As MSNBC's top talent and executives gathered in the executive conference room on the 15th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza on January 14 for an editorial call, they were greeted by a powerful guest at the head of the table. Welcome: Mark Lazarus, incoming CEO of ". Spin Company”.

Of course, SpinCo is a placeholder name for a new company that will consist of most of NBCUniversal's cable channels... including MSNBC.

MSNBC President Rashida Jones and Senior Vice President Rebecca Kutler joined Lazarus at the head of the table. Jones stunned attendees by announcing he was resigning as president, and Lazarus named Cutler as his interim successor, effective immediately, less than a week before President Trump takes office.

Although rumors of Jones' potential exit had been circulating for weeks, attendees were still in shock, with many in the room in tears.

MSNBC star anchor Rachel Maddow used the opportunity to tell Jones "I value your leadership very much" and she hopes Kutler and Lazarus can continue to do so.

Maddow said it's about "the culture of our building and how we treat each other."

"I mean knowing that we're being listened to at the top, who's a colleague but also separate from us - part of it is so she can take the criticism so she can take the pressure and not pass it on to us, which makes us Being able to develop a culture among colleagues where there's no slander, there's no gossip, we're respected, and we know that the higher ups are going to be our heat shield from the pressure that comes with that," she added. road.

Maddow has long been the unofficial power center of MSNBC. Her endorsement of a documentary ensures wider reach, and when she speaks out, others tend to follow suit.

As the anchor once again becomes the network's prime-time voice in the coming months, coinciding with Donald Trump's return to the White House, she seems aware of the public pressure the channel may face.

MSNBC had been in the news weeks before Jones' exit. The channel's ratings fell after Trump won the 2024 election (although executives at the channel were quick to note that ratings seemed to be starting to rebound in the past few weeks or so). and issued an announcement saying good morning joe Hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, which upset some viewers. The brief hiring and firing of former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel earlier this year sparked an on-air revolt by MSNBC talent, including Maddow.

Those working at the channel have been dealing with anxiety over the change in ownership, wondering what a spin-off into a divested company would mean. Will MSNBC lose its brand or identity? What happens on news hour? Where will it be located?

Lazarus sought to allay some of those concerns during Tuesday morning's meeting.

First, he reiterated that, yes, MSNBC will still be called MSNBC "for the foreseeable future."

"I know there have been some discussions with MSNBC's name, so you can take that off your list of concerns," he said.

Perhaps most importantly, he said MSNBC's strategy under Jones and Cutler is moving in the right direction. MSNBC has made an aggressive push into podcasts in recent years (many of which are led or produced by Maddow), most recently launching a live events business spearheaded by Luke Russert.

It remains influential among Democrats. Consider this booking coup: On Thursday night, Lawrence O'Donnell will give President Biden his exit interview, underscoring the channel's relevance to the party's power base.

"The only thing I would say is, the worst thing any leader can do is change something that works just because they can," Lazarus said. "So if this works, there's no reason to change it."

While some changes are inevitable (he also told attendees that Jones "puts us in a very good position to move into the next direction for MSNBC"), there are clear signs that the ship is heading in the right direction. direction.

Still, Jones' departure and Cutler's promotion come at a critical time for MSNBC. Not only is the channel preparing to split from NBC News and forge a path as part of Lazarus-owned SpinCo, but it's also preparing to shake up its lineup in the early months of the Trump administration in what Jones calls "an important new chapter." ". American politics. "

Maddow will return to host the show Monday through Friday at 9 p.m., while Alex Wagner, who hosts the show most nights, will travel the country to report on "Trump's early policies and promises to voters." Influence".

In a sign of investment from spinoff-owned MSNBC, Cutler is working to hire a talent executive and head of newsgathering to help the channel continue to offer news programming after the spinoff, while The future of this part of the business remains uncertain.

"She has my support to make any decisions she thinks will help us,” Lazarus told attendees.

A source who has worked with Kutler said the executive is a sharp news producer with an eye on building a digital news brand (she previously served as a producer and executive at CNN), Inside MSNBC Be optimistic about her promotion, even if she has a temporary title for now.

2025 is a big year for MSNBC, in which the channel will forge its identity under new leadership at a time when the larger TV news landscape is being clipped by Big Tech and political power. Lines and the weight of repression. player.

So when Maddow talks about a culture of respect, where executives take criticism on behalf of talent, it carries weight, and it comes at an important time.

“I hope we all try to hang in there, both as a tribute to you and because I think it makes us strong and resilient and in the long run,” Maddow told Jones on Tuesday morning.

This resilience may be needed in the coming years.

This story first appeared in the Jan. 17 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.