Tiffany Cross on Nov. 8, 2021, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Controversial MSNBC TV host Tiffany Cross was unexpectedly fired on Nov. 4. Cross, who often times promoted the Democratic party while on air, was the host of “The Cross Connection.”
Her sudden ouster shocked not only Cross but other Black journalists as well. Many of whom spoke out, The Root reported.
Fellow Black female journalist Jemele Hill stated: “Supporting strong Black voices is not for the weak. Too often, that support goes missing as soon as it becomes too threatening to the entrenched hierarchy. Tiffany is excellent at her job. I know she’ll shine brighter. But what MSNBC has done is absolutely cowardly and shameful.”
Melissa Harris-Perry, who was fired by MSNBC back in 2016, tweeted, “Thinking this morning of @AnnCurry @soledadobrien @tamronhall @jemelehill @TiffanyDCross Those who know.”
MSNBC TV show host Joy Reid spoke of her continued support for Cross on her show “The Reid Out,” saying, “She’s just not my friend. She’s my sister. Those on the far-right who are attacking her on a social media app that I won’t name—you don’t understand how sisters move. Watch this space,” Reid promised. We love seeing Tiffany being showered with love and encouragement during this difficult time. “
MSNBC declined to make executives available for comment, and Cross has said she felt “disheartened.”
She later released a statement that also read: “Fresh off the heels of a ‘racial reckoning,’ as so many have called it, we see that with progress there is always backlash. Now is not the time to retreat to politics or journalism as usual. It is my hope that the last two years at MSNBC have been disruptive and transformative, changing how politics are discussed and making policy more digestible. It was the opportunity of a lifetime to create a show the culture would be proud to keep trending every weekend.”
Other journalists also spoke out in support of Cross, such as veteran political commentator Keith Olbermann, who tweeted that MSNBC is being influenced by the right wing, thus the firing of Cross. The post read, “This is @nbcnews chairman @cesarconde_ offering a sacrifice to the right wing mob. @FoxNews complained to NBC management about Cross quoting them – so out she goes. My old friend Jeff Shell has run @msnbc into the ground”
After being with the network for two years, Cross’s contract wasn’t not renewed by MSNBC and the company severed ties with her immediately. Her slot will be filled with a rotating group of anchors will lead her weekend hours until a replacement is found, Variety reported.
Cross is a former Washington bureau chief for BET, who also worked as a political analyst for MSNBC. She was a former resident fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics.
Tiffany Cross attends the Glamour Women of the Year Awards at the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center on Nov. 8, 2021, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
