The Age of the MSNBC Mom

A reported opinion piece for The New York Times.

"What I learned from my MSNBC mom, my MSNBC mom’s friends and my friends’ MSNBC moms is that cable news can play a symbiotic role with social media and straight news. MSNBC makes an authoritative narrative out of reports, takes and jokes that feel fragmented on Twitter. It is a safe space to contemplate issues viewers feel they can’t bring up in mixed company (especially when mixed company liked a post about “Spygate” on Facebook). An evening with Ari, Chris, the other Chris and Rachel isn’t just about licking the wounds of 2016. It shores up progressive bona fides called into question by both-sides-ism and liberal hand-wringing."