Jansing: The end of an era at MSNBC…
MSNBC is losing its most skilled dayside news anchor and interviewer and NBC is gaining one heck of a correspondent. That should be the end of this story but I suppose I could go on…
For the past nine and a half years, every weekday when the news was on MSNBC, so, in one way or another, was Chris Jansing. During her time there she has just about done it all for the network; reported overseas, covered major stories as they were breaking, interviewed many of the major players in politics, done stories for Dateline, filled in on primetime, and filled in on NBC. She has had a significant role in covering just about every major story since she joined MSNBC in 1998.
The 2000 recount? Jansing spent 36 days in Florida. 9/11? Jansing was on the air as it happened. The Iraq War? Jansing was part of a team (consisting primarily of John Siegenthaler, Forrest Sawyer, Lester Holt, and herself) that worked on-air shifts of eight hours or more around the clock for fourteen days straight.
In 2004, Jansing spent nine months repeatedly traveling back and forth across America reporting and anchoring on the Presidential campaign from the primaries to the conventions to the debates and on through to the inauguration. It would end up being a brutal schedule. During one particularly hectic three day period she was reporting from Philadelphia, then the next day back in Secaucus anchoring MSNBC Live, then the next day back out on the road in Ohio. This isn’t the sort of thing you normally see news anchors do; devote nearly a year of their time to one subject. That was her choice. She wanted the assignment.
She was in Rome before Pope John Paul II fell ill and passed away. She stayed in Rome for five weeks covering the Conclave and the Election of Pope Benedict XVI for MSNBC and NBC. When Benedict XVI’s inaugural mass occurred, Jansing was the lone anchor for NBC and MSNBC’s coverage. It was the first time someone on MSNBC’s payroll anchored NBC News’ special coverage of a major news event.
When the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entry, Jansing was called in to anchor coverage and she was present at Cape Kennedy to cover the launch of shuttle Discovery when flights resumed.
In 2006, Jansing was part of MSNBC’s Winter Olympic coverage in Torino, Italy.
In other words, Chris Jansing has been a key part of MSNBC’s news coverage for most of its existence. She was the complete package; totally versatile. You could put her in just about any situation and she would meet the challenge. She had the poise, the on-air professionalism, and the gravitas to pull it off. It came across over the air. You could see it in how she approached a given story - the way she prepared - eschewing scripted questions in favor of hard research which she herself would pour over. And this was reflected in how her interviews unfolded with the little nuances and asides she would add; details that would frequently be glossed over or not even touched upon by others. Watching her interviews, you would get the sense of a pro at work.
All of which makes the news of her departure to the west coast a plus for NBC but a big minus for MSNBC. ICN has talked with current and former MSNBC staffers over the years and if Jansing’s name came up the comments would be pretty much the same; she was the best thing MSNBC had going for it on dayside. These comments have been echoed by the viewers I’ve run across on the internet who watch MSNBC for news.
MSNBC losing the ability to have her on full time will prove to be costly, maybe not financially, but certainly from a credibility standpoint. Nothing against MSNBC’s anchor roster which is “good enough” for most basic news stories, but you could stack up the resumes for everyone currently working on MSNBC dayside and added together they still wouldn’t match hers. There is no substitute for experience and gravitas and she had both in spades. And, among people who take MSNBC dayside seriously, her professionalism and abilities will be sorely missed on MSNBC.
You could probably count on two hands, with fingers to spare, the number of people at NBC News who are versatile enough and have the experience necessary that you could literally use them in any scenario without having any flaws creep out. Some people make competent news readers. Many more make competent reporters. Some are good show hosts. Some make good interviewers. But few can do it all and do it well. This is why you see a lot of talent in this business working in some areas and not others but very few who can jump around to any given area seamlessly. And it’s this agility that makes Jansing a natural fit for a correspondent’s role.
As one who has been following MSNBC since it launched, this really is the end of an era there. Jansing was the last of the full time M-Fr anchors left from the MSNBC early years. But I can’t argue with what she will bring to the table as a correspondent for NBC, even though it will prove to be a net loss for MSNBC.
That was a very nice tribute to her; I’m sure she will appreciate it very much.
HOWEVER, I thought your comment “…but you could stack up the resumes for everyone currently working on MSNBC dayside and added together they still wouldn’t match hers” was kinda not needed. If I worked at MSNBC dayside and read that, let’s just say it wouldn’t give me the warm fuzzies.
Comment by Anonymous — January 23, 2008 @ 2:02 pm
Maybe not but it’s the truth. It may sound rough but there’s no way to sugar coat it. She was operating on a whole other level from everyone else. The others just don’t have her experience. Some are just too young to have it. Some just haven’t had the opportunities she’s had to get it.
All I’m saying is, with her gone, nobody really stands out anymore. Nobody is really fantastic. Some are quite good, but again, they can’t match her.
Comment by Spud — January 23, 2008 @ 2:11 pm
And this is why MSNBC is not and never will be a competent news channel. Everyone who shows even the slightest bit of talent and competence is eventually moved to NBC. Unless you were specifically hired for a prime or early prime show, you will never be given that type of promotion.
All this tells the viewers is that MSNBC’s news hours don’t matter one iota. Tune in for the names at night, but if you want the news Today starts at 7am and Nightly starts at 6:30pm.
Comment by Steve — January 23, 2008 @ 2:24 pm
She’s a class act. And I agree with Spud, put the rest of them together and they still aren’t as good as Jansing is. She was one of the people I honestly liked at MSNBC. Pity there aren’t more just like her there.
Comment by Alison — January 23, 2008 @ 2:45 pm
I’d venture to say Alison Stewart was the best behind Chris. Oh right, she doesn’t actually work there anymore or is just a freelancer now. I’ve been wanting to say this for a while.. I feel MSNBC might as well “sell out” and let somebody else do news or just rebrand the channel to something along the lines of TNT/TBS/USA. I mean, the only thing they really have going for themselves is KO’s show and I don’t watch that crap because it deals with politics. So, anyway, they should be able to move his show over to CNBC (or one of the other NBCUNI properties) and call it a day.
Comment by Terance — January 23, 2008 @ 2:58 pm
She is really the only one on MSNBC that I enjoy watching.
Spud you said it best in your comment,
“She was operating on a whole other level from everyone else…….with her gone, nobody really stands out anymore.”
enough said.
Comment by jerziegrl — January 23, 2008 @ 2:59 pm
What was unneeded was the “dayside” qualifier on the stack of resumes reference.
Comment by Jim — January 23, 2008 @ 3:01 pm
Everyone who shows even the slightest bit of talent and competence is eventually moved to NBC. Unless you were specifically hired for a prime or early prime show, you will never be given that type of promotion.
Normally I would agree with you and 9 times out of 10 you’d be right that this is another case of NBC taking one of the “farm team” for selfish reasons. Except, that’s not the reason this happened. I’m not going to tell you why that is the case because it would not be proper, so you’ll just have to take my word for it. Chris Jansing becoming a correspondent didn’t have anything to do with NBC wanting to rob MSNBC as it has so many times in the past. The real reasons this happened are far more basic.
Comment by Spud — January 23, 2008 @ 3:25 pm
Aww damn you and your cryptic comments.
You do know that you are evil, right?
Comment by Steve — January 23, 2008 @ 3:35 pm
Did Lisa Daniels get a press release like this from nbc news when she left MSNBC to become an NBC News correspondent? also, where is Lisa?? she has been on maternity leave for quite sometime now
Comment by jman — January 23, 2008 @ 3:45 pm
Hate to say it but Jansing was just like everyone else who was let go. MSNBC has problems, but she is just one of the many who fell victim. She should consider it good that she lasted that long. Jodi Applegate, Lisa Daniels, Lauri Jennings and others all mishandled at MSNBC. Let’s just say I was just as sad when others left too. Especially when Melissa Stark quit showing up.
Comment by gman — January 23, 2008 @ 3:54 pm
Amy Robach stands out
Comment by gman — January 23, 2008 @ 3:59 pm
What a loving tribute.
Chris is lucky to have you for a friend.
Comment by Cella — January 23, 2008 @ 5:16 pm
Damn this sounds like a eulogy? Oh wait…
Comment by bravesfan — January 23, 2008 @ 5:59 pm
I am trying to understand the situation.
Chris Jansing is not being eliminated,just moved for a better position.
Or is it different from what is going on.
Comment by lynn — January 23, 2008 @ 6:09 pm
Come on Cella, what the hell is that? I can’t say I’ve never met the woman because I have. Once. In 2006. At a charity sponsored event with Jodi Applegate who just happened to be there. When I was in NYC at 30 Rock last fall, she was on the air. They unilaterally offered to introduce me to her during a break but I declined. They didn’t know that I had already met her and besides, commercial breaks aren’t the time to distract a news anchor like that with idle chit chat considering they’re under the gun to get ready for the next segment. And that’s the sum total of whatever contact I’ve had with her.
What you wrote is insulting. It’s insulting to me because it insinuates that what I wrote was anything other than an above board critique of her time on MSNBC. But more importantly it’s insulting to her because it implies that what I wrote wasn’t valid. I know that wasn’t your intention but that’s the way it will be read by some people. Normally, I would delete that comment but I’m going to leave it up so that I can clear the air. In reality I should have added that full disclosure at the bottom of my entry. That was my mistake, but one that I can rectify now.
Comment by Spud — January 23, 2008 @ 6:11 pm
No offesne because I know the whole Jansing thing is a touchy subject for you but what you wrote is mostly your opinion. It doesn’t matter if 99.9% of the people watching MSNBC like Jansing. No anchor is 100% liked. I’m not knocking her as anchor because she certainly is a tremendous journalist but there is definitely a bias present to what was written. Anyone who says otherwise is just lying.
Comment by bravesfan — January 23, 2008 @ 6:17 pm
Great tribute Spud, and I agree with you on everything. I hope that within this move, Capus will now use her in NBC news’s special coverage etc. Too many times she was passed over for the mothership, and so I’d like to see this as justice due.NBC also is in need of “stronger” Female anchors once couric left, and Jansing is now needed on the NBC roster to help even that out. Morales, and Curry are fine, but they need another experienced anchor to join Mitchell on the mothership in terms of experience (veira to me is and will always be a tv host). As it has been shown in MSNBC’s super coverage, I believe that Ms is moving towards pushing Morning Joe and it’s prime time showes vs. it’s live dayside coverage, during important news coverage. As a longtime viewer of MSNBC, as well in defense of Spud, Jansing leaving MSNBC, is a symbolic passing of the torch from the old Nachman days of MSNBC where dayside was “old school” with few, yet highly skilled journalists to now news readers and fluff. Now MSNBC dayside coverage seems to be just a filler, and the suits’ decision to extend Morning joe for 6 hours vs. Live coverage showes that. So I do to think it’s “the end of an era” because now MSNBC minimcs it’s mothership, in just focusing on it’s morning and nightly shows, vs. the whole network. This might have been the foreseeable downfall of the MSNBC/30 Rock merger.
Comment by Scott Kushman — January 23, 2008 @ 6:22 pm
Of course it’s my opinion. There are other opinions out there that are contrary to mine. I’ve seen them on the internet. And yes, there is a bias. My bias is to have people anchoring who know their stuff and can back it up with experience and come across smooth and reassuring on the air. If bias is my crime, I happily plead guilty.
Comment by Spud — January 23, 2008 @ 6:23 pm
No you know what I’m talking about. For the most part this blog stays away from critiquing anchoring skills-whether good or bad for specific anchors. In fact I remember when this blog first started there was a question that was posed and you specifically asked the commenters not to name names. All I’m saying is there is a bias in the praise that was given because I don’t see these kinds of critiques on this blog.
Comment by bravesfan — January 23, 2008 @ 6:31 pm
Bravesfan, it’s -his blog, blogs are opinionated, if you don’t like it then don’t read it -or make ur own. This blog is about the industry, but this is not supposed to be a standard of balence, because, it is after all, -a blog.
Comment by Scott Kushman — January 23, 2008 @ 6:39 pm
Your right it is his blog and just as he is allowed to critique other blogs I am allowed to critque his. Don’t give me that crap about if you don’t like it don’t read because that is just childish and petty.
Comment by bravesfan — January 23, 2008 @ 6:43 pm
I meant you’re right.
Comment by bravesfan — January 23, 2008 @ 6:44 pm
All I’m saying is there is a bias in the praise that was given because I don’t see these kinds of critiques on this blog.
Your point is valid. I can’t account for the obvious discrepency other than to say that when I look back at what she’s done on MSNBC and how long she’s been there, to not comment would be wrong. You’re right. I do try to stay away from that sort of stuff and maybe this is a double standard. But taking someone with that kind of record and making them a correspondent out in LA seems to me like putting a Ferrari engine in a VW beetle. It’ll get you where you’re going alright but there’s a lot of power under the hood that won’t get used.
Comment by Spud — January 23, 2008 @ 6:58 pm
Your right it is his blog and just as he is allowed to critique other blogs I am allowed to critque his.
Oh please, where do these jokers come from? “I’ve got a right to my opinion” and “first amendment” and all that.
Bravesfan, it is completely optional for a blog to allow comments at all. And while you certainly are free here, since Spud does allow comments, to express whatever opinion you happen to have formed, we’re under no obligation to respect it. That’s OUR right.
Comment by Arthur — January 23, 2008 @ 7:00 pm
Ok, let’s stop the sniping. Bravefan raised a perfectly valid point (and one that I was already cognizant of on some level when I posted this entry). This is by far the most talent centered opinion piece I’ve written. That’s a fact. I’ve done other comments here and there about other talent but this one does go well beyond the others.
Comment by Spud — January 23, 2008 @ 7:11 pm
Thank you. That’s all I’m saying. If you had put a disclaimer up I wouldn’t have said anything. BTW, I agree that becoming a correspondent for the LA Bureau seems like a demotion. Yes she will be reporting for Nightly and Today but think about how much air time the past correspondents out there have gotten. And Spud thanks for having the ability to think and at least consider what I was saying whether you agree or not unlike some of the posters here who shall remain nameless.
Comment by bravesfan — January 23, 2008 @ 8:06 pm
I guess this is where the “unvarnished news and opinion” part comes in. :)
What sort of disclaimer would you have been looking for? I’m not even sure what a disclaimer should look like. But it’s worth thinking about for future reference.
Comment by Spud — January 23, 2008 @ 8:13 pm
Definitely a loss for MSNBC, though possibly a moment where the network can try to build someone else as a news anchor and not a primetime anchor as they’ve been doing recently. While I’m not usually a daytime watcher, MSNBC has always had the issue of throwing up whoever comes into the office it seems, one day being A B C A A and then the next being C B C A A. It’s completely random most of the time and doesn’t seem watchable to me at least. Weekends are watchable usually since you know what you’re getting, Alex Witt acting as a generic anchor and having a little bit of fun, standable though not the best.
Eh, kinda went on a tangent, but hopefully everything works out for Chris.
Comment by Chris — January 23, 2008 @ 8:42 pm
“The Iraq War? Jansing was part of a team (consisting primarily of John Siegenthaler, Forrest Sawyer, Lester Holt, and herself) that worked on-air shifts of eight hours or more around the clock for fourteen days straight.”
Spud, let me throw in Alex Witt, Bianca Solorzano, & Ashleigh Banfield. NBC had ratings gold back then.
I’m glad Chris is out of there, even if she is going to be an L.A. Newsperson. I think she still has big things ahead of her. Just not at NBC. They can screw up a wet dream at this point.
Spud, you’re not being bias when you’re telling the truth.
Comment by puck — January 23, 2008 @ 8:50 pm
They should give Tamron Hall a more notable presence.
Comment by jmkaib — January 23, 2008 @ 8:53 pm
Spud, I am almost positive Cella did not mean those comments to be derrogatory in any way! I certainly did not see them as such, and almost wrote something very similar myself!
We often see and hear things differently than how they were intended. I believe the intent was just to state that you put together a wonderful tribute to someone, who was a “friend”, which may also mean acquaintance, colleague, etc. And I’m glad you did! Chris is a longtime cable news presence, and she has been with us for so many stories throughout the years, as you pointed out in your tribute to her. Most people don’t get that kind of a tribute, and I think I speak for most of us here who thank you for putting together such a complete chronology of her time there at MSNBC.
She will definitely be missed.
Comment by Missy — January 23, 2008 @ 9:02 pm
I know but there are people out there who really are friends with the people they write about. And that friendship is only known within the industry not to the reading public. I’m not going to name names but when one of those people does a positive piece on someone, the industry doesn’t think about what they wrote but why they wrote it. That’s the kind of thinking I want to avoid here. That’s all.
Maybe I am sensitive to it because I’m aware that I am biased. I realized going in to this that I will have now compromised myself on the blog. Anything that I should write in the future regarding her, if the occasion should call for it, will be viewed through the lens of what I wrote today. It was a tough call but I felt I had to do this because you just don’t take people that good away from what they do best. Or you shouldn’t. NBC felt differently obviously.
And puck, I know others were part of the Iraq coverage, though you’re off base on Banfield (she spent her time reporting from an army base during the main conflict and wasn’t anywhere near Secaucus). But the main anchor work was done chiefly by those four. The others did an hour here, a couple of hours there.
Comment by Spud — January 23, 2008 @ 9:54 pm
She was the best MSNBC dayside had Spud. Your tribute fits her well. You not naming the reason she became a full time NBC News correspondent is probably for the better.
Comment by Aaron — January 23, 2008 @ 10:45 pm
…so does this mean Chris Jansing is a republican?
Comment by Paco — January 24, 2008 @ 4:08 am
Spud,
I had to let some time elapse before I responded to your hurtful comments, which assigned a false position to me.
My words were meant to be maternal and supportive. And I am bewildered at your reaction to them.
I don’t know Chris Jansing, but I thought I knew you.
Comment by Cella — January 24, 2008 @ 10:49 am
ROFLMAO!! This blog posting is creating quite the controversy hahaha
> http://www.mediabistro.com/bbs/cache/t37197_1.asp
Comment by Anonymous — January 24, 2008 @ 12:53 pm
I know who that clown is. It’s someone I banned here. They’ve been posting periodic rants on me over there ever since.
Comment by Spud — January 24, 2008 @ 12:58 pm
Oh I see. That’s a shame.
Comment by Anonymous — January 24, 2008 @ 1:02 pm
Chris Jansing will be missed. I always made a point of watching her reports. She emulates the “true” professional newsperson. Today it seems all we have are people who read teleprompters and that is a very narrow approach to reporting the news. I wish Chris Jansing all the best.
Marilyn Brown
President/CEO
Expert Licensing Inc.
Comment by Marilyn Brwn — January 24, 2008 @ 1:49 pm
Spud, thanks for the summary of her time at MSNBC. I enjoyed it and will miss her there. I always stopped to watch when I saw she was anchoring. It’s too bad there wasn’t a consistent well-publicized schedule so I could have caught her more often. However, I turn to that network less and less so now there is very little reason to check in. She is simply a class act and I trust her reporting to be factual and unbiased. Hopefully NBC appreciates what they have in her.
Comment by Char — January 25, 2008 @ 6:47 am
It was a nice tribute to Chris, no matter what she does in her future you can bet the job she does will be preofessionally done. But this blog is getting way outa’ hand, this is supposed to be a tribute to a sweet lady, not some insult laden crank job. Dam, some of you people need to get a life or a real job !!
Comment by Walt — January 27, 2008 @ 3:29 pm
In a nutshell, Chris is pure class. Her professional manner is professional, yet warm, all at the same time. It takes a high level of dedication and skill to pull that off.She is simply the best.
Comment by Fred Orth — March 17, 2008 @ 9:44 pm
Hope she can find a way to get studio lighting on her field reports. Looks like a different person. I cannot recall any highs or lows in her work or on air persona. Bland maybe but never way off base as she would talk on and on.
Comment by GABRIELA BLANCO — February 25, 2009 @ 2:58 pm
I watched MSNBC until Joe Scarborough and his sidekick, Mika Brezinski, (who doesn’t bring anything to the Morning Joe Segment as far as I’m concerned) would put down democrats whenever they had the opportunity.
Comment by Marilyn Ingram — July 1, 2009 @ 8:08 am
Thanks you Chris Jansing on behalf of news lover. You have done an excellent job in 9 and half year Yes end of an era. I will like to see you in such a role in another channel. We will miss you Chris . I used to watch NSNBC in Dish TV.
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Comment by Jordan Retro 19 — May 31, 2010 @ 3:58 am
Chris, like Andrea Mitchell, is a journalist not another pretty face, thank God! Others I believe when I listen are
Dylan Ratigan and Chuck Todd who are more political, perhaps because they are talking heads. However, Dylan Ratigan gives more information about the inner workings of Washington D.C. which is what I seek. I have heard enough political analysis to last me a lifetime. I want someone who, unlike Congress, gives me answers to the great problems we face as a nation. I personally believe that is the role of the media…finding answers not providing a platform for re-election from folks who simply come out to get air time for the party line.
I have mixed emotions about the rule in Congress that prevents filibustering. I am of the mind that the Brits have it right because their parliament actually is a debate between their prime minister and the members of parliament.
No one has to wonder where their representatives are on issues…they can stand up and publicly tell you where they stand unlike this country where the press rep for the President has to lie rather than tell the truth because he is trying to placate the house, the senate and the party, not to mention the President.
Frankly Chris does not regurgitate what everyone else is saying over and over 24-7. She has the background and the intelligence to look beyond the surface of the headlines.
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