In a candid and revealing podcast interview, seasoned journalist Greta Van Susteren took aim at MSNBC, exposing how the network’s left-wing bias and attempts at censorship ultimately led to her firing. Now a host with conservative cable network Newsmax, Van Susteren opened up about her time at MSNBC, shedding light on the challenges she faced in a newsroom where free speech was apparently a casualty of the network’s ideological agenda.
Van Susteren, who has worked at several major news outlets including CNN, Fox News, and Newsmax, gave a stark contrast between her experiences at these networks and her brief, but eye-opening tenure at MSNBC. During an interview with independent journalist Tara Palmeri, released on March 17, Van Susteren was asked about the pervasive leftist bias she’s encountered in the cable news industry. When Palmeri inquired whether there was a left-leaning bias inside the newsroom, Van Susteren’s response was telling.
While she made it clear that both CNN and Fox News never attempted to dictate her content or restrict her views, Van Susteren revealed that MSNBC was a different story. She said, “Well, first of all, I only knew the one narrow niche, which was the English. I have no idea what everybody else was saying. Nobody told me what to say or do while I was there. Nobody told me what to say or do at CNN, Fox.”
Palmeri, noting the unlikeliness of such control, joked, “They wouldn’t dare. Come on, Greta. What? They wouldn’t dare with you.” Van Susteren, with a hint of frustration, replied, “Well, no, but that’s why I got fired at MSNBC.”
Her explanation only deepened the revelations about MSNBC’s attempt to control its on-air talent. Van Susteren described how, after a career spanning over 15 years in news, it was the first time a network had tried to tell her what she could and couldn’t say. “After I’d been at CNN and Fox, and then MSNBC tried to tell me what to do, I almost thought they were joking,” she recalled. “Nobody ever told me what to do before.”
It was clear that this pressure to conform to MSNBC’s narrative was a deal-breaker for Van Susteren. She said, “That’s why I got fired at MSNBC because they said I needed to play ball, and I thought, you know, that didn’t work.” Van Susteren’s refusal to bend to the network’s left-wing demands ultimately cost her job, revealing just how deeply ideological biases can infiltrate newsrooms and stifle journalistic independence.
But Van Susteren didn’t stop there. She also took a swipe at Hollywood actor Mark Ruffalo, who, according to her, tried to get her fired from MSNBC due to her views. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Van Susteren reflected on the bizarre and politically charged nature of the situation. “These are sort of fun….this Hollywood actor wanted MSNBC to fire me…in the end, all is good for me, but he should have had the courage to meet with me and have coffee,” she said, adding that she would have gladly discussed their differing viewpoints over coffee or a beer.
The tweet was accompanied by an old post from February 2019, in which Van Susteren challenged Ruffalo to a civil conversation about their respective work in civil rights and humanitarian efforts. “When is @MarkRuffalo who has said nasty things about me going to sit down with me over coffee or a beer and talk about our respective civil rights work and humanitarian work? I keep asking…”
Van Susteren’s comments reflect a growing frustration among journalists who feel their voices are being suppressed by woke ideologies in the media. As cable networks increasingly fall prey to political correctness, Van Susteren’s story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of censorship in newsrooms and the potential erosion of journalistic integrity. Her candid remarks not only expose MSNBC’s troubling internal culture but also highlight her unwavering commitment to speaking the truth, even if it means challenging the powers that be.
