Joy Reid Reveals She Made Only 10% of Some MSNBC Hosts
Joy Reid Reveals She Made Only 10% of Some MSNBC Hosts’ Pay Despite Higher Ratings
#JoyReid is giving fans a closer look at what life was like behind the scenes during her years at MSNBC, and she isn’t holding back. Speaking at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival on August 7, the veteran journalist reflected on her career, her show’s cancellation, and the struggles she faced as one of the network’s most recognizable hosts.
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Reid, 56, was the keynote speaker during the festival’s C-Suite Soirée and sat down for a candid conversation with her friend Jotaka Eaddy, founder of Full Circle Strategies. One of the main topics was the February cancellation of her primetime show, The ReidOut, and the lessons she learned along the way.
During the discussion, Reid touched on what she called the “curse of competency.” She explained that in many workplaces, especially in media, the people who are most prepared often end up doing more work without being paid fairly for it. “Because you’re the best at it, you actually work the hardest, do the most hours, work the most overtime—and don’t get paid commensurate to the amount of work you do,” she said.
Reid then got specific about her own experience, revealing she was underpaid throughout her time at MSNBC. “I worked in a business where I was paid a tenth of the salary of people who did literally my same job,” she shared. “And we knew that any man that was doing what I was doing was going to make more than me. They were going to be able to negotiate higher salaries, even at lower ratings.” MSNBC, recently renamed MS NOW, declined to comment when asked about Reid’s remarks.
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Her comments also highlighted how privilege can shape opportunities in media. She pointed out that her white male counterparts often benefited from what she called “the presumption of brilliance,” where they were assumed to be geniuses before proving anything, while women and people of color had to work twice as hard just to be considered equals.
According to reports, Reid earned about $3 million per year for hosting The ReidOut, but in late 2024, the network began implementing pay cuts across its talent roster as part of cost-saving measures.
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Her departure earlier this year left a noticeable void at the network. MSNBC president Rebecca Kulter praised Reid’s work in a memo to staff, highlighting her award-winning contributions, while Rachel Maddow openly criticized the decision, calling it “a bad mistake to let her walk out the door.”
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Though her primetime run at MSNBC is over, Reid hasn’t stepped away from journalism. She now hosts The Joy Reid Show on YouTube, where she continues to share her insights on politics, news, and culture with a loyal following.
For Reid, her journey serves as both a reminder of the challenges women—especially Black women—face in media and proof that resilience can lead to new beginnings.
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Joy Reid Reveals She Made Only 10% of Some MSNBC Hosts’ Pay Despite Higher Ratings was originally published on rickeysmileymorningshow.com
