If You Can Keep It: NBC, Social Media, And Preserving Democracy
1A
NPR
4.3 • 4.5K Ratings
🗓️ 1 April 2024
⏱️ 41 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The network drew a ton of backlash for the decision after it aired an interview with McDaniel done by Meet the Press host Kristen Welker, in which McDaniel openly criticized the Republican party and reversed course on some claims she made in the years after the 2020 election.
So why was she hired? And what does this politics-to-pundit pipeline say about the state of our democracy?
We examine the role of television networks that the media plays in our elections and governance.
We also take a look at the role social media plays in moderating what kind of political information makes its way to our screens.
Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | This message comes from NPR's sponsor, Organic Valley, the farmer-owned cooperative dedicated to providing ethically sourced food from small organic family farms. |
| 0:09.5 | Discover how you can support local organic farmers at o v. coop slash ethically sourced. It's been about a week since NBC fired former RNC chair Ron and |
| 0:28.3 | McDaniel just days after hiring her as a contributor. The network drew backlash for the decision after |
| 0:34.4 | it aired an interview with McDaniel by Meet the Press Host Kristen Volker. In that interview, |
| 0:39.4 | McDaniel was openly critical of the Republican Party and reversed course on some claims she made |
| 0:44.3 | after the 2020 election. |
| 0:46.1 | Do you disagree with Trump saying he's going to free those who've been charged? |
| 0:49.4 | I do not think people who committed violent acts on January 6th should be freed. |
| 0:53.6 | So you disagree with that? |
| 0:54.8 | He's been saying that for months. |
| 0:56.6 | Rana, why not speak out earlier? |
| 0:58.6 | Why just speak out about that now? |
| 1:00.9 | When you're the RNC chair, you kind of take one for the whole team right now I get to be a little bit more |
| 1:06.7 | myself right this is what I believe I don't think violence should be in our political |
| 1:10.9 | discourse Republican or Democrat. |
| 1:14.0 | Today we're examining the role that the media plays in preserving our democracy. |
| 1:18.0 | Later, we discuss how social media sites are navigating their responsibility to control political |
| 1:23.0 | disinformation. I'm Jen Moyt. You're listening to the 1A |
| 1:26.4 | podcast where we get to the heart of the story. Back with more in a moment. |
| 1:31.0 | This message comes from NPR sponsor Organic Valley, a co-op of small organic family farms, |
| 1:40.0 | like Stony Pond Farm, where Tyler Webb and his family |
| 1:43.2 | consider the earth, the animals, and the community |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from NPR, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of NPR and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.