New York — MSNBC is currently managing tensions within its personnel after it came to light that Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign had contributed substantial sums to a nonprofit overseen by network personality Rev. Al Sharpton. This development emerged just before Sharpton delivered a notably favorable interview with Harris on his show, stirring concerns over the network’s commitment to journalistic standards.
Documents from the Federal Election Commission disclose that Harris’ campaign issued two donations of $250,000 each to the National Action Network (NAN) on September 5 and October 1, 2024. Following closely, Harris was featured on Sharpton’s MSNBC program “PoliticsNation” on October 20. During the broadcast, Sharpton lauded Harris by drawing parallels between her and Shirley Chisholm, the pioneering Black woman in U.S. Congress and 1972 presidential hopeful. Nonetheless, he omitted any mention of the financial contributions from his discussion.
In response to these revelations, an MSNBC spokesperson indicated that the network had no prior knowledge of the contributions from Harris’s campaign to NAN. The lack of disclosure has unsettled the network’s newsroom, with some staff members labeling the scenario as “pay-to-play” and inappropriate.
This incident has triggered a wave of debates at MSNBC around the ethics and transparency expected in journalism. Comments from the staff suggest a disbelief in how such an oversight could occur, with one employee noting the obvious nature of the conflict it presented, viewing it as clear even to a child.
Regardless of the internal unrest, Sharpton retains his hosting duties on his weekend show while continuing to appear regularly on various MSNBC programs. As of now, the network has not undertaken any disciplinary action against him.
Sharpton, who juggles roles as both a media figure and an activist, often enjoys a different set of expectations compared to his colleagues, according to some employees. However, even those accustomed to Sharpton’s dual roles argue that large donations, such as those from the Harris campaign, should not influence the content of programming.
Despite previous instances where MSNBC has shown leniency in comparable situations, this particular case has revived critical discussions about the principles of journalistic integrity, emphasizing the need for all staff to adhere to high standards. As contributors and employees have highlighted, donations of this magnitude inherently reflect a serious conflict of interest. The network is yet to issue a formal statement regarding the controversy.
Adding to the context, it’s known that the Harris campaign dispersed a total of $5.4 million among various advocacy groups representing Black and Latino communities as part of its outreach strategy targeted at minority voters. This broader campaign strategy, however, has done little to quell the concerns about the potential for undue influence over media content triggered by financial contributions to figures within the network.