.

Walsh is a national affairs correspondent for The Nation who previously was editor-at-large for Salon. She confirmed the news on her Twitter account and described herself as surprised and upset at the decision.

"Every year we review our paid contributors list across the ideological spectrum," MSNBC told CNN's Brian Stelter about the decision. "Unfortunately we couldn’t renew Joan, but she and her distinct perspective will still be invited on our shows."

Walsh retweeted people slamming MSNBC for its decision, with some saying it was particularly objectionable in the context of the network keeping on conservative voices like Hugh Hewitt.

MSNBC, which leans left and has an entirely progressive nighttime lineup, has seen a ratings surge in 2017 due to its critical coverage of the Trump administration.

At one point, #KeepJoanWalsh was a trending hashtag on Twitter.

Among the objecting voices were progressive MSNBC hosts Joy Reid and Chris Hayes.

https://twitter.com/JoyAnnReid/status/944445464740589568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fdailycaller.com%2F2017%2F12%2F23%2Fprominent-liberal-joan-walsh-fired-from-msnbc%2F

https://twitter.com/JoyAnnReid/status/944446583537590273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fdailycaller.com%2F2017%2F12%2F23%2Fprominent-liberal-joan-walsh-fired-from-msnbc%2F

https://twitter.com/KateHarding/status/944429341001347074

https://twitter.com/sbagen/status/944578745083551751

https://twitter.com/owillis/status/944459556834422785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fdailycaller.com%2F2017%2F12%2F23%2Fprominent-liberal-joan-walsh-fired-from-msnbc%2F

https://twitter.com/nicoleaoii/status/944455071185678336

https://twitter.com/Shakestweetz/status/944597820627214336

UPDATE: Sunday, 7:44 A.M.: Walsh announced Saturday she had been hired by CNN.