CNN public editor: the only question in news is ‘will it rate’

WHEN I WAS HIRED AS A PRODUCER AT MSNBC ALMOST SEVEN YEARS AGO, I did not own a television. I considered myself an accidental TV producer, having crossed the line from public radio to cable news to help launch what I thought was going to be my dream job. The show I worked on—“Up Late with Alec Baldwin”—was cancelled after only five weeks on air. Welcome to the TV news business.

Over time, I forged a role as a producer for “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell.” I was proud...