Chris Matthews' abrupt exit shows that in TV news, the end often comes quickly and without grace

The Week

Matthews' abrupt retirement from MSNBC Monday night was so shocking that it left his colleague Steve Kornacki visibly stunned. But Matthews' exit wasn't unexpected after a slew of controversies, including a new accusation of sexual harassment. "The end of Matthews' two-decade run at MSNBC will no doubt be remembered for the spectacle — more on that later — but it was reminiscent of a number of high-profile flameouts in the TV news industry in recent years," says Joel Mathis. "Dan Rather was dumped at CBS after a shoddy reporting job on a story about President George W. Bush's Vietnam-era service. Bill O'Reilly was forced out by Fox News in the wake of sexual harassment accusations, and the same happened for NBC's Matt Lauer. Brian Williams lost his post as NBC's chief anchor after telling tall tales about his reporting adventures, while Megyn Kelly lost her perch at the network for defending blackface costumes on-air. What did all of them have in common? They were stars for their respective networks — until they weren't. But they weren't stars because they were particularly talented at uncovering or explaining the news. They were stars because — as TV news often demands — they put on a great show. They weren't just journalists; they were personalities." Regarding Matthews, Mathis says: "Instead of depth, Matthews offered his audience a show — political news as entertainment, American Gladiator, but with suits and ties and a sense of its own importance...That approach wasn't necessarily enlightening or informative — two things you hope that a so-called 'news' program will offer — but it was entertaining, and good for ratings." ALSO: Morning Joe's Mika Brzezinski blames "cancel culture" for Matthews' exit, wonders if "there might be a better way."